10 Iconic Video Game Character Debuts
3. Pac-Man - Pac-Man (1980)
Pac-Man is without a doubt the quintessential arcade gaming mascot. First entering the scene back in 1980, the little yellow hero is instantly recognisable globally, with his popularity now spanning to almost 40 years and across countless iterations.
His classic and beloved games most commonly see him travelling through dark mazes, blasting repetitive electronic music, running from ghosts, swallowing an unholy amount of pills and then murdering said ghosts when he hits a bad one. Shockingly, these are marketed to people of all ages.
When Namco originally conceived this character for Japanese audiences, he was named Puck-Man. This was changed, however, when the game was shipped to Western countries, as a preventative measure to avoid the machines being defaced. We couldn’t possibly think of an obscenity that the word “puck” could easily be modified to, but that’s because, unlike Pac-Man, we’re wholesome and family-friendly.
All joking aside, Pac-Man was a worldwide success and his debut in 1980 shouldn’t be overlooked. Pac-Man may be the first gaming mascot who can still have an impact on pop-culture today, so Namco definitely got something right.
Fun fact- if you put your finger in your ear and wiggle it, you’ll hear Pac-Man making his way around a maze.