BY JC FLETCHER
(Note: while the basics of Pac-Man's story– those visible from the game screen– have been left unchanged, many of the details have been added for this project and are somewhat speculative. Pac-Man's story is mostly unknown; I have tried to outline scenarios for his existence as are created in players' minds when engaging in the game. I have also attempted to convey the mystery of the setting in the story.)

Pac-Man is hungry. Pac-Man is always hungry. He doesn't know how he got into this maze, or how he can get out.
He is surrounded on all sides (all four of them) by blue walls. Even the two apparent exits on the sides lead, impossibly, to each other. Pac-Man doesn't even know what, if anything, will be outside the maze should he ever escape.

Attempting to get out is at best risky. Where would he end up? Another maze? Empty black space? Would there be food there? There's food in the maze, and plenty of it. The maze is filled with food, in fact. Every path, every corner of the blue cell is home to a neat little line of the dots that are Pac-Man's primary form of sustenance.
As dangerous as it is to be in the maze, the fact remains that it is probably the best place to acquire food.

(Screenshot from Pac-Man arcade game)


Why shouldn't he just stay in the maze, and eat at his leisure? There are four reasons, and their names are Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde. These four ghosts live in the center of the maze, and are either guardians of the dots or predators with a taste for Pac-Man, because their only objective is to capture and devour Pac-Man as he makes his way through the maze. There are four of them to one Pac-Man, and they all have eyes, which the yellow circle lacks.
However, Pac-Man has access to four magical items in the corners of the maze: weapons that give him the power to turn the tables and become the hunter, if only for a few seconds. There is one Power Pellet in each corner, identical to the other pellets but for their size. If his universe has gods, and if they are working in Pac-Man's favor, then this is the magical item they have sent down to him. When Pac-Man consumes one of these mighty circles, he is able to unleash the wrath of a cornered animal upon his ghoulish tormentors. They are not oblivious to this fact, for while Pac-Man is imbued with the power to destroy them, the ghost monsters turn blue with fear and run away from the great gaping jaw of the mighty yellow hero. When he eats them, however, they return just a few seconds later.
Pac-Man has proven himself to be a true warrior– he has eaten all of the dots in the maze, and has also eaten every ghost four times. Surely the gods will reward him for his bravery.
He is instantly transported to another identical maze. The ghosts are faster now.

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COMMENTARY:

Pac-Man's story is difficult to write, because it's so ephemeral. Even with as little story as this, the game is still noteworthy as a quantum leap in video-game characterization: previously, your avatar in a game was "spaceship" or "cowboy" or "rectangle," and the challenges combat-oriented. Pac-Man, however, is a completely original character (a yellow circle with a missing-wedge mouth) that doesn't represent anything on Earth, animal or machine. In essence, the game exists in its own universe. In addition, the game is not about defeating your adversaries, though that is possible (and often necessary in order to save yourself)-- it is about surviving them long enough to eat.
The effect is more cartoonish and cute than previous hits like Space Invaders-- less "Star Wars" and more "Tom and Jerry." Whether it was the colorful, cute graphics or the simple gameplay (one joystick, four directions, no buttons) or the mesmerizing "wakka wakka wakka" noise Pac-Man makes, the game was a gigantic hit and spawned countless spinoffs and sequels, while incidentally inventing videogame character merchandise.
The Dot Eaters. http://www.emuunlim.com/doteaters/play2sta4.htm
(Used to verify date of release and Ghost Monster names.)

Pac-Man. Namco, Ltd. 1980. Arcade game.
(Source material for story; screenshot.)

Marquees and Other Artwork. http://www.arcadecontrols.com/arcade_marquee.shtml
(Source of Pac-Man arcade marquee.)