PAC-MAN
Words Craig Grannell
RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES 1980
Ah, gaming’s greatest glutton… and sole icon based on a pizza with a missing slice.
Well, maybe. Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani’s anecdote about an inspirational lunch has become wrapped up in myth… but he’s also said that the character’s design was inspired by the Japanese word for mouth. This was down to the game being an attempt to create some family-friendly entertainment that would attract more women to arcades and thus make them less seedy. Also, he thought women really liked desserts, so an eating game would appeal. Or something.