The problem with making an animated series based on Pac Man should be obvious. There's no real back-story to the game. No universe. No story-telling engine!
So, they invented the idea that Pac Man is actually a family guy who lives in Pac Land, a place where everything takes the form of a sphere. For some reason a grade "Z" humanoid super-villain wants the power pellets Pac Man eats, so he sends his ghost lackeys out to get the secret Power Pellet forest location from Pac Man.
I recall the visual of what happens if a ghost chomps Pac Man is quite disturbing...his insides -melt-. Pac Man becomes a soggy, woozy, lethargic blob.
The only thing more disturbing was when the Pac People would team up, eat pellets, and try to chomp the you-know-what out of the bald humanoid villain.
Of course, by the end of each episode Pac Man, his wife, or Baby Pac Man will finally eat a darn power pellet and chomp the ghosts.
The dead eat you, you eat the dead, everyone just wants to eat the pellets.
Posts: 6689 | Registered: Jan 2005
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I remember liking this show when I was a kid (between 4 and 6, according to the dates in Wikipedia). But the only image I have of it now is the wardrobe containing hundreds of colored robes for the ghosts to put on once they got sent back as pairs of eyeballs to their home castle.
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Isn't Pac-Man the game that first popularized the cinematic? Sure, the game at first appears to be just a yellow head and some ghosts in a maze, but there are little clips and such between levels. While not a ton of characterization, there's certainly a lot more than there were in its contemporaries.
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Coming Next Year--From Fox Studios--The LIVE ACTION Version of PAC-MAN.
Based on the popular children's television show we all so foundly remember, PAC MAN leader of the free people of PAC LAND must save themselves from the mysterious unhuman menace of The GHOSTS!
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Maze.
With Jack Black as Pacman. Angelina Jolie as Ms. Pacman. And Patrick Stewart as Baby Packman.
Not To MISS!!! Special Appearance of Jackie Chan as the Purple Ghost.
Music by Sir Elton John and Fozzie the Bear (Wokka Wokka)
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Someone once wrote a short text adventure "casting Pac-Man as a guilt-addled junkie." (Sorry, I can't find a transcript on-line.)
Posts: 781 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Primal Curve: Isn't Pac-Man the game that first popularized the cinematic? Sure, the game at first appears to be just a yellow head and some ghosts in a maze, but there are little clips and such between levels.
I remember some versions of the game had very brief sight gags, but I'm not sure those qualify as cinematics. I don't recall them giving much insight into the "characters" either. But maybe I missed the particular version of which you speak? Posts: 6689 | Registered: Jan 2005
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I remember this from when I was a kid. It wasn't exactly deep, but it was cartoon fun. They used to have hours of cartoons on Sat morning. The Ghost Busters cartoon was a favorite of mine as well. Thundaar the Barbarian. Good stuff.
Posts: 1042 | Registered: Jan 2001
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The original Pac-Man intermissions were just gags involving the red ghost trying to catch Pac-Man and failing humorously. But the Ms. Pac-Man intermissions told a story:
1) Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man run toward each other, each chased by a ghost. They turn and meet (causing a heart to appear over them), and the ghosts bounce off each other.
2) Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man chase each other back and forth.
3) A stork delivers Jr. Pac-Man to Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man.
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