Pac-Man is a 2010 pilot trailer produced by Avi Arad and Rick Ungar for Namco Bandai Games, produced in commendation of Pac-Man's 30th anniversary. Running at nearly four minutes, the trailer was teased as early as May 2010 as the "next evolution" of Pac-Man[1] before eventually making its first public debut at Namco Bandai Games' E3 presentation on June 15, 2010. The trailer served as the premiere production for the then-untitled Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures TV series, featuring the debut appearances of its characters and elements. The pilot trailer debuted three years prior to the TV series' debut and was animated by OLM Digital and Sprite Animation Studios.
The trailer would later appear in the Nintendo 3DS game Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions, where it is titled Pac-Man 3D movie (Pac-Man 30th anniv. special video) and features 3D output.
Plot[]
The trailer is narrated by Sir Cumference. A planet known as Pac-World once lived in peace, until a group of traitors attempted to seize control of the planet. The people of Pac-World were successful in defeating the traitors, and successfully sealed their spirits within the Netherworld. For years, the spirits of the realm were enclosed in a giant glass ball. A lighting strike shatters the glass and allows the ghosts of the realm to escape to Pac-World. Sir Cumference then introduces the viewers to a kid who will save Pac-World. The kid carries a tray full of hamburgers and junk food, who is then revealed to be a yellow teenager named Pac-Man (Pac), where he and the other students are in shock that Pac will save the world.
The ghosts begin invading Pac-World, haunting the people in buildings and taking control of the Pac-People's bodies to create mischief, not resting until their bodies are recovered. Sir Cumference, with Cylindria and Spiral, tells Pac that he must eat the ghosts in order to fight them. Pac eats a ghost off screen in a gruesome fashion, to the others' disgust. Pac-Man is then seen covered in ghost slime, and shakes off the slime. The slime scatters across the ground and on Sir Cumference, Cylindria and Spiral. Pac-Man ends up full after the ghost slime, and asks for a better way to eat the ghosts. While Sir Cumference is initially oblivious, he is then reminded about the Pellets from the Power Palm Tree. Sir Cumference gives Pac a dispenser with Pellets that gives him the ability and strength to fight the evil spirits.
Pac eats a yellow pellet, which lets him fly around and eats a ghost. The blue pellet he eats turns him into a giant and eats a group of fleeing ghosts by sucking them in his mouth. The pink pellet he eats gives him the ability to breathe underwater, where he hunts down a group of ghosts with gills below the ocean. Sir Cumference assures Pac and his friends that he will provide them everything they need to hunt down ghosts, but not food; much to Pac's disappointment.
Sir Cumference then explains that the Pellets will give the consumer's ability to venture into the Netherworld, where the ghosts and their leader, Sir Cular, reside. Sir Cular commands his minions to defeat Pac-Man in order to gain an advantage in taking over Pac-World, but asks them as well to miss their leader, hoping they'll return. On a dark night, Pac, Cylindria and Spiral are ambushed by Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde, who are then in turn ambushed by a much larger and menacing ghost minion. Everyone except Pac escapes the scene, where Pac is frightened until he decides to overcome his fear and take on the ghost, with Sir Cumference declaring the Pac is Back. The eaten ghosts return to the Netherworld with their eyes, although Sir Cular is pleased that they returned. In a post-credits scene, Pac is chased by one of the ghosts, but then turns giant off screen to scare it away.
Trivia[]
- This is the first Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures production, predating the airing of the TV series by three years.
- As this is the earliest Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures production, there are a few notable differences between the E3 trailer and the final show:
- In the trailer, the Netherworld is shown enclosed inside a glass dome, which is shattered by a bolt of lightning. In The Adventure Begins - Part 1, the entrance to the Netherworld is seen as a wormhole, where the dimensional gate sealing the Netherworld is accidentally opened by Pac-Man.
- The regular Pac-Man series logo is used. The final show uses a logo that is stylized differently from the regular Pac-Man logo.
- There are many different sound effects for certain actions, such as Pac eating Pellets.
- Pac's voice is higher in comparison to the TV series.
- Sir Cumference's voice is deeper in comparison to the TV series.
- Sam Vincent is heard as the voice of Sir Cumference in this, while in the series it's Ian Corlett. However, Vincent uses this exact voice for President Spheros in the TV Series.
- Many sound effects of objects such as Pac eating Power Berries are different from the show.
- Power Berries are referred as "Pellets" and the Tree of Life is referred as the "Power Palm Tree".
- The antagonistic leader of the ghosts is referred as Sir Cular in storyboards, who would be renamed to Lord Betrayus in the show.[2] Sir Cular's name is never mentioned in the trailer itself, however.
- Footage from the pilot would later be recycled in the show's first episode, The Adventure Begins - Part 1 and the opening theme song for the series, Pac is Back.
- The ending references the original Coffee Break intermission from Pac-Man.
- The ending animation would be reused for the Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures toy-line commercials.
- When Pac grows giant, he jumps onto another building with a Spire, referencing King Kong.