List of Pac-Man appearances in other video games

This list details licensed video game releases which feature Pac-Man-related content, but are not directly tied to the franchise. This includes character appearances, cameo roles, or any further references to the Pac-Man series.
== Notable franchises ==
The following franchises have had multiple references to Pac-Man within them, as part of multiple game installments.
=== Galaxian series (1979) ===
*There are numerous references to Pac-Man in Namco's second flagship arcade series, Galaxian (which is also comprised of the Galaga games). Notable examples include a Pac-Man-shaped enemy formation in 2011's Galaga Legions DX, and a Pac-Man-themed DLC pack in the 2016 game Galaga Wars. For a full list of these cameos, see List of Pac-Man appearances in Galaxian.
**Alongside this, there have been many Galaxian references inside Pac-Man itself; most notably the Galaxian Flagship bonus item, which appears in numerous Pac-Man installments (including the original arcade game). The Galaxian Ship is also seen as a power-up in Pac & Pal.
=== Pole Position series (1982) ===
*Many billboards in the Pole Position games feature Pac-Man images; these can vary depending on home console ports.
**The Japanese version of Pole Position II features a billboard design that is traced over a frame from the TV series episode "Picnic in Pacland"; showing Blinky with the somewhat strangely-quoted phrase "But Clyde!". This billboard was also used in several home console ports of the original Pole Position; including the Namco Museum Vol. 1 port and several Mass Media releases of the game.
**The Namco Museum Vol. 3 port of Pole Position II changes a billboard featuring the "Agip" company logo to read "Danger.", with the dragon design changed to Pac-Man eating a ghost. This change also applies to the Mass Media releases.
**The Jakks Pacific plug & play version features a billboard showing the logo to the Tengen NES version of Ms. Pac-Man.
**The iPhone and iPod Video game Pole Position Remix includes a billboard of the four ghosts in the ghost house.
**The "Tiny Arcade" and "Micro Arcade" versions by Super Impulse feature billboards of the Pac-Man logo and the four 8-bit ghosts.
=== Family Stadium series (1986) ===
*The Family Stadium (or Famista) series of baseball games features a recurring player named "Pac", who is alternatively referred to as Pac-Man. He is effectively a Caucasian man with Pac-Man's face; depending on the game, the face may be of either the standard Pac-Man design or the Ghostly Adventures design.
**In later titles, "Pac" is shown as the leader of the Namco Stars team; which is comprised of other human-like forms of Namco characters such as Pooka and Mappy.
**A few later games use the actual Namco characters instead of the humans; ironically, this often doesn't apply to Pac (with one exception being Famista Dream Match).
=== Ridge Racer series (1993) ===
*Pac-Man has made numerous appearances in the Ridge Racer series, including appearing as a playable character in several entries.
**In 1998's R4: Ridge Racer Type 4, one of the four racing teams is the "Pac Racing Club", using Pac-Man branding; the other teams are based on Mappy, Xevious, and Dig Dug. The P.R.C. team returns in several later games in the series.
**While the Pac Racing Club car is a standard-shaped racecar with Pac-Man artwork, R4 also features a dedicated "Namco Pac-Man" car; this vehicle is a large Pac-Man with wheels in place of his legs and boots.
**Following R4, Pac-Man would become a recurring racer in the franchise; later games instead have Pac-Man piloting an open-hooded vehicle, rather than being a vehicle himself. Pac-Man drives a car in Ridge Racer V, and pilots a WWII-like biplane in Ridge Racer for PSP, a fighter jet in Ridge Racer 2 for PSP, and a UFO in Ridge Racer 6. In Ridge Racer 7 and Ridge Racer 3D, Pac-Man pilots the Andorgenesis and Solvalou, respectively; two ships originating from Xevious.
=== Klonoa series (1997) ===
*Namco's Klonoa series has its titular character wear a blue hat with an image of Pac-Man eating a Pac-Dot or a Power Pellet on the side. The detail is somewhat parodied in the webcomic with Nightmare Klonoa - a dark persona of the protagonist - whose hat icon image is a large Ghost chasing Pac-Man.
