Pac-Man

Namco
Industry	Video games
Founded	June 1, 1955; 71 years ago
Founder	Masaya Nakamura
Headquarters	Japan
Key people	Masaya Nakamura (president), Toru Iwatani (game designer)
Products	Pac-Man, Galaxian, Gee Bee, Bomb Bee, Cutie Q
Website	www.bandainamcoent.co.jp

Pac-Man, initially released in Japan under a different name, is a 1980 maze video game created and distributed by Namco for arcade platforms. In North America, Midway Manufacturing published the game under license from Namco America. Players navigate Pac-Man through a maze, consuming all the dots while steering clear of four distinctively colored ghosts. Eating large flashing "Power Pellets" temporarily transforms the ghosts into blue, vulnerable targets that Pac-Man can consume for extra points.

Development started in early 1979 with Toru Iwatani leading a team of nine. Iwatani's goal was to design a game that would attract both female and male players, differing from the predominantly male-focused games of that era. The character’s design was influenced by the image of a pizza missing one slice and the Japanese character for mouth, kuchi (). The original name, Puck Man, was derived from the phrase paku paku taberu, meaning to gobble up; however, it was changed to Pac-Man for the North American release to avoid potential vandalism converting the "P" into an offensive letter.

Pac-Man enjoyed significant critical acclaim and commercial success, leading to numerous sequels, a variety of merchandise, two animated television series, and the popular song "Pac-Man Fever" by Buckner & Garcia. The character evolved into Namco’s—and later Bandai Namco Entertainment’s—official mascot. The franchise has generated over $14 billion in revenue () and sold 43 million copies globally, solidifying its status as one of the most lucrative and best-selling video games with enduring cultural and commercial influence.

Gameplay

Pac-Man is an action maze chase title where players guide the titular character through a confined labyrinth. The objective is to consume every dot while evading four ghosts: Blinky (red), Pinky (pink), Inky (cyan), and Clyde (orange), each pursuing Pac-Man with unique behaviors. Completing all dots advances the player to subsequent levels, marked by fruit symbols displayed at the bottom of the screen. Between stages, short animated sequences show comical exchanges between Pac-Man and Blinky.

Losing a life occurs when a ghost catches Pac-Man; the game concludes once all lives are exhausted. Each ghost employs distinct artificial intelligence patterns: Blinky relentlessly chases Pac-Man; Pinky and Inky attempt ambush tactics; Clyde alternates between pursuit and retreat.

Strategically placed near maze corners are large flashing "energizers" or "power pellets" which temporarily turn ghosts blue and vulnerable, enabling Pac-Man to eat them for bonus points. Ghosts consumed in this state return to the maze center before resuming their chase. Points awarded increase with consecutive ghost captures during this phase. After a limited duration, ghosts revert to their original state. Eating enough dots causes a bonus item—usually fruit—to appear for additional points. "Warp tunnels" located on each side of the maze allow rapid traversal across the screen; ghosts slow down when passing through these tunnels.

As players progress through levels, difficulty intensifies: ghost speed increases, and the duration of energizer effects shortens until they eventually vanish. At level 256, an integer overflow triggers a malfunction known as the "kill screen," rendering the level unbeatable.

Development

Following the 1974 acquisition of Atari's underperforming Japanese branch, video game creator Namco transitioned from merely licensing games to developing them internally. Under the leadership of company president Masaya Nakamura, a small team was assembled to focus on creating original titles, beginning with research on NEC microcomputers. Among the earliest developers was 24-year-old Toru Iwatani, who produced Namco's first game, Gee Bee (1978). Although it did not achieve significant commercial success, it provided Namco with an initial presence in the expanding video game industry. Iwatani also worked on its follow-ups, Bomb Bee and Cutie Q, both launched in 1979.

The Japanese arcade scene was thriving thanks to popular games like Space Invaders and Breakout, which inspired numerous similar releases. Iwatani noted that arcade games tended to attract mainly male players due to their violent content and crude visuals, contributing to arcades' somewhat disreputable image. His goal was to design a cheerful, non-violent game that would appeal primarily to women, believing that drawing female players and couples would make arcades more welcoming for families. Taking cues from women's preferences, he centered the concept around consuming sweets, initially naming the project Pakkuman, a term derived from the Japanese sound effect representing mouth movement.

