Editing Pac-Man (section)

==Legacy==
[[File:The_Art_of_Video_Games_2012_(6848237506).jpg|thumb|''Pac-Man'' interactive exposition at [[The Art of Video Games]]]]

[[Guinness World Records]] has awarded the ''Pac-Man'' series eight records in ''Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008'', including "Most Successful Coin-Operated Game". On June 3, 2010, at the NLGD Festival of Games, the game's creator, Toru Iwatani, officially received the certificate from Guinness World Records for ''Pac-Man'' having had the most "coin-operated arcade machines" installed worldwide: 293,822. The record was set and recognized in 2005 and mentioned in the ''Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008'', awarded in 2010.<ref name="nlgd" /> In 2009, ''Guinness World Records'' listed Pac-Man as the most recognizable video game character in the United States, recognized by 94% of the population, above [[Mario]] who was recognized by 93% of the population.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Turi |first1=Tim |title=Gain Knowledge From Guinness 2010 Gamer's Edition |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2009/12/21/gear-guinness-2010-gamer-s-edition-has.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223064711/http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2009/12/21/gear-guinness-2010-gamer-s-edition-has.aspx |url-status=live |archive-date=December 23, 2009 |access-date=13 December 2021 |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |date=December 21, 2009}}</ref> In 2015, [[The Strong National Museum of Play]] inducted ''Pac-Man'' to its [[World Video Game Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Pac-Man |url=https://www.museumofplay.org/games/pac-man/ |website=[[The Strong National Museum of Play]] |publisher=[[The Strong]] |access-date=6 May 2022}}</ref> The Pac-Man character and game series became an icon of [[1980s in video games|video game culture during the 1980s]].

The game has inspired various real-life recreations, involving real people or robots. One event called [[Pac-Manhattan]] set a Guinness World Record for "Largest ''Pac-Man'' Game" in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pacmanhattan.com/about.php |title=About Pac-Manhattan |publisher=Pac-Manhattan |year=2004 |access-date=July 3, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508155903/http://pacmanhattan.com/about.php |archive-date=May 8, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://pacman.elstonj.com |title=Roomba Pac-Man Web Site |access-date=October 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091109104243/http://pacman.elstonj.com/ |archive-date=November 9, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Dominic |last=Lau |url=http://www.cs.sfu.ca/news/index.cgi/articles/2007-11-15-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530004141/http://www.cs.sfu.ca/news/index.cgi/articles/2007-11-15-1.html |archive-date=May 30, 2009 |title=Pacman in Vancouver |publisher=SFU Computing Science |access-date=July 3, 2009}}</ref>

The business term "[[Pac-Man defense]]" in [[mergers and acquisitions]] refers to a [[Takeover|hostile takeover]] target that attempts to reverse the situation and instead acquire its attempted acquirer, a reference to ''Pac-Man''{{'}}s energizers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Origins of the 'Pac-Man' Defense |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/23/business/origins-of-the-pac-man-defense.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=November 20, 2010 |date=January 23, 1988 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214163345/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/23/business/origins-of-the-pac-man-defense.html |archive-date=February 14, 2012}}</ref> The "Pac-Man [[renormalization]]" is named for a cosmetic resemblance to the character, in the mathematical study of the [[Mandelbrot set]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Selinger |first1=Nikita |last2=Lyubich |first2=Mikhail |last3=Dudko |first3=Dzmitry |date=March 3, 2017 |title=Pacman renormalization and self-similarity of the Mandelbrot set near Siegel parameters |language=en |arxiv=1703.01206|bibcode=2017arXiv170301206D }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Lyubich |first1=Mikhail |last2=Dudko |first2=Dzmitry |date=August 30, 2018 |title=Local connectivity of the Mandelbrot set at some satellite parameters of bounded type |language=en |arxiv=1808.10425|bibcode=2018arXiv180810425D }}</ref> The game's popularity has led to "Pac-Man" being adopted as a nickname, such as by boxer [[Manny Pacquiao]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Brunell |first=Evan |title=Popular Video Game Pac-Man Celebrates 30th Anniversary |url=http://www.nesn.com/2010/05/popular-video-game-pacman-celebrates-30th-anniversary.html |publisher=[[New England Sports Network]] |access-date=April 11, 2012 |date=May 22, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722004002/http://www.nesn.com/2010/05/popular-video-game-pacman-celebrates-30th-anniversary.html |archive-date=July 22, 2010}}</ref> and the [[American football]] player [[Adam Jones (American football)|Adam Jones]].

