PacMan

Pac-Man is a video game character and the titular protagonist of the Pac-Man arcade game and its related media. Created by Toru Iwatani, it was released by Namco in 1980 and quickly became one of the most recognizable figures in video games. The game is a maze chase in which Pac-Man must eat all the pellets in each maze while avoiding four ghosts—Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Pac-Man can eat power pellets to temporarily turn the ghosts blue, after which he may eat them for extra points. Bonus fruits appear periodically for additional points, and the objective is to progress through increasingly difficult mazes.

Pac-Man is depicted as a yellow circular character with an open mouth. The game popularized features such as a simple control scheme, a high-score competition, and a design that appeals to players of different ages. Its approachable mechanics helped establish the maze chase genre and contributed to the arcade boom of the early 1980s.

The Pac-Man franchise expanded beyond the original arcade game to numerous sequels, ports, and spin-offs across consoles and handhelds. It also led to licensed merchandise and media, including a 1982 animated television series. Ms. Pac-Man, released in 1982 and developed by separate teams, became one of the most famous unofficial sequels. Pac-Man remains a recognizable icon in video gaming, with appearances in modern titles and cross-media collaborations.