Work on what would become Pac-Man commenced in early 1979 and spanned 17 months—the longest development period at that time. Iwatani led a team of nine Namco staff members, including composer Toshio Kai and programmer Shigeo Funaki. The project emphasized straightforward gameplay and charming characters to attract a wide demographic. Simultaneously, Namco was creating Galaxian, which introduced RGB color displays capable of producing vivid sprites; this advancement allowed Iwatani to incorporate bright pastel shades to appeal visually. The idea for energizers drew inspiration from the cartoon figure Popeye’s spinach power-up and possibly a Japanese children's tale about protective spirits.

Iwatani credits Pac-Man’s distinctive shape partly to a pizza missing a slice and also to the simplified Japanese character for "mouth" (口). The quartet of ghosts were designed as colorful and expressive figures influenced by earlier Namco titles like Cutie Q, as well as media such as Casper the Friendly Ghost and the manga Obake no Q-Taro. Ghosts were selected as adversaries due to their traditional villainous portrayals in animation. The inclusion of fruit bonuses was inspired by slot machine icons.

Initially, Nakamura intended all ghosts to be red and visually identical; however, Iwatani successfully argued for varied colors to improve gameplay clarity. Each ghost was programmed with unique behaviors—Blinky (Shadow) pursues Pac-Man directly; Pinky (Speedy) attempts ambushes ahead; Inky (Bashful) employs complex tactics; Clyde (Pokey) alternates between chasing and retreating—to provide balanced challenge and engagement. Lighthearted cutscenes featuring interactions between Pac-Man and Blinky were added to reduce tension.

Sound effects were developed late in production by Toshio Kai, incorporating eating sounds inspired by Iwatani imitating fruit consumption. Upon completion, the game bore the title Puck Man, reflecting its working name before being changed for international markets.

Release

Testing for Puck Man commenced on May 22, 1980, in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. Individuals unfamiliar with gaming found it straightforward to pick up, whereas seasoned arcade players showed less enthusiasm. A private demonstration followed in June, leading to a nationwide launch in July. Observing its domestic success, Namco aimed for an international rollout, with a particular focus on the United States market. Prior to distribution, Namco America implemented modifications, including renaming the ghosts and changing the game's title due to concerns that vandals might alter the "P" in Puck Man to an "F". Masaya Nakamura opted for Pac-Man, a name closer to the original Japanese term Pakkuman. In Europe, the game was released under both names. Early promotional efforts in America briefly used Snapper before ultimately adopting Pac-Man.

At the AMOA trade show held in November 1980, Namco exhibited both Pac-Man and Rally-X. Company executives anticipated that Rally-X would outperform other titles that year. Both games attracted moderate interest from attendees. Namco initially sought distribution rights for Pac-Man through Atari, but Atari declined the offer. Subsequently, Midway Manufacturing obtained the rights to manufacture and distribute the game in North America, announcing this acquisition on November 22 and launching both games in December.

Ports

Pac-Man was adapted for a wide range of home consoles and personal computers. The 1982 Atari 2600 version, developed by Tod Frye and released by Atari, Inc., faced significant criticism for its poor representation of the arcade original and issues like ghost flickering; despite this, it sold over seven million units. Atari also produced versions for systems including Intellivision, VIC-20, Commodore 64, Apple II, IBM PC compatible machines, TI-99/4A, ZX Spectrum, and Atari 8-bit computers. The 1983 port for the Atari 5200 showed marked improvements compared to its 2600 counterpart.

Namco launched a version for the Nintendo Famicom in 1984 as one of its earliest third-party releases, alongside a port for the MSX platform. This Famicom edition was later distributed in North America by Tengen, an Atari Games subsidiary, as an unlicensed black cartridge amid a dispute with Nintendo; Namco officially reissued it in 1993. The Famicom version also appeared as a budget title on the Famicom Disk System in 1990. That same year saw the release of Pac-Man for the Game Boy, featuring two-player cooperative play via the Game Link Cable. A 1991 port for the Game Gear introduced multiplayer capabilities as well. For its twentieth anniversary in 1999, Namco re-released the Game Boy edition as Pac-Man: Special Color Edition on the Game Boy Color, bundled with Pac-Attack. Additionally, Namco and SNK co-published a version for the Neo Geo Pocket Color equipped with a "Cross Ring" accessory that limited directional inputs.

