Or should it be ‘something that isn’t Ms.’?
This week’s Arcade Archives entry features one of video games’ most iconic and beloved characters, Pac-Man, as classic publisher Hamster delivers a somewhat bizarre platformer adventure Namco’s quirky Pac-Land to PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Released to clubs in 1984, Pac-Land saw our drugged friend leave the sanctity of his maze and – now with athletic arms, legs and a fun hat – strut out into the wide world. Hanna Barbera’s Abominable Side Scrolling Adventure Pac-Man animation showboring busy kids on saturday morning. Pac-Land also has weird feature, Realm of follow-Responsive control system, using three buttons and no joystick.
Despite its crude nature of oddly sparse images, Pac-Land was a huge success and is considered a key precursor to the side-scrolling platform genre that would dominate throughout the 1980s and well into the 1990s. Watch the action in the video below, courtesy of the Youtuber. Old Classic Classic Game.
However, it is important to note that the new re-release of Hamster Pac-Land There’s really been a big change. While most of the weekly Arcade Archive entries are border ROM archives, Namco’s Pac-Land was forced to undergo a bit of image editing, lest bloodthirsty lawyers come calling.
As spotted by graphic artist “Nick C”, the change concerns Pac-Man’s beloved partner, Ms. Pac-Man, who often waits to greet our hero at the end of each level. Ms. Pac-Man’s image was changed in the remake, replacing her trademark “red bow, red boots” image with a pink hat and heels, turning her into a made-up character. more recently in Pac-Man universe called “Pac-Mom”.
The reasons behind this change are arduous and unpleasant.
so apparently I’ve discovered that the release of Pac-Land’s Arcade Archive coming out tomorrow has been modified to replace Mrs. Pac-Man (as well as Baby Pac) to have the character Pac -New Mom from the Pac-Man + Museum.
look at what you did with us AtGames pic.twitter.com/gEDNpXGMfV
– Nick C. (@nickisonlinet) April 6, 2022
The makers of AtGames (the company behind the retro console “Plug ‘n’ Play”), were able to secure one percent of the copyright rights to the character Ms. Pac-Man from her original creators, General Computer Corporation. Therefore, although Bandai Namco still owns Ms. Pac-Man and can use her whenever they want, but her description will trigger royalties for AtGames every time she shows up, even in something as small as this Hamster replay appear.
Bandai Namco, starting with the deal, chooses to simply skip the character entirely as often as possible – she won’t even appear in the upcoming collection. Pac-Man Plus Museum (although “Pac-Mom” will). A pathetic nonsense story about greed, pettiness, and law-abiding is holding one of the the The most important figures for female representation in video games are held in a licensed prison.
I swear, the wrongdoers have all the money and power, in every conceivable realm.
Pac-Land Currently available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, for around $8.
Chris Moyse
Senior Editor – Chris has been playing video games since the 1980s. Former Saturday Night Slam Master. Graduated with honors from Galaxy High School. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse
