Pac-Man anniversary celebrations

This page details promotional anniversary celebrations held for Pac-Man, generally based on the game's original test-market date in Japan (May 22nd, 1980).
== Pac-Man 20th Anniversary ==
The first major Pac-Man anniversary celebration was for the 20th anniversary of the series. Various video game releases and other promotions were held for the event, beginning in 1999 and continuing into 2000.
Pac-Man World was the main video game release for the event, which was subtitled "Pac-Man World: 20th Anniversary" in its original release. Pac-Man World's story also surrounds Pac-Man's "birthday", further tying the game into the anniversary. Other titles released for the 20th anniversary include Pac-Man: Adventures in Time and Microsoft Return of Arcade: Anniversary Edition.
Shortly before the 20th anniversary, a "perfect Pac-Man game" was reportedly set by Billy Mitchell in 1999. Mitchell's score received a large amount of publicity, and Mitchell was invited by Namco to attend several promotions for the 20th anniversary.
It has been noted that - despite Pac-Man's original test-market date being May 22nd, 1980 - the majority of 20th anniversary celebrations were held in 1999 rather than 2000. Strangely, this seems to have been due to Namco of Japan believing an incorrect date of "October 10th, 1979" was Pac-Man's initial release date.
=== Ms. Pac-Man 20th Anniversary ===
Following Pac-Man's 20th anniversary, celebrations would also be held for the 20th anniversary of Ms. Pac-Man. The main release for the occasion was the Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga arcade machine; celebrating the anniversary of both Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga, the machine was dubbed both "20 Year Reunion" and "Class of 1981". Additionally, Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness and Ms. Pac-Man: Quest for the Golden Maze were released around this time; though neither game is known to have been promoted with 20th anniversary branding.
== Pac-Man 25th Anniversary ==
Pac-Man's 25th anniversary was held in 2005, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the original game. The 25th anniversary is noted to have had a large focus on new video games, with roughly seven major new releases for the event.
Similarly to the Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga machine, a Pac-Man 25th Anniversary arcade machine was released, which features Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Galaga. Pac-Man World 3 was also released for the 25th anniversary; similarly to the original Pac-Man World, the game takes place on Pac-Man's birthday. Additional releases from around this time include Pac-Pix, Pac 'n Roll, and Pac-Man Pinball Advance; as well as the Namco Museum 50th Anniversary and Namco Museum Battle Collection compilations. Super Pac-Man Pinball was also planned to be released for the anniversary, though this game was canceled before release.
Several merchandise pieces were released for the 25th anniversary, including a Pac-Man plush set by Toy Factory (based on the Pac-Man World character designs). An obscure single known as the "Pac-Man Jam" was also recorded and released on CD in 2005; the song specifically refers to "25 years of Pac-Man".
== Pac-Man 30th Anniversary ==
Pac-Man's 30th anniversary was held in 2010. Following the anniversary, the Pac-Man's Arcade Party machine was released in 2010, acting as the "anniversary machine" for the thirtieth.
On May 21st, 2010, the Pac-Man Google Doodle was displayed on the Google homepage; a fully-playable Pac-Man game designed around the Google logo. The Google Doodle was incredibly popular, in large part due to Google's immense userbase. Several other free online games - including Pac-Match Party, World's Biggest Pac-Man, and the Facebook game Pac-Man S - were also released for the anniversary.
Multiple other 30th anniversary games would follow thereafter; the Wii game Pac-Man Party - as did Pac-Man World 1 and 3 - is themed around Pac-Man's "birthday" celebration. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, Pac-Man Pizza Parlor, and Namco Museum Megamix would also release for the anniversary. Several mobile games were also produced (such as Pac-Man Reborn, Pac-Chain, and Pac-Man Kart Rally), as well as the obscure Pac-Man E1 Grand Prix machine. While released in mid-2011, Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions was also advertised as being a Pac-Man 30th anniversary title.
Another major announcement of the 30th anniversary was a then-unnamed Pac-Man TV series. The "pilot" for this series was presented at several trade events in stereoscopic 3D, and would serve as what eventually became 2013's Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures.
Following the "25th" set, Toy Factory released a Pac-Man 30th anniversary plush set (using designs similar to Pac-Mania). A few canceled games were likely intended to be 30th anniversary releases; namely, the canceled Pac-Man World project and the Unknown Soosa Kim game.
== Pac-Man 35th Anniversary ==
Pac-Man's 35th anniversary was held in 2015. Unlike other anniversary celebrations, no new 35th anniversary arcade machines were released; though numerous other promotions were still held.
Shortly before the anniversary, a "Level 257" arcade - later rebranded as "Pac-Man Entertainment" - was opened in Chicago, featuring extensive Pac-Man branding. Additionally, while not directly 35th anniversary-affiliated, the movie Pixels was released in 2015; some Pixels promotional material was tied in to Pac-Man's 35th anniversary.
On May 22nd, 2015, an event was held at Level 257 detailing information on Pixels and for Pac-Man's 35th anniversary; attendees included Toru Iwatani, Billy Mitchell, and Jerry Buckner (of "Buckner and Garcia").https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrate-the-35th-pac-mantm-birthday-bash-tickets-16508171385 At this event, the game Pac-Man 256 was announced, which would release on mobile devices later that year. Another mobile game, Pac-Man Bounce, was also released for the anniversary, once again themed around Pac-Man's birthday.
On April Fool's Day 2015, Google added a Pac-Man game to Google Maps. A plug & play console was released with 35th anniversary branding; however, this was merely a rebrand of a prior 2012 system. The Japanese Namco Catalog IP program was also launched in 2015, with numerous Pac-Man titles being released through it.
== Pac-Man 40th Anniversary ==
Pac-Man's 40th anniversary was held in 2020. Prior to the anniversary, a Pac-Man's Pixel Bash arcade machine was released in 2018. While predating the anniversary, this machine is commonly considered the "40th anniversary" counterpart to the preceding anniversary machines.
One of the first major announcements for the 40th anniversary was an online game dubbed Pac-Man Live Studio; however, the game greatly missed its planned release window, and ended up launching as Pac-Man Community in late 2021. Several other Pac-Man titles did release in time for the 40th anniversary; including Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle, Pac-Man Geo, and Pac-Man 99, among others.
Additionally, the homebrew NES version of Pac-Man Championship Edition - originally a fan-made title from several years prior - was officially released for the 40th anniversary, as part of the Namco Museum Archives series. Numerous "special edition" 40th anniversary arcade machines were released; including Arcade1UP machines, as well as "toy" models from Quarter Arcades, My Arcade, and Basic Fun. Two Namco Museum titles for the Evercade were also released, featuring Pac-Man 40th anniversary branding.
There was a somewhat large focus on music for Pac-Man's 40th anniversary. An album known as "Join The Pac - Pac-Man 40th Anniversary" was released, with its first track recieving a music video; the album also includes a cover of "Pac-Man Fever". The soundtracks to Pac-Man Championship Edition DX and Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions were also digitally re-released for the anniversary.
While a large number of video games were released for the 40th anniversary, much of the event involved merchandising and cross-promotion with other products and brands. Several of these were tied to other game franchises; the Pac-Man Tamagotchi and Monopoly Arcade: Pac-Man were both released for the 40th anniversary, as well as Pac-Man DLC for Minecraft. Advertising promotions, with accompanying online games, were held with Pizza Hut in the United States, Morinaga in Japan, Sabritas in Mexico, and Alibaba in China, among numerous others. Various forms of clothing, watches, and even Sakes based on Pac-Man were released, often from "premium" brands.
Only a fraction of the Pac-Man 40th anniversary events are mentioned here, which are difficult to document in full. For all that was released during the fortieth, however, it has been observed (albeit unconfirmed) that the event was not particularly successful. By early 2023, numerous 40th anniversary Pac-Man titles - including Pac-Man 99, Pac-Man Geo, Mega Tunnel Battle, and even the later-released Pac-Man Community - were announced as being discontinued and delisted from digital storefronts. Several later Pac-Man titles, such as 2022's Pac-Man Museum + and Pac-Man World Re-Pac, appeared to recieve more attention and popularity than the various 40th anniversary promotions.
Likely due to both the COVID-19 pandemic and an (at-the-time ongoing) lawsuit regarding Ms. Pac-Man, several products planned for the 40th anniversary were canceled or delayed into 2021-22. It is possible that Pac-Man World Re-Pac was planned to be a 40th anniversary title (given Pac-Man World's anniversary connection in itself); however, Re-Pac was ultimately released in late 2022.