In 2012, the Pac-Man was inducted into the permanent collection of the [[Museum of Modern Art]] (MoMA) in New York City. This addition was part of an initial selection (Wave 1) of [[List of video games in the Museum of Modern Art|fourteen video games]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Antonelli |first1=Paola |last2=Galloway |first2=Paul |date=November 3, 2022 |title=When Video Games Came to the Museum |url=https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/798 |access-date=February 16, 2024 |website=[[Museum of Modern Art]]}}</ref>

On August 21, 2016, in the [[2016 Summer Olympics closing ceremony]], during a video which showcases Tokyo as the host of the [[2020 Summer Olympics]], a small segment shows Pac-Man and the ghosts racing and eating dots on a [[All-weather running track|running track]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mynintendonews.com/2016/08/22/mario-pac-man-showed-up-in-the-rio-2016-olympics-closing-ceremony/ |title=Mario & Pac-Man Showed Up in the Rio 2016 Olympics Closing Ceremony |date=August 22, 2016 |access-date=December 30, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205122711/https://mynintendonews.com/2016/08/22/mario-pac-man-showed-up-in-the-rio-2016-olympics-closing-ceremony/ |archive-date=February 5, 2017}}</ref>

===Merchandise===
A wide variety of ''Pac-Man'' merchandise have been marketed with the character's image. By 1982, Midway had about 95-105 licensees selling ''Pac-Man'' merchandise, including major companies, such as [[AT&T]] selling a ''Pac-Man'' telephone. There were more than 500 ''Pac-Man'' related products.<ref name="Cash-Box">{{cite magazine |last1=Ressner |first1=Jeffrey |title=Stan Jarocki: Expanded Player Base Is The Key To The Future |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=20 November 1982 |pages=52–56 (56) |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox44unse_23/page/56 |publisher=Cash Box Pub. Co.}}</ref>

[[7-Eleven]] sold ''Pac-Man'' themed merchandise at its stores since the game's initial popularity in the 1980s. This has included collectible [[Slurpee]] and [[Big Gulp]] cups. In 2023, 7-Eleven included ''Pac-Man'' in its Spring 2023 marketing material including at [[Speedway (store)|Speedway]] and [[Stripes Convenience Stores|Stripes]] banner locations, and sold more merchandise around the game as well as rebranding some of its products after the ghosts. This included its house blend coffee (Clyde's Coffee Blend), two Slurpee flavors (Blinky's Cherry & Inky's Blueberry Raz), and a special limited time only cappuccino flavor (Pinky's Strawberry White Chocolate Cappuccino), the latter of which came out pink to match the ghost.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://corp.7-eleven.com/corp-press-releases/7-and-8209-eleven-inc-and-pac-man-give-fans-the-chance-to-take-their-game-play-to-the-next-level | title=Wednesday, February 22, 2023 PR: 7‑Eleven, Inc. And PAC-MAN Give Fans the Chance to Take their Game Play to the Next Level | access-date=May 1, 2023 | archive-date=May 1, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501025951/https://corp.7-eleven.com/corp-press-releases/7-and-8209-eleven-inc-and-pac-man-give-fans-the-chance-to-take-their-game-play-to-the-next-level | url-status=dead }}</ref>

''Pac-Man'' themed merchandise sales had exceeded {{US$|1|long=no}}&nbsp;billion in the US by 1982.<ref name="kao45"/><ref>{{cite web|first=Jane|last=Wollman|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_popular-computing_1982-12_2_2/page/n83/mode/2up|title=Pac-Mania|magazine=[[Popular Computing]]|page=81|date=December 1982|accessdate=April 1, 2023}}</ref> ''Pac-Man'' related merchandise products included [[bumper sticker]]s, [[jewellery]], accessories (such as a $20,000 ''Ms. Pac-Man'' [[choker]] with 14 [[karat]] gold), [[bicycle]]s, [[breakfast cereal]]s, [[Ice pop|popsicles]],<ref name="Cash-Box"/> [[t-shirt]]s, toys and pasta.

