pac-man turns 33
I picked up a slice of pizza and saw the shape of what was to become PAC-MAN. -Toru Iwatani
It was 33 years ago today that Pakkuman--better known as Pac-Man--was released in Japan, so essentially you could say it's the little dude's birthday. Did you know that in Japan the sound effect for eating is "Pac Pac," that is where the creator Toru Iwatani says he got the name from. The designer was eating pizza one night, brainstorming concepts for the game, and as he lifted a slice from the pie saw the shape of what would become Pac-Man. Also, the ghosts were implemented because the main character is shy and deals with it by eating things he's afraid of. So what have we learned? Pac-Man is essentially a pizza minus one slice who is shy and loves to eat--no wonder this is our favorite game. Happy Birthday Pakkuman.