=== Super Smash Bros. series (1999) ===
*Pac-Man is a playable character in 2014's Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U; he would return as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The franchise is further represented through in-game items, stages, music, and more.
=== Taiko no Tatsujin series (2001) ===
*Pac-Man has had numerous appearances within the Taiko no Tatsujin franchise. Many Pac-Man-related songs have appeared throughout the series, often with Pac-Man-themed visuals during gameplay. Pac-Man is also a playable character in some titles, including 2017's Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session!.
*Console-based Taiko no Tatsujin games often feature additional drum sound options (either as unlockables or via settings); some games include Pac-Man drum sounds, sampled from the original arcade game.
*A Ghostly Adventures-themed costume for Don-chan/Katsu-chan can be unlocked in Taiko no Tatsujin: Atsumete Tomodachi Daisakusen! via the Pac-Man amiibo.
*The song "L・O・V・E" by Rumi Shishido, originating from Taiko no Tatsujin: Tobikkiri! Anime Special, is a remix of the Block Town theme from Pac-Mania with added lyrics.
*While not directly related to the games themselves, Pac-Man and Don/Katsu are often paired together in Japanese Namco promotions and merchandising.
=== Baten Kaitos series (2003) ===
*The Baten Kaitos series features a Pac-Man "Magnus", which can "evolve" into forms based on Pac-Land and Pac-Mania. The Magnus appears in the series' first game, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean; it returns in its prequel, Baten Kaitos Origins, now with an additional quest surrounding Pac-Man.
*To obtain Pac-Man, the player must combine Magnuses of Cherries, Strawberries, an Orange, an Apple, and a Melon in exact order; referencing the order of the Fruits in the original Pac-Man arcade game.
=== Mario Kart Arcade GP series (2005) ===
*Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Blinky are playable racers in Mario Kart Arcade GP (and Mario Kart Arcade GP 2); alongside a Pac-Man racing cup, and several Pac-Man-themed power-ups and karts. The Ghostly Adventures incarnation of Pac-Man appears as a racer in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, alongside Don-chan from the Taiko no Tatsujin series. No Pac-Man-related content appears in Mario Kart Arcade GP VR.
=== amiibo unlockables (2014) ===
*Several games on Nintendo-published game consoles feature unlockable Pac-Man content via scanning the Pac-Man amiibo figure (which was originally released as part of the Super Smash Bros. figure line). These often act as cosmetic enhancements within the respective game.
**Titles that feature Pac-Man-themed amiibo unlockables include Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy+, Mario Kart 8 (and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe), Yoshi's Woolly World, Super Mario Maker, Taiko no Tatsujin: Atsumete ☆ Tomodachi Daisakusen!, and Little Nightmares: Complete Edition. These games were released across the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Switch platforms.
== Other games (Namco-published) ==
=== Sky Kid (1985) ===
*A Pac-Man billboard appears in some levels.
=== Tower of Babel/Mystery Tower (1986) ===
* Pac-Man appears as one of eight "Big Password" wall painting. They appear every eighth level and are revealed by completing a simple puzzle. In order to beat the game, the player must input the Big Password, which consists of the eight wall paintings in the order in which they appear. In both the Famicom and PS1 versions of the game, the Pac-Man mural is the third to appear, found on Floor 24; however, the method for revealing the mural differs between the two versions.
** In the Famicom original, the painting is revealed by holding right on the d-pad while carrying a block.
** In the PS1 remake, the painting is revealed by stacking the two blocks in the room so that they form a staircase that touches the left wall and then ascending it.
=== Metro-Cross (Famicom, 1986) ===
*Exclusively in the Famicom port of the game, four secret Namco characters (including Pac-Man) can appear in Metro-Cross under certain conditions:
**If the player performs five consecutive jumps off of "Cracker" platforms, Dig Dug will appear and grant 1000 points.
**If the player falls into a pitfall while riding a skateboard, Pooka will appear and grant 1000 points.
**If the player performs twenty consecutive jumps off of springboards, Pac-Man will appear and grant 2000 points.
**If the player reaches the finish line with exactly five seconds remaining (i.e. 0'05"0 on the clock), the Solvalou from Xevious will appear and grant 7650 points.