''[[Lego]]'' released an exclusive set of a PAC-MAN arcade machine for their ''Lego Icons'' line. A ''Lego'' version of PAC-MAN, Clyde, and Blinky are featured on the top of the machine, with a minifigure playing a miniature version of the machine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebrickblogger.com/2023/08/brick-breakdown-lego-pac-man-arcade-machine/|title=Brick Breakdown: LEGO PAC-MAN Arcade Machine|last=Reed|first=William|date=August 30, 2023|access-date=August 25, 2024|website=TheBrickBlogger.com|publisher=The Brick Blogger}}</ref>

===Television===
The ''[[Pac-Man (TV series)|Pac-Man]]'' animated television series produced by [[Hanna–Barbera]] aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from 1982 to 1983.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Pac-Page (including database of ''Pac-Man'' merchandise and TV show reference) |publisher=[[GameSpy]] |url=http://pac-man.classicgaming.gamespy.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416044015/http://pac-man.classicgaming.gamespy.com/ |archive-date=April 16, 2009 |access-date=May 7, 2011}}</ref> It was the highest-rated [[Saturday morning cartoon]] show in the US during late 1982.<ref name="Cash-Box"/>

A computer-generated animated series produced by [[Bandai Namco Games]], [[41 Entertainment]], [[Arad Productions]], [[OLM Digital]] and [[Sprite Animation Studios]] titled ''[[Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures]]'' aired on [[Disney XD]] from June 15, 2013, to May 25, 2015.<ref>White, Cindy. (June 17, 2010) [http://tv.ign.com/articles/109/1099961p1.html "E3 2010: Pac-Man Back on TV?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100621234419/http://tv.ign.com/articles/109/1099961p1.html |date=June 21, 2010}}. IGN.com. Retrieved July 7, 2010.</ref><ref>Morris, Chris. (June 17, 2010) [https://variety.com/2010/digital/features/pac-man-chomps-at-3d-tv-1118020718/ "Pac-Man chomps at 3D TV] . Variety.com. Retrieved July 7, 2010.</ref>

===Literature===
The original ''Pac-Man'' game plays a key role in the plot of [[Ernest Cline]]'s video game-themed science fiction novel ''[[Ready Player One]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jackson |first1=Josh |title=22 Differences Between the Ready Player One Book and Movie |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/ready-player-one/difference-between-ready-player-one-book-and-movie |website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] |access-date=23 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412232403/https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/ready-player-one/difference-between-ready-player-one-book-and-movie/ |archive-date=April 12, 2021 |date=March 29, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Music ===
The [[Buckner & Garcia]] song "[[Pac-Man Fever (song)|Pac-Man Fever]]" (1981) went to No. 9 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] charts,<ref name="timemag" /> and received a [[RIAA certification|Gold certification]] for more than 1&nbsp;million records sold by 1982,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Popular Computing |publisher=McGraw-Hill |date=1982 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,921174,00.html |access-date=August 14, 2010 |quote=Pac-Man Fever went gold almost instantly with 1&nbsp;million records sold. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122151527/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C921174%2C00.html |archive-date=January 22, 2011}}</ref> and a total of 2.5&nbsp;million copies sold as of 2008.<ref>{{cite book |last=Turow |first=Joseph |title=Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication |year=2008 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-415-96058-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KusZ29rZHYIC&pg=PA554 |edition=3rd |access-date=January 29, 2012 |page=554 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122202438/https://books.google.com/books?id=KusZ29rZHYIC&pg=PA554 |archive-date=November 22, 2016}}</ref> More than one million copies of the group's ''[[Pac-Man Fever (album)|Pac-Man Fever]]'' album (1982) were sold.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150904081506/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Pac-Man_Fever&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=10 RIAA Gold & Platinum Searchable Database – Pac-Man Fever] . RIAA.com. Retrieved November 1, 2009.</ref>