In 2001, Namco brought Pac-Man to Japanese mobile phone platforms, marking one of its earliest ventures into mobile gaming. The Famicom version was reissued for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 under the Famicom Mini label and later released in North America and Europe as part of the Classic NES Series. Namco Networks introduced a BREW mobile adaptation in 2005. The original arcade edition became available on Xbox Live Arcade in 2006, featuring achievements and leaderboards. A 2009 iOS release was rebranded as Pac-Man + Tournaments in 2013 with added mazes and competitive features. The NES version arrived on the Wii Virtual Console in 2007; subsequent releases included Roku in 2011 alongside a Game Boy port for the 3DS Virtual Console. In 2016, it was incorporated into the Arcade Game Series collection for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Hamster Corporation announced versions for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 under its Arcade Archives line in 2021.

Pac-Man has been featured extensively within Namco compilations such as Namco Museum Vol. 1 (1995), Namco Museum 64 (1999), Namco Museum Battle Collection (2005), Namco Museum DS (2007), Namco Museum Essentials (2009), and Namco Museum Megamix (2010). It was reintroduced across arcades through Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2 (1996), which included remakes of associated titles. Microsoft incorporated it into Microsoft Return of Arcade (1995) to encourage development on Windows 95 platforms. Namco also issued it within its Namco History Vol.3 (1998) compilation.

The 2001 Game Boy Advance collection titled Pac-Man Collection compiled several Pac-Man games onto one cartridge. It appears as a hidden bonus in arcade releases like Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga - Class of 1981 (2001) and features prominently in subsequent titles such as Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures, Pac-Man World 2, and Xbox 360's Pac-Man Championship Edition, which was later ported to Nintendo 3DS via Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions. The Wii title Pac-Man Party (2010) along with its remake for the 3DS includes it as an extra alongside other classic arcade games.

In 2014, Namco added Pac-Man to the compilation Pac-Man Museum, available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC platforms. The NES edition is also part of the widely popular NES Classic Edition.

Reception

When Pac-Man first appeared in North America at the AMOA show in 1980, it received a lukewarm reaction. Play Meter magazine described it as "an endearing game that tends to grow on players," highlighting that there was "more depth than initially apparent," although it criticized the audio for becoming irritating after the initial appeal. Despite this cautious start, the game quickly exceeded expectations with both critical acclaim and commercial triumph.

Commercial performance

At the outset, Pac-Man experienced only moderate success in Japan, where Namco's Galaxian (1979) held greater popularity due to its shooting mechanics attracting a predominantly male demographic. Nevertheless, Pac-Man ultimately became Japan’s top-grossing arcade title of 1980, overtaking Space Invaders and steering the arcade market toward action games featuring whimsical characters. It maintained strong performance as the fourth highest-grossing arcade game in Japan by 1981.

In the United States, Midway initially underestimated demand, manufacturing just 5,000 units. Following its 1980 release, it rapidly gained nationwide popularity, generating approximately million dollars weekly and selling over 100,000 arcade machines within one year. The game amassed more than billion dollars in coin revenue, surpassing Atari’s Asteroids as the top-selling arcade title and earning greater revenue than the film Star Wars (1977), with over billion dollars in earnings. In 1981, it was the highest-grossing arcade game in America and ranked second in 1982. By that year, an estimated 30 million Americans were actively playing Pac-Man, including a substantial female audience—marking it as the first major commercial video game to captivate a large number of women players.

By 1982, cumulative arcade unit sales had tripled to 400,000 machines, generating around seven billion coins and yielding revenue exceeding billion dollars—surpassing combined expenditures in Las Vegas casinos and movie theaters. Toru Iwatani, the game’s creator, admitted he never foresaw such extraordinary success. To this day, Pac-Man holds the record as the best-selling arcade game ever produced, with total earnings estimated between 10 billion coins and $3.5 to $6 billion (equivalent to $7.7 billion when adjusted for inflation). Alongside Ms. Pac-Man, it dominated US cocktail cabinet arcade charts for an uninterrupted span of 23 months from February 1982 to February 1984.

