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Atari and Bandai Namco are joining forces for the most unlikely comeback and collaboration.
Atari made this announcement on their website:
The Atari x PAC-MAN Collection celebrates the long history of collaboration between Atari and PAC-MAN creator, Bandai Namco.
Atari describes the connection between Atari and Pac-Man from the infamous release of Pac-Man on the Atari 2600 in May 1982. That version of the game is notorious for its many inaccuracies in comparison to the arcade original, but it’s also been subject to a lot of misinformation that’s persisted for decades.
A Little History Lesson
The game was programmed by Tod Frye, who worked with a mandate to finish development by September 1981. Frye was also given several harsh limitations, such as only making the game under 4K except for 8K ROM.
Contrary to popular misconception, Pac-Man for the Atari 2600 was not released incomplete. Frye made choices that led to a lesser version of the game, but he attested that he did not receive negative comments from Atari themselves about his work.
If you actually remember this game, you’ll remember its constant flickering, and the dots being replaced with bars that looked just like the walls of the maze. These were some of the choices Frye made that are controversial in hindsight, earning it a reputation as one of the worst video games ever made.
Addressing The Biggest Misconceptions
Atari made an order to manufacture 12 million Pac-Man cartridges, which was more than the number of Atari 2600 consoles in the market. However, at 8 million units sold, it was one of the best-selling games for the console, one that made its developer Frye a millionaire.
It was never true that Pac-Man, at least on its own, caused the video game crash of the 1980s. But as you may have seen from some documentary, some of their excess Pac-Man cartridges were found in a long fabled landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico.
How Do We Celebrate This Today?
Atari and Bandai Namco were in a strange position to commemorate this game, but they did come up with a sensible solution. They’re making Pac-Man: Double Feature 7800. This product bundles a new copy of Pac-Man 2600 with Pac-Man 7800, which they describe as
…an all-new, arcade-style version of the game, the way PAC-MAN was meant to be played on an Atari console.
This version is actually for the Atari 7800, a console that released all the way back in 1986 but never got this game.
Alongside this, they’re making a new Atari 2600 + Pac-Man Edition, colored a bright yellow and themed after the famous ghost muncher. They’re pairing this console with new compatible wireless joysticks with colors matching Pac-Man and his rival ghosts. Atari and Bandai Namco are also making new 7800 ports of classic Namco games Dig Dug and Xevious.
Atari is offering various bundles for these products on their website. Gamers who wanted to get into the new Atari + platforms now have a new opportunity to do so in a big way.
You can watch the official Atari x Pac-Man trailer below.