In 1982, [["Weird Al" Yankovic]] recorded a parody of "[[Taxman]]" by [[the Beatles]] as "Pac-Man". It was eventually released in 2017 as part of ''[[Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grosinger |first1=Matt |title=Weird Al Talks His Previously Unreleased Song "Pac-Man", Which You Can Finally Hear! |url=http://nerdist.com/weird-al-pac-man-box-set/ |website=[[Nerdist Industries]] |access-date=February 20, 2017 |date=February 16, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221005937/http://nerdist.com/weird-al-pac-man-box-set/ |archive-date=February 21, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Liptak |first1=Andrew |title=Listen to a previously unreleased Weird Al Beatles parody, Pac-Man |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/18/14658500/weird-al-unreleased-beatles-parody-pac-man |website=[[The Verge]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |access-date=February 20, 2017 |date=February 18, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219224706/http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/18/14658500/weird-al-unreleased-beatles-parody-pac-man |archive-date=February 19, 2017}}</ref> In 1992, [[Aphex Twin]] (with the name Power-Pill) released ''[[Pac-Man (album)|Pac-Man]]'', a techno album which consists mostly of samples from the game.

The character appears in the music video for [[Bloodhound Gang]]'s "[[Mope]]", released in 2000. Here, the character is portrayed as a [[cocaine]] addict.

On July 20, 2020, [[Gorillaz]] and [[Schoolboy Q]], released a track entitled "[[Pac-Man (Gorillaz song)|Pac-Man]]" as a part of Gorillaz' ''[[Song Machine]]'' series to commemorate the game's [[Pac-Man 40th Anniversary|40th anniversary]], with the music video depicting the band's frontman, [[2-D (character)|2-D]], playing a Gorillaz-themed Pac-Man arcade game.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 20, 2020|title=GORILLAZ: SONG MACHINE SEASON 1 EPISODE 5 'PAC-MAN' FT SCHOOLBOY Q|url=https://www.nastylittleman.com/2020/07/20/gorillaz-song-machine-season-1-episode-5-pac-man-ft-schoolboy-q/|website=Nasty Little Man}}</ref>

===Film===
The Pac-Man character appears in the film ''[[Pixels (2015 film)|Pixels]]'' (2015), with [[Denis Akiyama]] playing series creator Toru Iwatani. Iwatani makes a cameo at the beginning of the film as an arcade technician.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.philstar.com/movies/2014/07/23/1349432/classic-video-game-characters-unite-film-pixels |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723010101/http://www.philstar.com/movies/2014/07/23/1349432/classic-video-game-characters-unite-film-pixels |title=Classic video game characters unite via film 'Pixels' |work=Philstar |date=July 23, 2014 |access-date=July 23, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 23, 2014}}</ref><ref>Tarek Bazley: [http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/pac-man-35-video-game-changed-world-150524104416978.html ''Pac-man at 35: the video game that changed the world'']</ref> ''Pac-Man'' is referenced and makes an appearance in the 2017 film ''[[Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2]]'' and the video game, ''[[Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 redeems a gaming icon on screen |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/5/8/15581962/guardians-of-the-galaxy-2-easter-egg |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=May 8, 2017}}</ref> The game, the character, and the ghosts all appear in the film ''[[Wreck-It Ralph]]'',<ref name="trailer2">{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q6DDm-3urE | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/_q6DDm-3urE| archive-date=2021-10-30| title = Wreck-It Ralph Trailer #2 | publisher = Walt Disney Animation Studios via YouTube |date=September 12, 2012 | access-date=September 12, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name=NineThings>{{cite web | last1 = Cooper | first1 = Hollander | last2 = Gilbert | first2 = Henry | title = Wreck-it Ralph&nbsp;– 9 amazing things you couldn't possibly know about the movie | url=http://www.gamesradar.com/wreck-it-ralph-9-amazing-things-you-couldnt-possibly-know-about-movie/ | access-date = October 23, 2012 | publisher = Games Radar | date = October 19, 2012}}</ref> as well as the sequel ''[[Ralph Breaks the Internet]]''.