The Atari 2600 adaptation sold over eight million copies, becoming that console’s most successful title. Coleco’s tabletop mini-arcade version moved more than 1.5 million units in 1982; meanwhile, the Nelsonic Pac-Man Game Watch exceeded half a million sales during the same year. The Family Computer (Famicom) edition combined with its 2004 Game Boy Advance re-release sold a total of 598,000 copies in Japan. Other home computer versions also enjoyed robust sales; for instance, Thunder Mountain’s budget release in 1986 earned Diamond certification after surpassing 500,000 copies sold. Mobile phone editions had amassed over 30 million paid downloads by 2010. By late 1985, Atarisoft’s Apple II port ranked tenth among best-selling Apple II titles.

By 2016, all iterations of Pac-Man had cumulatively generated more than billion dollars worldwide.

Accolades

Pac-Man received the "Best Commercial Arcade Game" award at the 1982 Arcade Awards and was honored with the Video Software Dealers Association's VSDA Award for Best Videogame. In a UK poll conducted by Dixons in 2001, it was voted the greatest video game of all time. The Killer List of Videogames recognized it as the most popular game ever created, while Playthatgame placed it at number 53 on its list of all-time top games.

Impact

Pac-Man is recognized as a groundbreaking video game that established the maze chase genre while introducing innovative features such as power-ups and AI-controlled enemy behavior. It was the first title to present a distinct mascot, expanded gaming's appeal to female players, and became the industry's initial major licensing triumph. Its brief narrative sequences are often regarded as some of the earliest examples of cutscenes.

This game marked a pivotal change in the arcade market by shifting focus from space shooter games to character-driven action experiences, influencing subsequent classics like Nintendo's Donkey Kong, Konami's Frogger, and Universal's Lady Bug. It set foundational genre standards including the management of multiple moving characters simultaneously. Following its popularity, maze-style games gained momentum on home computers, spawning unofficial versions such as Taxman, Jawbreaker, and K.C. Munchkin!. Atari’s legal action against Philips over K.C. Munchkin! resulted in its removal from the market, ensuring no major rivals emerged to challenge Pac-Man within the maze game niche.

Additionally, Pac-Man impacted early three-dimensional maze titles and first-person shooters like Monster Maze, Spectre, and MIDI Maze. Industry veterans including John Romero have cited it as a significant source of inspiration. The game's artificial intelligence influenced developers at firms such as Bethesda, while its power-up system became a fundamental element in many later games.

Reviews

In 1982, Games magazine reviewed home console adaptations, praising the Atari 5200 version as an excellently recreated arcade experience despite alterations to maze designs suited for television screens. The Atari 2600 port was noted for its comparatively inferior graphics but still ranked among the console’s top titles. Both versions featured joystick controls that were less responsive than the arcade original, often making rapid directional changes challenging.

Legacy

Pac-Man holds eight distinctions in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008, including the title of "Most Successful Coin-Operated Game." On June 3, 2010, creator Toru Iwatani was awarded a Guinness certificate for having the highest number of coin-operated arcade machines installed worldwide—totaling 293,822 units. In 2009, Guinness World Records identified Pac-Man as the most widely recognized video game character in the United States, with 94% public recognition. In 2015, The Strong National Museum of Play inducted Pac-Man into its World Video Game Hall of Fame, cementing its status as an emblematic figure of 1980s gaming culture.

The game has also inspired real-world recreations involving both human participants and robots; notably, the 2004 event Pac-Manhattan set a Guinness World Record for the "Largest Pac-Man Game" ever played.

In corporate terminology, the phrase "Pac-Man defense" refers to a strategy wherein a takeover target attempts to acquire its aggressor, drawing analogy from Pac-Man’s use of energizers. The mathematical concept known as "Pac-Man renormalization" derives its name from a visual resemblance to the character. Moreover, Pac-Man’s cultural prominence has led to its name being used as a nickname for personalities such as boxer Manny Pacquiao and football player Adam Jones.

In 2012, Pac-Man was added to New York City's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) permanent collection as part of an inaugural group of fourteen video games.

During the closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics, a performance featured Pac-Man and ghost characters racing on a track, celebrating Tokyo’s designation as host city for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Merchandise

An extensive range of Pac-Man branded items has been produced, utilizing the character's likeness. By 1982, Midway had licensed approximately 95 to 105 companies to manufacture Pac-Man products, including prominent firms such as AT&T, which introduced a Pac-Man themed telephone. In total, over 500 related merchandise items were available on the market.