=== Ms. Pac-Man 40th Anniversary ===
Anniversary celebrations were not held for Ms. Pac-Man for the 25th, 30th, or 35th anniversaries of the game; likely due to the legal issues surrounding the Ms. Pac-Man property. However, Ms. Pac-Man's 40th anniversary was celebrated in 2021, with several Arcade1UP machines and a few merchandise pieces released in commemoration. Ironically, this anniversary celebration directly followed the AtGames conflict regarding Ms. Pac-Man; every 40th anniversary promotion utilized "loopholes" that would not require royalty payment towards AtGames.
A Ms. Pac-Man "S.H. Figuarts" action figure was announced for the 40th anniversary; however, this figure was ultimately never released.
== Pac-Man 45th Anniversary ==
Pac-Man's 45th anniversary is scheduled to be held in 2025. A handful of promotions surrounding the anniversary have been announced as of 2024. On November 6, Benesse Corporation announced a collaboration between Shinkenzemi, the branch of the company that develops learning materials for elementary school students and Pac-Man. In addition to Pac-Man-themed curricular material and learning programs, Bensesse launched a browser game on their website titled Kanji Keisan Batchiri! Paku Paku Run (漢字・計算ばっちり！ぱくぱくラン), an endless runner game designed to drill students on kanji and math problems.https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20241106034/ On November 10, Pollard Banknote announced lottery scratch-off tickets based on Pac-Man and Tekken; the Pac-Man ticket in particular features what is likely the 45th anniversary logo.https://x.com/PollardBanknote/status/1855641566796525804
=== "In-between" anniversaries ===
Following Pac-Man's 40th anniversary, smaller anniversary promotions were held as yearly events (unlike prior celebrations, which were only held in five-year intervals). Generally, these celebrations dictated the overall branding and "theme" of the Pac-Man IP for that year.
*Pac-Man 41st Anniversary - This anniversary introduced the slogan "Be Pac-Tive!!", encouraging exercise and healthy living. The promotional Pac-Tive artwork was illustrated by Tadashi Yamashita, the artist for the original Japanese Pac-Man artwork; "Pac-Tive"-style artwork has continued to be produced into 2023. Due to its delay into late 2021, Pac-Man Community is sometimes considered a "41st anniversary" title.
*Pac-Man 42nd Anniversary - The 42nd anniversary began with the release of a song (and accompanying music video), "We are PAC-MAN!". The games Pac-Man Museum + and Pac-Man World Re-Pac were released in 2022, the former being released very close to the actual anniversary date.
*Pac-Man 43rd Anniversary - A promotional style known as "Pac-Man Shine On" was unveiled. A Pac-Man LEGO set was also announced for the anniversary.
*Pac-Man 44th Anniversary - Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs was released a few days prior to the anniversary date. The game Picross S Namco Legendary Edition (which features Pac-Man) and several pieces of merchandise were announced for the anniversary.
== Trivia ==
*For Pac-Man's 10th anniversary, Tengen reissued the unlicensed NES version of Pac-Man; the back of the box refers to "[celebrating] 10 years of 'Pac-Fever'".
*Likely due to confusion regarding the creation date of Ms. Pac-Man, anniversary celebrations for the game often do not have a set "date" (like Pac-Man's date of May 22nd). Technically speaking, the official anniversary for the game would be February 3rd, 1982; though the game was test-marketed in different forms throughout late 1981.
*The original Pac-Man Championship Edition, released in June 2007, was reportedly intended to be released for Pac-Man's 25th anniversary. It is possible the game was pushed to 2007 due to the numerous other titles released for the 25th anniversary.
*The Pac-Man 40th Anniversary logo was designed by freelance artist Abe Calendar.https://www.behance.net/gallery/99829733/Pac-Man-40th-Anniversary-Logo The logo was commissioned by Petrol Advertising, a marketing company who handled much of the 40th Anniversary branding.https://www.petrolad.com/work/pac-man-x-nba-licensing-40th-anniversary/
== References ==
== See also ==
*Pac-Man anniversary machines
Category:Game Information
Category:Real-World locations and events
Category:Unofficial Terms