Pac-Man: Circle is the sixth episode of "Secret Level", an animated series originally released on Amazon Prime Video in December of 2024. The film was released as a tie-in to the upcoming video game Shadow Labyrinth.
Production[]
The "Pac-Man: Circle" episode was directed by Victor Maldonado and Alfredo Torres. The lead Secret Level series director, Dave Wilson, commented that it felt like Maldonado and Torres were "disemboweling people's childhoods" with the Pac-Man script.[1] Namco reportedly instructed the team that they "would like audiences to wonder, 'What the fuck did they do to Pac-Man?'".[2]
By Bandai Namco's request, the episode was designed to be themed around Shadow Labyrinth; a then-unannounced video game which had been in development since 2020.[3][4] Shadow Labyrinth would be officially unveiled two days after the release of the Secret Level episode. Due to the game not being announced yet, the production staff would bluff in interviews when asked about the Pac-Man episode; often purporting that Namco gave them complete creative control over the project.[4]
Reception[]
While the greater Secret Level series received mixed critical reception, Pac-Man: Circle was viewed more negatively, especially with longtime fans of the Pac-Man series; though some credited the episode as being a unique, if flawed, adaptation of Pac-Man. Particularly criticized was the lack of virtually any aspect related to Pac-Man, in addition to the great tonal shift compared to any previous form of Pac-Man media. Prior to its release, series creator Tim Miller commented that criticism towards the Pac-Man episode was somewhat expected.[2]
Trivia[]
- The back of the Swordsman's cloak features the fictitious logo of the UGSF (United Galaxy Space Force), which was added at the request of Bandai Namco.[5]
- It is theorized that Secret Level/Shadow Labyrinth is directly connected to the UGSF timeline, though this has not been 100% confirmed officially.
- The triangular gate features the text "ZOP GAMP" written in Xevi, an encrypted character set seen in Namco's Xevious series. "GAMP" is the name of the Xevious' primary antagonist.[6]
References[]
- ↑ https://screenrant.com/secret-level-show-pac-man-episode-tease/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://ew.com/secret-level-pac-man-exclusive-bloody-black-mirror-reimagining-8747274
- ↑ https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/shadow-labyrinth-reveal-game-awards-2024/
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://x.com/AleksLeVO/status/1867373694466859031
- ↑ https://variety.com/2024/gaming/news/secret-level-tv-series-pac-man-concord-episode-explained-tim-miller-1236241669/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/jam_pizza/status/1869095161525060003