=== Quester (1987) ===
*Level 6 features a Pac-Man block formation.
=== Mappy Kids (1989) ===
*Images of Pac-Man appear in the Spot the Difference minigame. Additionally, Ghosts appear in the stadium during the Push Off minigame.
=== Battle Fleet (1990) ===
*Pac-Man appears as the military captain.
=== Wrestleball (1991) ===
*The Japanese version of the game features a selectable "Namco" team with Pac-Man as its logo mascot. This team is not present in the U.S. version, Powerball.
**The Namco team is retained in the Namco Anthology 1 remake, and redraws Pac-Man in an airbrushed style similar to actual American sports mascots.
=== Super World Court (1992) ===
*Several Pac-Men surround the "Namco Open" tennis court.
=== Tinkle Pit (1993) ===
*There is a rare power-up that transforms the player characters into Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man, while turning all of the enemies on stage into blue ghosts. The sprites are based on the Pac-Mania in-game designs.
*The final boss of the game, alongside the main villain, features Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde roaming the stage.
*Rows of Miru appear in the credits sequence.
*If the player does not surpass the highest recorded score, Ms. Pac-Man will appear on the high-score screen. Additionally, one of the initials options is a simple Pac-Man graphic.
*Entering the player's name as "NAMCO", "PUCKMAN", "PINKY", or "WAYAHIME" will autocorrect the entered name to "PACMAN", "AKABEI", "AOSUKE", and "GUZUTA", respectively.
**Numerous references to other Namco games and characters (most prominently Pooka and Fygar from Dig Dug) appear throughout the game as well.
*The Arcade Archives release of Tinkle Pit for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, which released on July 11, 2024, notably revises the graphics of the game to remove any instances of Ms. Pac-Man appearing in game. The character's cameo is replaced with Pac-Man on the Name Entry screen of the game. While the reason for the edits were not clarified officially, it is assumed to be related to Ms. Pac-Man's ongoing royalty disputes with AtGames.
=== Gynotai (1996) ===
*Gynotai is an arcade redemption game where the player rolls physical balls to defeat enemies on a screen. The game features an Amidakuji-like round where the player must roll balls into Ghosts, while avoiding hitting Pac-Man.
=== Rapid River (1997) ===
Pac-Man appears as a secret obstacle in the game, alongside a penguin."Nours" magazine, vol. 20 (Summer 1998) pg. 13https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwHfheU7v0M The characters appear via performing certain actions across three levels, which in turn effect other stages:
*In the Big Canyon level, riding across the gushes of water 4 times will make the Nile Zone rain Pac-Men from the cave walls.
*In the tunnel entrance of the Glacier Zone, if the player reverses direction after a while, the player will be chased by a giant penguin in the Dinosaur Zone.
*In the Autumn Valley level, bumping into a rock will cause it to rotate. If the player rotates rocks 3 times, the player will be chased by a giant Pac-Man in the Dinosaur Zone, who will eat the raft if they do not get away in time.
=== Family Tennis Advance (2002) ===
*Pac-Man is an unlockable playable character.
=== QuickSpot (2006) ===
*QuickSpot is a "spot-the-difference" game for the Nintendo DS; several images are based on Pac-Man, using artwork repurposed from Pac 'n Roll and the Melochara mobile phone service. The Pac-Man content is reportedly exclusive to the U.S. version of the game.
**These images are retained in the later (U.S.) Nintendo Switch port of the game.
=== Family Jockey (Wii, 2008) ===
*The game features a bonus mode where players have to outrun a giant Pac-Man that is chasing them down the derby.
=== Amazing Katamari Damacy (2017) ===
*Pac-Man and Blinky are part of a constellation.
=== Disney Tsum Tsum Festival (2019) ===
*A Tsum Tsum-designed Pac-Man was released as a DLC character in the game. Additionally, one of the minigames is effectively a Pac-Man clone.
