Electronic handheld games

Electronic handheld games, also referred to as handheld LCD games, are dedicated handheld game systems with built-in games. Many Pac-Man handhelds of this variety have been released, starting as early as 1981.
== Overview ==
Originating in the late 1970s, electronic handheld games are often based on primitive, calculator-like technology. They were typically in black-and-white, but were occasionally in color. Some systems from the 2010s onward use more advanced technology, cloning console hardware such as the NES/Famicom or Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
It is difficult to determine which Pac-Man handhelds were licensed/authorized by Namco (or any related parties), especially ones released in the 1980s. This is most apparent with consoles by Epoch, who had a strange mixture of licensed and unlicensed releases. There are also instances where a console was officially licensed in one country, but were seemingly released without license in other territories. Any handhelds where the licensing is unclear are marked as "possibly unlicensed?" in the table(s) below.
== Original games ==
Games which were exclusively distributed as proprietary handhelds, and never appeared anywhere else.
Name 	Year	Manufacturer	Information
PacMan2/HungryPac 	1981	Entex 	Also released as a "Select-A-Game" cartridge. Originally produced unofficially, but was briefly granted an official license as part of a court agreement.
Pak Pak Man/Epoch-Man 	1981	Epoch 	Also released under many alternate names. Some versions appear to be licensed; the North American release was seemingly licensed as part of a court agreement.
Tomy Watchman: Monster Hero 	1982	Tomy 	A wristwatch with a LCD screen. Was later distributed with official Pac-Man branding (see "Ports" section below).
Programming Digipro Powerman	1982	Tomy 	An original maze game where the player must collect monsters and bring them to a home base. The game was originally planned to be released as "Programable Digipro Puck Man" [sic], implying a connection to the Pac-Man series; however, the console ultimately used generic branding.
PakPak Land 	1984	Epoch 	The same game as Pak Pak Man, but is in a book-shaped plastic case with a storybook inside. Possibly unlicensed?
Pac Pac Doraemon 	1989	Epoch 	Modified version of Pak Pak Man featuring Doraemon. Possibly unlicensed?
Pac-Junior 	1997	Bandai 	
PACit 	1999	Namco/Sega 	A game for the Sega Dreamcast VMU, downloadable via the Dreamcast version of Namco Museum.
Li'l Pac-Man 	2000	Playskool 	
Pac-Man Tamagotchi 	2020	Bandai 	
Monopoly Arcade: Pac-Man 	2020	Hasbro 	A Pac-Man-themed take on Monopoly. While it is mainly just a board game, it comes with a handheld Pac-Man machine, featuring gameplay very similar to Basic Fun's Pac-Man ports.
== Ports ==
Conversions of already existing Pac-Man games.
Name 	Year	Manufacturer 	Information
Tomy LSI Game Pac-Man/Puckman 	1981	Tomy 	Possibly the first handheld released, and the only 1980s model to be released with actual Pac-Man branding in Japan.
Pac-Man/Super Puck Monster 	1981	Coleco (US)Gakken (JP) 	Tabletop arcade machine. Features three game modes, including a two player co-op mode and an additional game titled "Eat & Run".
Pac-Man 	1982	Cresta, Ectron, Halion 	Two designs were produced. Gameplay is very similar to the Tomy LSI Game. Similarly designed to Nintendo's Game & Watch series; some models even say "Game & Time" below the joystick.
Puck Monster/Pac Man 	1982	Gakken (JP)Futuretronics (AU)CGL (EU)	Two designs were produced. Some versions are licensed.
Ms. Pac-Man 	1983	Coleco 	Tabletop arcade machine. Like Coleco's Pac-Man tabletop, it features a two player co-op mode.
Pac-Man(Double Wide Screen) 	1984	Orlitronic/Tiger 	Split across two screens in a clamshell case, similar to some Game & Watch units and the Nintendo DS. Uses artwork from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon.
Pac-Man(Large Screen) 	1984	Orlitronic/Tiger 	Only features one screen. Uses artwork from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon.
Ms. Pac-Man 	1984	Orlitronic/Tiger 	Features a unique "shaped" plastic case featuring Ms. Pac-Man laying on a heart.
Pac-Man Game Watch(version 1) 	198?	Nelsonic 	Two designs were produced. A wristwatch with a LCD screen. A modified version of the aforementioned Tomy Watchman: Monster Hero with different graphics. Unlike other ports, Pac-Man has his arms and legs in-game.
Pac-Man Game Watch(version 2) 	198?	Nelsonic 	A wristwatch with a LCD screen. Gameplay is identical to the "Cresta" Pac-Man port, which in itself is based on the Tomy LSI Game.
Super Pac-Man 	198?	Grandstand, Halion 	Despite the branding, the game is identical to the "Cresta" port of Pac-Man and not Super Pac-Man. This unit seems particularly rare, with very few copies being found.
Pac-Man(MGA, version 1) 	1992	MGA 	Three designs were produced. A loose adaption of the arcade game.
Ms. Pac-Man(MGA, version 1) 	1992	MGA 	Three designs were produced. A loose adaption of the arcade game. Unlike other ports, Ms. Pac-Man has her arms and legs in-game.
Pac-Land 	1992	Varie/Systema 	A rather loose adaption. Pac-Man must walk across platforms in order to reach Ms. Pac-Man. It plays similarly to the Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch.
Pac-Land(Giocatraduci) 	1995	Sanyo/Barilla 	A cartridge for the Giocatraduci system (which is based on LCD technology). It shares some similarities to the 1992 Pac-Land handheld in gameplay, but it is not identical.
Pac-Man(MGA, version 2) 	1995	MGA 	A closer adaption of the arcade game compared to MGA's first version. Approx. twelve different designs were produced (from the span of 1995 to 2007), including standard handhelds, keychains, and even a version built into a pen (Pen Arcade).
Ms. Pac-Man(MGA, version 2) 	1995	MGA 	Practically the same as MGA's second Pac-Man port, but with Ms. Pac-Man's first maze instead. Three designs were produced.
Pac-Man(MGA, Color FX/Color FX2) 	1999	MGA 	Colorized versions of MGA's second port of Pac-Man. The original Color FX releases are "light sensor"-based consoles manufactured by Hiro; the Color FX2 consoles use standard color screens without a light sensor. Approx. five different designs were produced.
Ms. Pac-Man(MGA, Color FX/Color FX2) 	1999	MGA 	Colorized versions of MGA's second port of Ms. Pac-Man. The original Color FX releases are "light sensor"-based consoles manufactured by Hiro; the Color FX2 consoles use standard color screens without a light sensor. Two designs were produced.
Pocket Boy Color: Pac-Man 	2000	Masudaya Corporation, Epoch 	Uses a light sensor to project the screen onto a mirror. The console was manufactured by Hiro and published by Masudaya Corporation in 2000; it was reissued by Epoch in 2007-2008 (?) with an alternate design.
Pac-Man Colour Handheld Game 	200?	Zeon Tech 	Uses a light sensor to project the screen onto a mirror. Manufactured by Hiro, with identical gameplay to the Pocket Boy Color. An alternate, seemingly unauthorized version was produced (by Zeon Tech themselves) titled "Arcade Classic", which features Pac-Man wearing a cowboy hat.
Arcade Classics: Pac-Man(#1) 	2016	Basic Fun 	Tabletop arcade machine with a monochrome screen. Features the Eat & Run mode from the Pac-Man Coleco tabletop.
Arcade Classics: Pac-Man(#7) 	2017	Basic Fun 	Colorized version of Basic Fun's Arcade Classics: Pac-Man (#1). A "Collector's Edition" variant was released in 2024.
Arcade Classics: Ms. Pac-Man(not numbered) 	2018	Basic Fun 	Tabletop arcade machine with a color screen.
Pac-Man Desktop Arcade/Pac-Man Game Keyring	2020	Fizz Creations 	Seemingly rebranded versions of Basic Fun's Arcade Classics: Pac-Man (#1).
== Console clone hardware ==
Handhelds which are based on more standard video game hardware - such as the Atari 2600, Famicom/NES, or Sega Genesis - rather than the crude technology used in the other devices.
Name 	Year	Manufacturer 	Information
Sega Genesis Ultimate Portable Game Player(2017)	2017	AtGames 	Features 85 built-in games, including Pac-Panic (European version of Pac-Attack).
