segasaturn Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Recently I got Jr. Pac-Man for the 2600, and it just came to me.....Who or What is Pac-Man? Is Pac-Man a human, animal, Pizza , or What? I don't think it was posted on the forum before, if it was I'm sorry. And the 2600 forum was the best place I could think of to post this. But is he a dog, or bird or what?!?! It don't think the designers of Pac-Man ever said who or what he was. And what about Ms. Pac-Man? This must go deeper than we know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cebus Capucinis Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Pac-man was designed by rounding out the Japanese character for 'mouth', kuchi. He was named Pac-Man because the Japanese sound for opening and closing a mouth quickly is 'pakku pakku'. For the record that was Wikipedia, I am not some crazy guru of all things Japanese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
segasaturn Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 Pac-man was designed by rounding out the Japanese character for 'mouth', kuchi. He was named Pac-Man because the Japanese sound for opening and closing a mouth quickly is 'pakku pakku'. For the record that was Wikipedia, I am not some crazy guru of all things Japanese. I wanted to know what IS Pac-Man, not what is he named for/after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MS-DOS Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Just pizza. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accousticguitar Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 You hit it with "pizza." The video game designer saw a pizza with a slice removed and came up with "Puck-Man." When they imported the game to the U.S. they were afraid vandals would change the first letter to make a naughty word so they changed the name to "Pac-Man." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WatchVenusSpa Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I think it's some kind of MAN. Some kind of PAC man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I think that the question was more philosophical than that. Not regarding how the character's appearance originated. Pac-Man isn't some kind of creature or vehicle...it's the means that the player overcomes obstacles. Trying to attach biological functions to most game characters is more than just a little creepy (on all sides). Pac-Man is a state of mind. Grab all that you can...and get them before they get you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mord Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Recently I got Jr. Pac-Man for the 2600, and it just came to me.....Who or What is Pac-Man? Pac Man is actually Elvis. You may not notice the similarities given the heavy plastic surgery he went through to avoid publicity so it's understandable if there's any confusion. NUM NUM NUM. ... i really shouldn't post this... ah heck why not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Pac-Man is a state of mind. Grab all that you can...and get them before they get you. It's also kind of like a greed test. Do you take a chance and go out of your way for that bonus item? It can also be a laziness test. Do you take a chance and go for those few extra dots while you're here or do you back off and come back later when there are fewer enemies in the area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 He is a giant gouda cheese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 He's a friggin chomping mouth.. what else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rik Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 According to the Japanese creator,the round shape of Pac-Man with a triangular slice taken out was inspired by a Pizza Pie with one slice taken out IIRC.Saw that on a gaming documentary on You-Tube Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 According to the Japanese creator,the round shape of Pac-Man with a triangular slice taken out was inspired by a Pizza Pie with one slice taken out IIRC.Saw that on a gaming documentary on You-Tube I've also heard that this is just a myth. Anyone have a link other than some doofus on youtube or wiki? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smatchmo Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 (edited) Pac-Man is a retrovirus. And those pellets? Those pellets represent the body's t-cells. This was documented in the movie And the Band Played On, and I believe it because my teevee almost never lies to me. Edited October 5, 2009 by Smatchmo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accousticguitar Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 "The actual figure of Pac-Man came about as I was having pizza for lunch. I took one wedge and there it was, the figure of Pac-Man." Toru Iwatani Quoted from The Ultimate History of Video Games p.141 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+atari2600land Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Pac-Man has to be a man. If he wasn't, he would be called Pac-Thing. You ever see the cartoons where they show his body? He has a hideously deformed head, but that doesn't seem to stop him from being in the public limelight. What I want to know is who are the ghosts ghosts of, anyway? Was Pac-Man in the mafia and killed a whole bunch of people and the ghosts are of the guys he shot and they're trying to haunt him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pangasinan Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Pac Man was named after Pakafuktome an ancient Japanese hero who live in the 3rd century. Pac man shape is thought to resemble the second child of Pakafuktome and his seventeenth wife Fuk Mi Sushi. This childs name was Fred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanhq Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I think it's some kind of MAN. Some kind of PAC man! Loved the video. Thanks for sharing. Who knew Pac-Man took prescription power pellets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDW Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 (edited) Pacman isn't a state of mind or a representation of laziness, he is Satan himself. Pacman is a merciless hunter, torturing the souls of the damned. He has cursed the souls into thinking that they can win, that they can strike back. Wrong. Not only does this representative of destruction devour his enemies with merciless furor, he does it again and again. These souls have no chance to escape, running through an endless maze which we know as Hell. Do not fuck with PACMAN Edited October 5, 2009 by brandondwright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectorGamer Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Pac-Man is a junkie meandering through a maze of barbiturates with rocks of coke in the four corners...the ghosts are dealers merely trying to get the deadbeat to pay up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmel_andrews Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I am surprised that when it was first launched, the PC brigade didn't try and get it banned or the first part of the name changed to something less derogatory (as the first part of the name is similar to a derogratory term for a certain part of the asian community) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Pac-Man had a fever that eventually spread throughout the world. Damn pandemics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herbarius Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I am surprised that when it was first launched, the PC brigade didn't try and get it banned or the first part of the name changed to something less derogatory (as the first part of the name is similar to a derogratory term for a certain part of the asian community) Mind that in Japan, it was named Puck-Man, this was changed for the American version to Pac-Man, so that vandals wouldn't get the idea to change the first letter to something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rik Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 How about this...Pac-Man can be whatever YOU want him to be.There's so many variations on who he is,who knows what the true one is,and I personally don't think it matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robotwo Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 This ought to answer a couple of questions http://www.thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/vgcon/11098-ep5pac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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