=== SPYxANYA: Operation Memories (2023) ===
*SPYxANYA: Operation Memories features Namco-inspired missions based on Namco's arcade games, including Pac-Man and Mappy. In the Pac-Man inspired mission (Peanuts Tag), Anya Forger roleplays as a spy to collect snacks from a snack maze while avoiding the guards. Anya Forger takes on the role of Pac-Man; while the spies from the Spy Wars show seen in the Spy x Family series take on the role as the ghosts. The peanut box-filled maze features the original Pac-Man maze layout and uses peanuts in place of Pac-Dots, while macarons are used in place of Power Pellets. Chimera and Penguin, Anya's toy plushies, also wander around the maze and give a score multiplier when collected. Melodies from Pac-Man are heard throughout the mini-game.
== Other games (non-Namco-published) ==
Due to the ubiquity of such releases, the below list does not include Namco Catalog IP games; information on these titles can be found on the respective page.
=== Kick / Kick Man (1981) ===
*Kick (also known as Kick Man) is a Bally Midway-published game where a clown on a unicycle must pop balloons. The game features Pac-Man and the Ghosts mixed in with the balloons, with Pac-Man acting as a power-up.
=== Poptropica (2007, 2020) ===
*A limited-time promotion was held titled "Courtney's Island"; the event, being based on the Courtney American Girl doll, featured various references to Pac-Man.
=== Everybody's Golf 6 (2011) ===
*Pac-Man was released as a DLC character in the Japanese version of the game. He is not present in the U.S. release, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational.
=== Street Fighter X Tekken (2012) ===
*A DLC pack adding Pac-Man as a playable fighter was released for the PlayStation 3 version.
=== Sonic Dash (2013, 2018) ===
*A limited-time Pac-Man event was held in 2018, in which the player could unlock Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man as playable characters. When playing as either character, the enemies will turn into Ghosts, and certain Sonic sound effects will be replaced with Pac-Man ones. Boss battles have Dr. Eggman substituted with Bash, an otherwise-original ghost character.
**The Sonic Dash event was released alongside a Sonic the Hedgehog level in the mobile version of Pac-Man.
=== Crossy Road (2014) ===
*Pac-Man, along with the Ghosts, make appearances in Crossy Road as playable characters. They were added via an app update, following the release of Pac-Man 256 (as both games were developed by Hipster Whale). Pac-Man appears as a free character instead of being collected from the prize machine.
=== Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff (2014, 2016) ===
*Pac-Man and Blinky appear as characters in the game, alongside Q*bert and several faux-Super Mario Bros. and Bubble Bobble characters.
**While the actual Family Guy cartoon uses unauthorized parodies of Pac-Man, The Quest For Stuff, oddly, seems to have some sort of official approval by Namco. This can be indicated by it using the proper Pac-Man name and formatting (while other parodied IPs within the game do not), including "all caps" lettering (i.e. "PAC-MAN") as seen on many post-2000s promotions; this cannot be 100 percent confirmed, however.
=== LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum (2014, 2019) ===
*Tsum Tsum-designed Pac-Man and Blinky pieces were added in a 2019 update, alongside the release of Disney Tsum Tsum Festival.
=== Fortnite (2017, 2022) ===
*Two limited edition, in-game Pac-Man items were added to Fortnite in 2022, to coincide with the release of Pac-Man Museum +:
**"PAC-MAN" (Back Bling) - available in five styles, including Pac-Man and the four Ghosts.
**"PAC-Brained" (Emote)
=== Fall Guys (2020, 2023) ===
*Two limited edition costumes of Pac-Man and Inky were added to the game in 2023.
=== Stumble Guys (2020, 2024) ===
*Numerous limited edition, Pac-Man-themed costumes were added to the game in 2024. A Pac-Man stage was also briefly available during the limited-time event.
=== Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024) ===
* The player is given the option to choose their favorite Nintendo Entertainment System/Family Computer game to showcase on their profile, which includes a list of every officially licensed NES/Famicom game released. The player is able to choose several Pac-Man games released on the platforms, including Pac-Man (on both lists), Ms. Pac-Man (only on the NES list) and Pac-Land (only on the Famicom list).
== References ==
== Related articles ==
*List of Pac-Man appearances in Galaxian
*List of references and cameos in other media
Category:Crossovers
Category:Games
Category:Namco Games