Since the 1980s, 7-Eleven has offered Pac-Man merchandise, including collectible Slurpee and Big Gulp cups. In 2023, the brand incorporated Pac-Man into its Spring campaign across Speedway and Stripes outlets, broadening its product line and rebranding certain items inspired by the ghosts. This initiative featured Clyde's Coffee Blend, two Slurpee varieties (Blinky's Cherry and Inky's Blueberry Raz), along with a special edition Pinky's Strawberry White Chocolate Cappuccino.

By 1982, sales of Pac-Man merchandise in the United States had exceeded one billion dollars. The product assortment included items such as bumper stickers, jewelry—including a $20,000 Ms. Pac-Man 14-karat gold choker—bicycles, breakfast cereals, popsicles, t-shirts, toys, and pasta.

In the Lego Icons collection, Lego launched an exclusive PAC-MAN arcade machine set that features minifigures of PAC-MAN, Clyde, and Blinky positioned atop the arcade cabinet, along with a minifigure operating a miniature version of the game.

Television

The animated series Pac-Man, produced by Hanna–Barbera, aired on ABC between 1982 and 1983. It achieved the status of the highest-rated Saturday morning cartoon during late 1982.

A computer-animated show titled Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, created through collaboration among Bandai Namco Games, 41 Entertainment, and other partners, was broadcast on Disney XD from June 2013 until May 2015.

Literature

The original Pac-Man game holds a significant place in Ernest Cline's novel Ready Player One, which centers around video game culture.

Music

The 1981 track "Pac-Man Fever" by Buckner & Garcia climbed to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and received Gold certification for surpassing one million sales by 1982; total sales reached approximately 2.5 million copies by 2008. The accompanying album, also titled Pac-Man Fever, sold over one million units.

In 1982, "Weird Al" Yankovic recorded a parody called "Pac-Man," which was later released in 2017 as part of the compilation Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic. The techno album Pac-Man, featuring samples from the game, was released by Aphex Twin in 1992.

The character Pac-Man appears in Bloodhound Gang's music video for "Mope" (2000), portrayed as a cocaine addict.

On July 20, 2020, Gorillaz teamed up with Schoolboy Q to release "Pac-Man" as part of Gorillaz' Song Machine project celebrating the game's 40th anniversary; this release included an arcade-themed video game.

Film

The Pac-Man figure is featured in the 2015 movie Pixels, where Denis Akiyama plays Toru Iwatani, the creator of the series, who also makes a brief appearance as an arcade technician. Additionally, Pac-Man appears in the 2017 film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and is included in the video game adaptation Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. The game and its characters also feature prominently in both Wreck-It Ralph and its sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet.

In Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale, characters complete a virtual reality challenge named PAC-Man 2026, which draws inspiration from Pac-Man 256. The Japanese tokusatsu film Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Riders introduces a villain resembling Pac-Man.

The original Japanese title is referenced in the 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The movie Relaxer (2018) revolves around a man attempting to clear Pac-Man before encountering the millennium bug issue at year-end, highlighting the notorious Level 256 glitch.

Multiple efforts to produce a feature-length film based on Pac-Man have been made since its peak popularity. A project following Ms. Pac-Man was planned but never completed. In 2008, Crystal Sky Pictures worked on a live-action adaptation. More recently, in 2022, Wayfarer Studios revived plans for a live-action movie inspired by an original concept from Chuck Williams, signaling renewed enthusiasm for expanding Pac-Man into cinema.

Additional gaming media

In 1982, the Milton Bradley Company introduced a board game inspired by Pac-Man, accommodating up to four Pac-Man tokens and two ghost pieces, all moved according to dice rolls. The ghost figures were available in one of four distinct colors.

Sticker producer Fleer created rub-off game cards featuring Pac-Man stickers, where participants would scratch off points along a maze pathway to accumulate their score.

Perfect scores and notable records

Achieving the maximum possible score in the original Pac-Man arcade game amounts to 3,333,360 points, which requires fully completing the first 255 levels and optimizing point collection on the 256th level.

Billy Mitchell was the first player publicly confirmed to reach this flawless score on July 3, 1999. However, following a 2018 inquiry into the legitimacy of his hardware setup, some organizations rescinded his records. As of July 2020, seven additional players have attained perfect scores using authentic arcade machines. The record for the quickest perfect game completion is held by David Race, finishing in 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 49 seconds.