Atari Flashback Portable(2017) 	2017	AtGames 	Features 70 built-in games, including Pac-Man 4K (a homebrew Atari 2600 port of Pac-Man).
Tiny Arcade - Pac-Man 	2017	World's Smallest	
Tiny Arcade - Ms. Pac-Man 	2017	World's Smallest	
Pac-Man Micro Player 	2018	My Arcade 	Tabletop arcade machine; based on Famiclone hardware.
Pac-Man Pocket Player 	2018	My Arcade 	Features Pac-Man, Pac-Attack, and Pac-Mania; based on Sega Genesis clone hardware.
Arcade Classics: Ms. Pac-Man(#11) 	2018	Basic Fun 	
Ms. Pac-Man Micro Player 	2018	My Arcade 	Tabletop arcade machine; based on Famiclone hardware.
Ms. Pac-Man Pocket Player 	2018	My Arcade 	Features Ms. Pac-Man, Mappy, and Sky Kid; based on Famiclone hardware.
Tiny Arcade - Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga 	2018	World's Smallest	Based on the "Class of 1981" anniversary machine. The code to unlock Pac-Man is intact, but it unlocks Dig Dug instead.
Micro Arcade - Pac-Man 	2019	World's Smallest	
Tiny Arcade - Pac-Man Tabletop Edition 	2019	World's Smallest	
Stranger Things Palace Arcade 	2019	Hasbro 	Features 20 built-in games, including Pac-Man, Galaxian, Galaga, and Dig Dug.
Arcade Classics: Pac-Man(#14, #20) 	2019	Basic Fun 	
Atari Retro Handheld Console - Pac-Man Edition 	2020	Blaze 	Features 60 built-in games, including the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man.
Pac-Man Micro Player - 40th Anniversary Edition 	2020	My Arcade 	Based on Sega Genesis clone hardware. Compared to the non-40th model, it is gold instead of yellow, and the side artwork is a lenticular print.
Micro Arcade - Ms. Pac-Man 	2020	World's Smallest	
Pac-Man tilt 	2020	World's Smallest	A port of the original Pac-Man controlled by tilting the console itself; not to be confused with the 2011 game.
Tiny Arcade - Hello Kitty ♥ Pac-Man 	2020	World's Smallest	Port of the iOS/Android game.
Tiny Arcade - Atari 2600 	2021	World's Smallest	Features 10 built-in games, including a port of the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man.
Pac-Man in a Tin 	2022	Fizz Creations 	Based on Famiclone hardware; seemingly uses a "VT03" (16-bit colors) hack of the Famicom/NES port.
Pac-Man Micro Player Pro 	2023	My Arcade 	Tabletop arcade machine; based on Sega Genesis clone hardware. Also available in smaller "Nano Player" size.
Ms. Pac-Man Micro Player Pro 	2023	My Arcade 	Tabletop arcade machine; based on Sega Genesis clone hardware. Also available in smaller "Nano Player" size.
Pac-Man Pocket Player Pro 	2023	My Arcade 	Based on Sega Genesis clone hardware.
Ms. Pac-Man Pocket Player Pro 	2023	My Arcade 	Based on Sega Genesis clone hardware.
== Trivia ==
*Long before the formation of Bandai Namco Entertainment, Bandai released a bootleg Pac-Man handheld titled Packri Monster (cheekily stylized as "PACKri MONster"). Its release led to a lawsuit between Bandai and Bally Midway.
*AtGames has released several other Pac-Man handhelds not listed on this page; in reality, these are bootleg products released after their contract with Bandai Namco had been terminated, which AtGames intentionally rushed out amidst their lawsuit with them.
**Unlike the originally-unauthorized "Bandai Namco Arcade Blast!" Plug & Play system, the handheld consoles were not granted license following the Namco-AtGames lawsuit's settlement.
*Several promotional variants of handheld Pac-Man games have been released, often as giveaway prizes for their respective promotion. Examples include 7-Eleven/Speedway versions of the Pac-Man Tiny Arcade, and Oreo versions of the Pac-Man Game Keyring and the Pac-Man Nano Player Pro. These releases do not alter the game software compared to their retail equivalent.