In ''[[Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale]]'', Kirito and his friends beat a [[virtual reality]] game called ''PAC-Man 2026'', which is loosely based on ''[[Pac-Man 256]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/pac-man-35-video-game-changed-world-150524104416978.html |title=Pac-man at 35: The video game that changed the world |access-date=May 26, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526095324/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/pac-man-35-video-game-changed-world-150524104416978.html |archive-date=May 26, 2015}}. Al Jazeera English, May 25, 2015</ref> In the Japanese [[tokusatsu]] film ''Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Riders'', a Pac-Man-like character is the main villain.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tokusatsunetwork.com/2016/11/shiro-sano-cast-dr-pacman-kamen-rider-heisei-generations/ |title=Shiro Sano Cast as Dr. Pacman in Kamen Rider Heisei Generations |work=Tokusatsu Network |date=November 5, 2016}}</ref>

In the 2010 film ''[[Scott Pilgrim vs. the World]]'', the titular character makes reference to the original Japanese name.

The 2018 film ''[[Relaxer (film)|Relaxer]]'' uses ''Pac-Man'' as a strong plot element in the story of a 1999 couch-bound man who attempts to beat the game (and encounters the famous Level 256 glitch) before the [[year 2000 problem]] occurs.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/movies/relaxer-review.html |title=Relaxer Review: Help! He's Sitting and He Can't Get Up |work=Jeannette Catsoulis |date=March 28, 2019}}</ref>

Various attempts for a feature film based on Pac-Man have been planned since the peak of the original game's popularity. Following the release of ''Ms. Pac-Man'', a feature film was being developed, but never reached an agreement.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/cashbox44unse_23 |title=Cash Box |date=1982-11-20 |publisher=Cash Box Pub. Co. |others=William and Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center}}</ref> In 2008, a live-action film based on the series was in development at [[Crystal Sky Pictures|Crystal Sky]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071020015300/http://www.crystalsky.com/press/TEKKEN/CS%20%26%20Namco%20are%20Game%20again%202004.pdf "Crystal Sky, Namco & Gaga are game again"]. Crystalsky.com. Retrieved August 11, 2008.</ref><ref>Jaafar, Ali (May 19, 2008) [https://web.archive.org/web/20100416225534/http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117986081&cs=1 "Crystal Sky signs $200&nbsp;million deal"]. Variety.com. Retrieved September 4, 2008.</ref> In 2022, plans for a live-action ''Pac-Man'' film were revived at Wayfarer Studios, based on an idea by Chuck Williams.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Galuppo |first=Mia |date=2022-08-08 |title=Live-Action Pac-Man Movie in the Works from Wayfarer, Bandai Namco (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/pac-man-movie-live-action-1235194679/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Radulovic |first=Petrana |date=2022-08-08 |title=New Pac-Man movie will be live action, somehow |url=https://www.polygon.com/23297171/pac-man-movie-bandai-namco-wayfarer |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rubin |first=Rebecca |date=2022-08-08 |title=Pac-Man Live-Action Movie in the Works From 'Jane the Virgin' Actor Justin Baldoni |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/news/pac-man-movie-live-action-1235335996/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Other gaming media ===
In 1982, [[Milton Bradley Company]] released a board game based on ''Pac-Man''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Coopee |first1=Todd |title=Pac-Man Turns 35! |url=https://toytales.ca/pac-man-turns-35/ |website=ToyTales.ca |date=May 20, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904081506/https://toytales.ca/pac-man-turns-35/ |archive-date=September 4, 2015}}</ref> Players move up to four Pac-Man characters (traditional yellow plus red, green, and blue) plus two ghosts as per the throws of a pair of dice. The two ghost pieces were randomly packed with one of four colors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.noisetosignal.org/2009/06/the-mb-official-pac-man-board-game.html |title=The MB Official Pac-Man Board Game |access-date=November 4, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110044121/http://www.noisetosignal.org/2009/06/the-mb-official-pac-man-board-game.html |archive-date=November 10, 2015}}</ref>

Sticker manufacturer [[Fleer]] included [[Scratchcard|rub-off game cards]] with its ''Pac-Man'' stickers. The card packages contain a ''Pac-Man'' style maze with all points along the path hidden with opaque coverings. From the starting position, the player moves around the maze while scratching off the coverings to score points.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pacstar.mycoldwater.com/zindex.htm |title=The Pac-Star: Pac-Man Rub-Offs Section Index |access-date=November 4, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222005141/http://pacstar.mycoldwater.com/zindex.htm |archive-date=December 22, 2015}}</ref>