In December 1982, eight-year-old Jeffrey R. Yee received a commendation letter from President Ronald Reagan for setting a world record involving progression through level 256. Despite efforts by Twin Galaxies and offers from Mitchell himself, no competitor has officially surpassed level 256.

After initially withdrawing recognition in 2018, Guinness World Records reinstated Billy Mitchell's flawless score achievement from 1999 on June 18, 2020.

Remakes and sequels

Pac-Man has generated a wide array of sequels, remakes, and reinterpretations, solidifying its status as one of the longest-standing video game franchises. The franchise’s first sequel, Ms. Pac-Man, was developed by the American company General Computer Corporation and published by Midway in 1982. Featuring a female lead character to appeal to female gamers attracted by the original Pac-Man, it introduced new maze designs, dynamic bonus items, and accelerated gameplay. It became one of the top-selling arcade titles in North America. Legal disputes over ownership eventually led Namco to acquire rights and contribute to its development. Ms. Pac-Man inspired various remakes such as Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness (2000) and Ms. Pac-Man: Quest for the Golden Maze, and appears in numerous Namco compilation releases.

Namco’s direct sequel was Super Pac-Man (1982), followed by Japan-exclusive Pac & Pal (1983). During the early 1980s, Midway released additional sequels including Pac-Man Plus (1982), Jr. Pac-Man (1983), Baby Pac-Man (1983), and Professor Pac-Man (1984). Other notable entries include the isometric-view Pac-Mania (1987), side-scrolling games like Pac-Land (1984), Hello! Pac-Man (1994), and Pac-In-Time (1995), as well as the three-dimensional platformer Pac-Man World (1999) and puzzle titles such as Pac-Attack (1991) and Pac-Pix (2005). Series creator Iwatani considers both Pac-Land and Pac-Mania among his personal favorites. His final project before departing Namco was the highly praised neon-themed, fast-paced Pac-Man Championship Edition for Xbox 360 in 2007, which spawned sequels including Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (2010) and Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 (2016).

In 1982, Coleco sold approximately 1.5 million units of their tabletop Mini-Arcade versions of Pac-Man, while Nelsonic Industries produced a simplified LCD wristwatch adaptation. Namco Networks released a downloadable Windows PC version in 2009 that incorporated enhanced visuals inspired by Championship Edition and bundled it with Dig Dug. In 2010, Namco Bandai launched an Xbox Live edition for Windows Phone 7 devices.

To mark the franchise’s 30th anniversary in May 2010, Google replaced its homepage logo with an interactive version of Pac-Man, which was played by over one billion users worldwide. Google later hosted this game on a dedicated webpage. In April 2011, Soap Creative collaborated with Microsoft and Namco-Bandai to launch World's Biggest Pac-Man, a multiplayer browser game featuring user-created mazes.

On April Fools’ Day in 2017, Google embedded a playable iteration of the game within Google Maps. In celebration of the franchise’s 40th anniversary in 2020, a themed downloadable content pack for Minecraft was released that introduced a ghost character inspired by Minecraft’s Creeper.

Technology

The original arcade hardware utilized a single Z80A CPU operating at 3.072 MHz paired with 16 kB of ROM and 3 kB of static RAM divided evenly among video RAM, color RAM, and program RAM segments. It incorporated two custom chips: the 285 sync bus controller and the 284 video RAM addresser; however, daughterboards employing standard components were frequently used as alternatives. Video output consisted of analog components with composite sync signals. An extra 8 kB character ROM stored graphical elements such as characters, background tiles, and sprites; additionally, a small static RAM (1 kbit) held four bits per pixel sprite data for one scanline that updated during horizontal blanking intervals. Sprites measured 16 by 16 pixels with each pixel assigned one of four colors; one color was reserved for transparent backgrounds.

The monitor was oriented with a clockwise rotation of 90 degrees; visible scanlines started at the top right corner extending downwards to the bottom right. The horizontal blanking period lasted for approximately 96 pixel clock cycles, during which four bytes of sprite data were fetched every sixteen cycles for up to six sprites simultaneously. Although attribute memory existed for sprites zero and seven, these could not be utilized due to timing conflicts with interface elements such as the bottom-level indicator and characters displayed at the top of the screen.

External links

Official website
High scores for Pac-Man at Twin Galaxies
Detailed entry on Pac-Man at Arcade History