Original Pac-Man: World’s Most Popular Arcade Game
Brief History
The original Pac-Man was developed by Namco and first released in Japan in 1979. In 1980, the classic arcade game was later introduced to the American market. Due to a lukewarm response from Japanese consumers, no one expected it to become a hit in the United States overnight.
In 1982, Atari sought the rights to license and publish Pac-Man for their 2600 console. This gave American consumers an opportunity to play the original arcade game at home. However, a rushed production of the game left much to be desired.
Atari’s adaptation of the original arcade was widely criticized, mainly due to its blinking ghosts and oversimplified graphics. This, in turn, would lead to 5 million unsold cartridges and the slow demise of Atari ― A moment in history that would later be considered a possible trigger for the game crash of 1983.
Pac-Man won the hearts of American consumers and over 350,000 arcades were sold. It stripped Asteroids of its former leading title and merrily went on to become the most popular arcade game in the world.
Relive the Memories: Play the Original Pac-Man Online
For those, like me, who love the simplicity of Pac-Man, now you can play the original arcade game online. So go on…play to your heart’s content.
