Pac-Man Card Match
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PAC-MAN, originally released in Japan under the name PUCKMAN in May 1980, was created by Namco’s Toru Iwatani (b. 1955). The game arrived in the U.S. through Midway Games in October 1980, offering a stark contrast to the era’s dominant space-themed shooters like Galaxian... and Asteroids. Its maze-chase design pioneered a new genre, cementing its legacy as a cultural touchstone of the 1980s and a cornerstone of gaming history. Early analyses of player demographics hinted at a gender divide: a 1982 study suggested 60% of PAC-MAN enthusiasts were female, compared to male-dominated audiences for titles like Omega Race, where 90% of players were men. Its vibrant, accessible gameplay transcended traditional gaming audiences, solidifying its status as a pop-culture phenomenon.