*A number of Pac-Man handheld games credit a patent number as being licensed by Nintendo. This patent (U.S. No. 4589659) relates to the Game & Watch "Panorama Screen" series, which use a light sensor to project the screen onto a mirror; the same form factor used on the Hiro-manufactured handhelds.
**The Pocket Boy Color version was originally released without patent attribution; a later packaging revision adds a notice crediting Nintendo.
== Gallery ==
=== Original games ===
Merch-US-1980s-entex-industries-pacman2-0.jpg|PacMan2, boxed
Merch-US-1980s-entex-industries-pacman2-1.png|PacMan2, loose
Merch-JP-1980s-epoch-pak-pak-man-0.jpg|Pak Pak Man, boxed
Merch-UK-1980s-grandstand-mini-munchman-0.jpg|Mini-Munchman, boxed
Tomy-merch-JP-1980s-tomy-watchman-monster-hero-0.png|Tomy Watchman: Monster Hero, boxed
Tomy-merch-JP-1980s-programming-digipro-powerman-0.jpg|Programming Digipro Powerman, boxed
Tomy-merch-JP-1980s-programmable-digipro-puck-man-0.jpg|The canceled Programable Digipro Puck Man, which was reworked into Powerman
Epoch-pakpak-land-box.png|PakPak Land, boxed
Pacpacdoraemon.png|Pac Pac Doraemon, boxed
Pacjunior.png|Pac-Junior, boxed
Lil-pacman-box-art.png|Li'l Pac-Man, boxed
=== Pac-Man ports ===
For more images of MGA releases, see Pac-Man (MGA handheld series).
Tomy-merch-JP-1980s-lsi-game-puckman-0.png|Tomy LSI Game Puckman, boxed
Tomy-merch-JP-1980s-lsi-game-puckman-1.jpg|Tomy LSI Game Puckman w/ box
Tomy-merch-JP-1980s-lsi-game-puckman-2.jpg|Tomy LSI Game Puckman, loose
Tomy-merch-US-1980s-tomytronic-pacman-0.jpg|Tomytronic Pac Man, boxed
Tomy-merch-UK-1980s-grandstand-munchman-0.jpg|Grandstand Munchman, boxed
Tomy-merch-UK-1980s-grandstand-munchman-1.jpg|Grandstand Munchman, loose
Pacman-tabletop-boxart.jpg|Pac-Man (Coleco Tabletop) boxed
Pacman-tabletop-loose.jpeg|Pac-Man (Coleco Tabletop), loose
Super-puck-monster-box.jpeg|Super Puck Monster, boxed
Super-puck-monster-loose.png|Super Puck Monster, loose
Puck-monster-gakken-box-v1.png|Puck Monster, boxed [design 1]
Puck-monster-gakken-box-v2.jpg|Puck Monster, boxed [design 2]
Nelsonic-pac-mh.png|Pac-Man Game Watch (version 1), boxed
Nelsonic-pac-lsi.jpg|Pac-Man Game Watch (version 2), boxed
Merch-JP-2000s-masudaya-corp-pocket-boy-color-pacman-0.jpg|Pocket Boy Color: Pac-Man, boxed [original release]
Merch-JP-2000s-masudaya-corp-pocket-boy-color-pacman-1.jpg|Pocket Boy Color: Pac-Man, boxed [reissue with Nintendo patent notice]
Zeon-tech-pacman-chg-box.jpg|Pac-Man Colour Handheld Game, boxed
Zeon-tech-arcade-classic-box.png|"Arcade Classic", boxed
=== Ms. Pac-Man ports ===
Mspacman-tabletop-boxart.jpg|Ms. Pac-Man (Coleco Tabletop), boxed
Mspacman-tabletop-loose.jpg|Ms. Pac-Man (Coleco Tabletop), loose
=== Other ports ===
Super-pacman-handheld-box.jpg|Super Pac-Man, boxed
Super-pacman-handheld-loose.jpg|Super Pac-Man, loose
Merch-JP-1990s-varie-pacland-lcd-0.jpg|Pac-Land, boxed
=== Console clone hardware ===
DGUNL-3220-Micro-Player PR1 1024x1024.png|Pac-Man Micro Player
DGUNL-3242-Pocket-Player PK1 1024x1024.png|Ms. Pac-Man Pocket Player box
== References ==
Category:Games
Category:Consoles
Category:Merchandise