Pac-Man

This show is another under the radar gem and sort of another childhood gem and this is another show that came on my birth year.

I was a kid from the 80s, I remember seeing this cartoon show when I was about six on the "USA Cartoon Express" it was one of the first cartoon shows I've ever seen and strangely it was through this cartoon I actually heard about the video games it was based on, which made it even better because I'm a gamer as well.

The "Pac-Man" franchise was one of the biggest franchises in gaming in the 80's, I'm a fan I've played and still play most of the games in the franchise my personal favorite being "Ms. Pac Man" (game I reviewed). To this day it's still played, heck there was even an episode of "Collectors Call" on a collector of merchandise for the franchise.

This cartoon believe it or not is one of my favorite video game to animated show adaptations, I wouldn't say it's an animated classic in my book, but it's not trying to be, it sets itself to be what it is just turn your brain off plain fun. However, what makes this special was that it was the first video game to animation adaptation, those two things are part of why I have a special place in my heart for this show.

There really isn't much to the plot, it sort of like a lot of those cartoons from yesteryear like with "Popeye" it's practically the same plotline but just dressed up differently every time. With this show it's the head honcho and his ghost minions always up to no good causing havoc for no particular reason and trying to steel power pellets for another unknown reason. It's up to Pac Man and his family to stop them but at the same time avoid the ghosts biting them. That is it in a nutshell but I really don't expect too much because after all that the basis of the video game on Pac Man getting chased by ghosts and then him doing the chasing when the opportunity is seized; which is part of why this adaptation works because of its simplicity.

I really like that theme song, which is a solid theme which fits well, it has that video arcade and fun whimsical comical fantasy tone. I really like that voice in the instrumental song which is kind of a strange masculine tone. I even like the animation which is pretty much old school Hanna Barbara animation but I'm fine with that and it works because it fits with the nature of the game it's based on and love they kept the character designs the same I wouldn't want them any other way.

The voice acting is solid, it fits the characters perfectly whenever I play the games, I sometimes imagine that's what they would sound like. I really like how they all have distinct personas, like the ghosts are almost like "The Three Stooges" as each of them are sort of bumbling and incompetent bandits. Pac Man we see is sort of your blue collar family man type, really like the design of his character whom is the same except he has red boots, gloves and a red cowboy hat, making Pacman the cowboy or town sheriff.

I really like this fantasy world that is constructed where it a colorful and strange world. There is not one human in existence which makes sense why would there be; most to all consists of Pacs of different kinds and the only other diverse race are the ghost. Most of the Pacs are cute looking as well as the ghosts makes me wonder why there hasn't been a plush toy line while this show was on. A lot of things are strange, but everyone has the everyday modern conveniences and customs. There is some good humor, I wouldn't say great as there are some lame jokes in places but that happens with almost every comedy show as there are hits and misses, but it's the hits that make it count.

The action is what you can expect in a Pac Game and yesteryear cartoon. We at first see the ghosts just simply ruin the day for no good reason or nor particular reason just because it's their role, they are bad guys after all. The way they do it is daft as the ghosts seem to also be vampires, where if they bite one Pac (or bite near him which is weird) the Pac person is always looks like he had energy sucked out. Even like how Pac Man his family and friends much like with "Popeye" they duke it out but then when the going gets tough they turn it all around with a singular solution (or deus ex Machina) which are the power pellets (always wondered what those taste like peaches may 'be), This of course lets them chomp away at the ghosts till only their eyes are visible and run away as usual for the next episode.

There are some good episodes like the Christmas episode which is a favorite of mine and an honorable mention of Christmas episode in my book as it was sweet. Two others, one which is in the circus, which was cute as we see both Baby Pac Man and a Baby Ghost become friends and work together in a way's their the strange equivalent to Pebbles and Bam Bam. And the other where Pac and the family along with the Ghost are in an Olympic like event, guess who wins.

Overall, for any fan of the franchise or a gamer or animation fan curious about the history of both Pac Man and animation in general then just like any game of "Pac Man" it's worth a try.

Rating: 3 stars

It has been great seeing Pac Man on television for the first time in 20 years! It brought back memories of my childhood! This was one of the best cartoons of 1982. And I think it was cool how they based a video game on the cartoon. I got through the first world before they permanently took the game out of the dorm. I loved Chomp Chomp and Sour Puss.

Childhood viewing. A great show. A hit. Legendary.

I am going to beg to differ with the comment already posted on here, which basically lambastes the Pac-Man cartoon. I was in 3rd grade or something when it came out in 1982 and found that era of Saturday morning cartoons most agreeable. If one is going to attempt to make real sense out of the ridiculous era of early '80s cartoons based on products, then one is really barking up the wrong tree. The aforementioned previous post says that the cartoon goes against things that the video game stood for. WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK PAC-MAN stood for??? It was just a game! A simple, stupid game. Sure, we had loads of fun with it at the time, and I too played it every chance I had, whether it was in an actual arcade, at home on Atari 2600, or the table top version at a cocktail lounge. I, too was psyched that they were going to make a cartoon out of it, but I loved it. Of course, it doesn't make any sense! I was lucky enough to have already been raised on the older films of Laurel & Hardy, James Cagney, and many others. I therefore got a lot of the references that were admittedly over the heads of most little kids. Things like Clyde's derby hat as a symbol of this representing classic 1930's Thugdom. And Sue's make-up and voice hinting at saucy Dame-ness of that same era. Yes, Pac-Man's voice was ridiculous, but like i said, this whole era and culture was completely retarded and based on junk: junk games to numb you, junk cereal based on junk games, and last but not least junk cartoons to go with junk cereal based on junk games to numb you. I feel sorry for anyone who really felt a sense of true loss over the show. The Pac-Man character of the video game is featureless, with no personality, much like most game characters of that era. Personalities had to be created in order to make the show possible. Could it have been better? of course. of that there is no doubt. i have no idea why Mezmeron was created, aside from the fact that Star Wars was in it's heydey back then. He clearly resembles Lord Vader in the lamest way. he looks like a gay Lex Luther in drag, pretending to be the Fallen Anakin. I truly would go out and buy the series were it available on DVD. My favorite episode was the one with the OK Corral and the Beanstalk.

NOW, as far as the Dragon's Lair cartoon is concerned, THAT is another story.

As far as animation goes, I believe that this was Hanna-Barbera's best work in the 80's. (Take that as a compliment or insult as you will.)

The storylines were nothing spectacular; they were formulaic rip-offs of Popeye, the Smurfs, and the Flintstones- Pac-Man and/or his family would be bothered by the inept ghosts, who were henchmen of Mezmeron... a vaguely Gargamel-like being whose sole purpose in life was to bother the citizens of the town the Pacs lived in. After some "drama", one or more of the Pacs (they all had their star turns, and most of the Pacs from the various video games were represented) would ingest a power pill, chomp some ghosts, and things would be safe 'til the next episode.

What set the whole series apart was the fact that everything in the show was inhuman, but led human lives. Their lives were shown in Flintstones fashion- they would do things "ordinary humans" did, but with their own twist. They would open a tin can, and pour dots out; to mow the lawn they would "chomp". It was funnier and more surreal than the Flintstones, though; everything had a drug-addled look to it, and it was quite bizarre to watch if you either weren't familiar with the concept of Pac-Man, or couldn't accept it.

To this day, I have to live down the fact that I dropped out of a school play so I could stay home one evening and watch the Pac-Man Christmas Special. So... I guess you can say that despite my critical eye, I think this series is one of the best cartoons from the 80's.