===Perfect scores and other records===
A perfect score on the original ''Pac-Man'' arcade game is 3,333,360 points, achieved when the player obtains the maximum score on the first 255 levels by eating every dot, energizer, fruit and blue ghost without losing a life, then uses all six lives to obtain the maximum possible number of points on level 256.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oafe.net/yo/pacplu.php |title=Pac-Man review at OAFE |publisher=Oafe.net |access-date=November 15, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021153000/http://www.oafe.net/yo/pacplu.php |archive-date=October 21, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Mitchell">{{cite web |last=Ramsey |first=David |title=The Perfect Man |url=http://www.oxfordamericanmag.com/content.cfm?ArticleID=58&Entry=Home |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229043301/http://www.oxfordamericanmag.com/content.cfm?ArticleID=58&Entry=Home |archive-date=February 29, 2008 |publisher=Oxford American |access-date=November 13, 2012}}</ref>

The first person to achieve a publicly witnessed and verified perfect score without manipulating the game's hardware to freeze play was [[Billy Mitchell (gamer)|Billy Mitchell]], who performed the feat on July 3, 1999.<ref name="Mitchell" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=22&pi=2&gi=3229&vi=3365 |title=Pac-Man at the Twin Galaxies Official Scoreboard |publisher=[[Twin Galaxies]] |access-date=December 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726053417/http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=22&pi=2&gi=3229&vi=3365 |archive-date=July 26, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Some record keeping organizations removed Mitchell's score after a 2018 investigation by [[Twin Galaxies]] concluded that two unrelated ''[[Donkey Kong (arcade game)|Donkey Kong]]'' score performances submitted by Mitchell had not used an unmodified original circuit board.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.twingalaxies.com/feed_details.php/1047/billy-mitchells-donkey-kong-and-all-other-records-removed/4 |title=Dispute Decision: Billy Mitchell's Donkey Kong & All Other Records Removed}}</ref> As of July 2020, seven other gamers had achieved perfect ''Pac-Man'' scores on original arcade hardware.<ref>{{cite web |title=Twin Galaxies – Pac-Man (Arcade) – Points [Factory Speed] |url=https://www.twingalaxies.com/game/pac-man/arcade/points-factory-speed/page/1?ref=fbshare |access-date=January 2, 2019}}</ref> The world record for the fastest completion of a perfect score, according to Twin Galaxies, is held by David Race with a time of 3 hours, 28 minutes, 49 seconds.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pac-Man [Fastest Completion [Perfect Game ARCADE – 03:28:49.00 – David W Race |date=August 4, 2015 |url=http://www.twingalaxies.com/content.php/3974-Pac-Man-Fastest-Completion-Perfect-Game-ARCADE-03-28-49-00-David-W-Race |access-date=January 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |title=Perfect Pac-Man: May 22, 2013 – 3hrs 28min 49sec (2 of 2) |date=May 30, 2013 |via=[[YouTube]] |first=David |last=Race |publisher=David Race |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyA7LtJzwdc |access-date=January 5, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102123336/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyA7LtJzwdc |archive-date=January 2, 2016}}</ref>

In December 1982, eight-year-old boy Jeffrey R. Yee received a letter from United States president [[Ronald Reagan]] congratulating him on a world record score of 6,131,940 points, possible only if he had passed level 256.<ref name="Mitchell" /> In September 1983, [[Walter Day]], chief scorekeeper at Twin Galaxies at the time, took the [[U.S. National Video Game Team]] on a tour of the East Coast to visit gamers who claimed the ability to pass that level. None demonstrated such an ability. In 1999, Billy Mitchell offered $100,000 to anyone who could pass level 256 before January 1, 2000. The offer expired with the prize unclaimed.<ref name="Mitchell" />

After announcing in 2018 that it would no longer recognize the first perfect score on ''Pac-Man'', Guinness World Records reversed that decision and reinstated Billy Mitchell's 1999 performance on June 18, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-18|title=Retro gaming pariah Billy Mitchell has Guinness records reinstated|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29330854/retro-gaming-pariah-billy-mitchell-guinness-records-reinstated|access-date=2020-06-18|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}</ref>