Pac-Man is a classic arcade game that deserves all the love. Guiding an abstract mouth through a ghost-patrolled maze in search of points is a pure joy. As cool as it is, I never imagined the greedy yellow circle would bring my family closer together, but that’s exactly what happened this summer. Ever since the Arcade1Up Pac-Man Deluxe arcade machine replaced a rickety old cat tree in the corner of my office, I’ve been battling for the high score with my oldest teenage son.
As a teenager, deciding what you want to do and who you want to be is difficult at the best of times. Try juggling all that during a pandemic. And as a parent, you can feel it in your bones when your kids aren’t happy. But accepting the unpleasant truth that there’s little you can do about it is one of life’s hardest lessons. My advice, however well-intentioned, is of little value right now. My oldest daughter answers any question about her day with a frown and a single word: “Good.” The days of playing with Lego blocks, bike rides in the woods and trips to the pool are long gone.
Part of growing up is being alienated from parents, especially during the teenage years. As a father who always enjoyed spending time with my kids, that rejection has been a bitter pill that even Pac-Man would have a hard time swallowing. If I want them to spend time with me now, I need a solid sales pitch, so I was delighted when the beeps and noises of the new arcade machine drew curious teenagers into my office. They watched me play, and I could see they were eager to try their luck. Thus began a summertime quest for the high score and the bragging rights that come with it.
Simply irresistible
Arcade1Up’s Pac-Man Deluxe arcade machine arrived packaged in a pair of boxes. This easy-to-assemble cabinet features a 17-inch color LCD screen, illuminated marquee, and authentic arcade controls. It runs 14 Namco games, including Galaxian, Galaga, Dig, digand Rolling ThunderBut as the work of art attests, it is about… Pac-Manand you get Pac-Earth, Pac-Man Plus, Super Pac-Man, Pac and friendand Pac-Mania along with the original.
Pac-Man was born in Japan in 1980 as puck manThe nine-person development team, led by Toru Iwatani, wanted to create a game with universal appeal. With 300,000 machines sold by 1987, gracing every arcade in the country, we can agree that they succeeded. The name change for the North American release came amid fears that mischievous vandals would alter the first letter. The arcade was the perfect habitat for Pac-Man, but it has since been ported to every system and device imaginable, racking up an estimated $15 billion in lifetime sales.
Photography: Simon Hill