Pac-Man (...and not ONE maze in the entire series!)
[All images are owned by Bandai Namco Entertainment and Hanna-Barbera. Please don’t sue or chomp me]
(Thanks to panbiscuit)
As I previously mentioned, Saturday morning cartoons in the 80s had a LOT of cartoons related to video games (and by “related to”, I mean they had characters that could vaguely be related to the games, but with plots that veered so far from the concept it was ludicrous. But then again, how many cartoons could you make about running around a maze eating…whatever those dots were supposed to be?)
This time around, I’m going to look at Pac-Man, a game, as I just mentioned, involved running around a maze and eating dots. The object was to clear the maze of dots while ghosts roamed the halls trying to eat you! Your only defense was four special dots that allowed you to turn the tables on the ghosts. The video below gives a synopsis for those who’ve never played the game before.
(Thanks to bobamaluma)
[FUN FACT: The creator of Pac-Man has stated he was inspired to make the game while eating a pizza]
Now, on to the show!
First, let’s meet the star of the show, Pac-Man! His job is to protect the Power Pellet Forest from…
…the evil Mezmeron (who’s the only human in all of Pac-Land)
…and his henchmen, the Ghost Monsters (from left to right: Sue (who replaced Clyde in the Ms. Pac-Man video game), Blinky, Inky, Pinky, and Clyde)
Since Sue’s in the cartoon, it should come as no surprise that Ms. Pac-Man (who is married to Pac-Man (wouldn’t that make her Mrs. Pac-Man?) and whose actual name is Pepper) is in the game.
What’s more, they have a kid (Pac-Baby, who also had her own video game (a hybrid of a video game and pinball machine called Baby Pac-Man) that, ironically enough, was released nine months after Ms. Pac-Man’s debut. Guess Pac Man works fast!)
But besides a wife and kid, Pac-Man also has pets!
…a dog named Chomp-Chomp
…and a cat named Sour Puss (who really doesn’t like Chomp-Chomp)
This being Saturday morning TV, you’d think we’d only see the show for one season, but in fact it got a second (and a holiday special that I may have to review one of these years), that introduced two new characters (based on their own games, naturally!) to try to keep things fresh.
First off is Super Pac (Pac-Land’s super hero, who’s more than a bit incompetent)
…and Pac-Man’s teenage cousin PJ (short for Pac-Man Jr.)
Season 2 also saw a reduction in the “chomping”, as it was deemed a bit too violent for kids (seriously?)
The plots were either Mezmeron and/or the Ghost Monsters trying to find the secret Power Forest (how secret could it be? Pretty much all of Pac-Land except the Bad Guys knows where it is!) or the Ghost Monsters trying to chomp Pac-Man just out of spite (considering all chomping does is weaken Pac-citizens or make the Ghost Monsters lost their sheets, I don’t see why it’s such a big deal)
If you would like to watch the series, random episodes can be found on YouTube or you can find it behind your favorite paywall)
Now, for sheer entertainment, here’s what happens when you play Pac-Man in real life! (WARNING: there is some salty language)
(Thanks to Rooster Teeth)
Let me know what other cartoons based on video games (or episodes) you would like to see reviewed in the comments!
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In Ms. Pac-Man, if you insert a credit on the marquee attract screen before any ghosts appear, your first maze/life will be purple-walled instead of orange!
Gameplay video: https://youtu.be/WJx7wGu8KVM?t=1753s
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Pac-Man: So... you saw me eat that hot pocket I found in the garbage.
MS: Yes
Pac-Man: Any thoughts on that?
MS: No
Pac-Man: Oh man, I like you.
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