We’ve seen LEGO sets inspired by retro gaming consoles before, like the Atari 2600 and the Nintendo Entertainment System, but you can’t talk about retro gaming without Pac-Man. The classic arcade icon is joining the world of brick-building with the LEGO Icons Pac-Man Arcade Set, revealed on the same day, May 22, that the original Pac-Man game was first introduced to the world in 1980.
The LEGO Group and Bandai Namco are celebrating the 43rd anniversary with this epic, 2,651-piece set with a mechanical maze; a four-way joystick; an adjustable game score display; a light-up brick that creates an illuminated coin slot; a removable back panel that shows the inner mechanics; and large brick versions of Pac-Man, Blinky, and Clyde. The collaboration is fitting, as Pac-Man’s recognizable yellow color was actually inspired by the LEGO Group’s signature color.
The arcade is not a functional game, but builders can simulate the chase with the mechanical maze using a crank on the side. The maze simulates the chase between the Pac-Man and the ghosts. Fans can also build a smaller LEGO scene of a minifigure playing Pac-Man, then store that mini build inside the arcade cabinet. Once the arcade build is complete, builders can light up the coin-slot to mimic a real arcade cabinet. The large, colorful brick characters can rotate on a base, and they’re removable, so fans can either display them on top of the cabinet or separately. The arcade cabinet measures approximately 12.5 inches high, 10 inches wide, and 7 inches deep.
The LEGO Group and Bandai Namco also revealed some fun facts that every gamer or arcade lover needs to know:
- The first Pac-Man focus test was held on May 22, 1980, introducing the public to the yellow character for the first time.
- Pac-Man designer Mr. Iwatani was inspired by the yellow color of the LEGO brick.
- The character’s shape is based on a pizza pie with a slice missing.
- Before launching worldwide, the game was first released in Japan on June 29, 1980.
- There was a Pac-Man cartoon on TV in the ‘80s.
- Buckner & Garcia released a single called “Pac-Man Fever,” which reached 9th place on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in March, 1982.
- The first person to achieve the game’s perfect score of 3,333,360 points was Billy Mitchell of Florida in 1993. In order to achieve a perfect score, players must clear all 256 stages without a single miss, and consume all Pac-Dots, fruits, and ghosts (consume four ghosts with each power pellet).
- The Guinness World Records acknowledged the game as the “Most Successful Coin-Operated Game” in the world in recognition of Pac-Man’s release in 1980. 293,822 arcade units were installed within the first seven years of the arcade game launching.
The LEGO Pac-Man Arcade set will launch on June 4 with a price tag of $269.99. LEGO VIP members will get early access starting on June 1 from lego.com/pac-man and at LEGO stores.
