"Namco Fire Truck" refers to a series of claw/crane machines, released by ICE in 2005. The machines were only distributed in locations vended by Namco USA (prior to their 2021 closure), such as AMC movie theaters.
Overview[]
The Namco Fire Truck machines were remodeled from a much older ICE-manufactured machine known as "Plush Bus". The game was redesigned to resemble a fire truck, with Pac-Man (alongside a dalmatian) seen driving from the back of the machine; the Plush Bus marquee was replaced with the Namco logo. Oddly, some versions change the audio to a fire truck siren, while others retain the bus sounds.
Four different Fire Truck-themed machine models are known to have been produced. The most common is (or was) a standard one-player model, using the original Plush Bus cabinet design. Two different two-player models were also released; one being double-sided (i.e. having joysticks on the front and back of the cabinet), and the other having both joysticks on the front side. Additionally, a giant four-player model was produced; which is effectively the double-sided model with two standard models attached to its sides.
Namco Ice Cream[]
"Namco Ice Cream" machine model.
There is a variant of Namco Fire Truck (specifically its one-player model) that changes the machine's design to resemble an ice cream truck. This machine features Baby Pac-Man on the machine's back, holding a ghost ice cream cone; the driver appears to still be Pac-Man.
While the Fire Truck machines were commonly distributed across Namco USA's arcade locations (appearing in virtually all of them by the 2010s), the "Ice Cream" machine is much scarcer in comparison for unknown reasons.
Trivia[]
- Following Namco USA's closure, arcade operators were reportedly ordered to "strip and destroy" Pac-Man branding pertaining to the arcade locations. Oddly, this seemingly included the Namco Fire Truck machines (despite not applying to regular Pac-Man cabinets); resulting in the former Namco USA locations stripping the machines of all Pac-Man artwork.
- Several pieces of Pac-Man merchandise were seemingly exclusively distributed in Namco Fire Truck (and Pac-Man Play) claw machines. These include inflatable balls, fuzzy dice, and a set of teddy bears wearing 3D glasses, with Pac-Man characters on their stomachs.
Gallery[]
References[]
See also[]
- Pac-Man Play (claw machine series) - another, later series of ICE Pac-Man claw machines