Pac-Man is a classic arcade game that deserves all the love. Guiding a mysterious mouth around a ghost-guarded maze in pursuit of dots is pure joy. As good as it is, I never thought that a 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 got rid of the old cat tree in the corner of my office, I’ve been fighting for high scores with my oldest.
As a young person, figuring out what you want to do and who you want to be is difficult at the best of times. Try to combine all that during the pandemic. And as a parent, you can feel it in your bones when your children are unhappy. But accepting the unpleasant reality that there is little you can do about it is one of life’s hardest lessons. My advice, however well-intentioned, has little value at this point. My oldest responds pretty much to any question about his day with a scowl and the one word “Good.” Gone are the days of playing with Lego blocks, riding bikes in the woods, and going swimming.
Part of growing up is letting go of your parents, especially during your teenage years. As a father who always enjoyed spending time with my children, that rejection was a bitter pill that even Pac-Man couldn’t swallow. If I want them to join me now I need a strong sales pitch, so I was delighted when the bleeps and bloops of the new arcade machine brought inquisitive teenagers to my office. They watched me play, and I saw that they bit the bullet. So began the summer pursuit of high scores and the bragging rights that come with it.
Just unstoppable
The Arcade1Up Pac-Man Deluxe Arcade Machine came packed in a few boxes. This easy-to-build cabinet features a 17-inch color LCD screen, light tent, and original arcade controls. Runs 14 Namco games, incl Galaxian, Galaga, Dig Dugagain Thunderstormbut as the artwork testifies, this is about it Pac-Manand you get Pac-Land, Pac-Man Plus, Super Pac-Man, Pac and Palagain Pac-Mania aside from the beginning.
Pac-Man started life in Japan in 1980 as Puckman. A team of nine developers led by Toru Iwatani wanted to make a game that appealed to the world. With 300,000 cabinets sold in 1987, taking over every gaming space in the country, we’d say they were successful. The name change for the North American release came amid fears that malicious spoilers would change the first letter. The arcade was the perfect place for Pac-Man, but it has since been installed on every system and machine imaginable, garnering an estimated $15 billion in lifetime sales.
Photo: Simon Hill