Pick Your Pac-Man

[The Wooster]

Pick Your Pac-Man

Namco Bandai is looking for your input on a Pac-Man redesign.

While the classic Pac-Man and ghost sprites are iconic in their own right, the franchise's artwork hasn't enjoyed the same acclaim. Perhaps because the Pac-Man sprit is so abstract - he's basically a genderless, ravenous pie chart come to think of it - seeing him with legs, boots, eyebrows and, if you ever watched the cartoon series, a fedora, always seemed kind of weird. Some iterations were more popular than others, and these new designs featured in a survey on the franchise's official Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/pacman/app_127709503932081] all draw from different periods in the character's history.

The survey asks users to pick out designs for an as-of-yet unannounced Pac-Man title.

A looks very similar to the 3D renders of Pac-Man used during the PlayStation era. B's thickened limbs and solid black eyes hark back to the designs that adorned the original arcade cabinets. C seems to pull from the 3D-animated TV series set to air in 2013 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqLCSt-0S4Y]. Personally, I'm partial to D, with its sharp lines and faded "retro" color work.

The survey then goes on to ask what platform you like to play casual games on, as well as the usual questions about age and gender.

Did you vote? If so, which did you pick? It's an opinion poll, so there are no right answers, but I would like to add that every answer that isn't D is wrong.

Source: Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/pacman/app_127709503932081]


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[XandNobody]

Before I even read the article, just reading the title, I looked at the picture, and knew it was D I'd vote for.

Read the last line for the article proper just now, can I get a fist bump Grey?

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Err, all the Pacmans in those pictures have legs - so they're all wrong. So I didn't vote.

"Hey kids! Which bastardisation of an iconic video game character is the least shit?"

It's a draw.

Ok, ok, to be serious for a second: why not make the game and have all four options (and a fifth, proper one...) as customisable texture packs? Seems the way forward to me.

 

[Allthingsspectacular]

C. I like that one the most.

 

[VanQ]

Before I even read the article, just reading the title, I looked at the picture, and knew it was D I'd vote for.

Read the last line for the article proper just now, can I get a fist bump Grey?

Same thing here, the stylized ghosts actually look like a threat. I also like the simplistic design making it closer to how I imagined it when I played the original. The others just look far to crowded or just plain ugly. I'm looking at you, C! So, D it is for me as well.

 

[Andy Shandy]

I prefer B's Pac-Man, but yeah, overall D is my favourite.

 

[The Wooster]

Before I even read the article, just reading the title, I looked at the picture, and knew it was D I'd vote for.

Read the last line for the article proper just now, can I get a fist bump Grey?

 

[IronSuplex]

While I like all the designs, both A and C dont really sit well with me. Must be the eyes, no, definetly the eyes.
Tis a tie between B or D, for I really like the looks of both of them.

 

[gardian06]

if it's going to be a 2D game then D is fine, but if it's going to be a 3D title then D doen't make sense as it just seems flat, and out of place, but C actually seems to have a good blend of the 2D quality without being to Sonic-3D-y

 

[Harker067]

D B C A.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

I'm torn between C and D. A is too 1989, and B is too 1979.

C seems to pull from the 3D-animated TV series set to air in 2013 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqLCSt-0S4Y].

...thanks, Grey, now my brain is crying. I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY.

 

[Mr.Pandah]

I really like B. I don't know why...perhaps it reminds me of the Turbo-Grafx game.

 

[Coles_Law]

I think C has the best Pac-Man. B or D for the ghosts.

 

[uncanny474]

@The last sentence: But there is no option D for gender!

Seriously, though, D is the best by far. It's the only one where the ghosts look remotely threatening.

 

[Something Amyss]

I personally prefer D. Not entirely loving it, but it's the best of the three.

 

[juyunseen]

I'm for C, with D in a close second.

C just has more expressive faces, and I like that.

 

[Shinsei-J]

Pac-man from B and ghost from D, all in the style of D.
So I picked D, but those legs are kinda annoying.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

D B C A.

This man speaks the truth. D and B both have things I like about them that are reminiscent of the older artwork, but they both also slightly annoy me. C and A are horrifying crimes against all things Pac-Man though, so that seems about right overall.

I do like the way D manages to modernize the original look a bit while still staying somewhat true to it, but I can't help thinking "Jhonen Vasquez" when I look at the ghosts and "gotta go fast" when I see those limbs. Heh.