20 Incredibly Important Video Games That Shaped The Industry

5. Pac-Man

Why It Is Important: Pac-Man revolutionised games with its outside the box game design and broadened gaming's audience by appealing to both genders. Who would have thought that weird game starring a yellow thing inspired by a pizza with a slice missing would have such an immeasurable impact on gaming? Pac-Man ushered in a new era of games that was all about mascots and interesting gameplay ideas. It arrived in an era full of Asteroids and Space Invaders clones and stood out from the crowd with its charming visuals and strategic gameplay that appealed to both males and females. Players had to guide Pac-Man through a maze, collecting every dot along the way while avoiding the ghosts that relentlessly hunted them down. There was a weapon to use against the persistent ghouls in the form of the power pellet (gaming's first power-up) that temporarily gave the ability to munch them into submission. There were limited power pellets per maze, so avoiding the ghosts was the best strategy most of the time. It sounds pretty much like a stealth game, right? Well, Pac-Man is widely credited as being one of the earliest examples of the genre. The mighty Big Boss and Solid Snake owe a lot to this guy. Its AI was pretty sophisticated for its time, with each colour of ghost having its own distinct personality and tactics for tracking Pac-Man down. It was quite easy to get out-smarted and cornered by the cute little phantoms with no means of escape. In yet another first, Pac-Man featured little cut-scenes at the start of each level. It was a smart choice, as the first one in the game basically shows the player how to play. Pac-Man was gaming's first mascot who's still recognisable around the world today. His first game innovated in so many areas and represented the start of a new era of gaming in which novel gameplay ideas like avoiding enemies instead of shooting them reigned supreme.