Pac-Man turns 25

[dgo]

Question for the experts   I understand Pac debuted in Japan in June of '80 but does anyone know when the machines first hit the US?

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When it debuted in 1980 in Japan, released by Namco, the game was originally called 'Puckman'. When it was released in the US in 1980 by midway, the name was changed, fearing people might alter 'Puckman' to something unwanted.

 

The names of the ghosts also changed:

 

Namco original version:

Oikake ('Akabei')

Machibuse ('Pinky')

Kimagure ('Aosuke')

Otoboke ('Guzuta')

 

Namco Alternate names:

Urchin ('Macky')

Romp ('Micky')

Stylist ('Mucky')

Crybaby ('Mocky')

 

(to US Shadow, Speedy, Bashful, Pokey ('Blinky','Pinky','Inky', 'Clyde'))

 

 

Edited July 18, 2005 by dgo

[dogcorn]

Interesting on the red ghost's name...if anyone remembers the Rubik's Cube (another craze that came out around Pac-Man's time), 'Macky' is the nickname of Shotaru Makisumi, the current world record holder for solving the cube, some 25 years later. He wasn't even born yet when the yellow chomper hit the arcades. Prophetic....

[dogcorn]

BTW I definitely remember seeing the original Puck-Man. I remember the name 'Otoboke'. I asked my Japanese friend about it and he said it meant 'camera' or something like that.