SincePac-Manfirst burst into the arcade scenes, the iconic yellow sphere has become one of the most recognizable faces in gaming and one of the longest-running franchises in the industry. Throughout the four decades since the character’s debut, thePac-Manfranchise has spawned droves of compilations featuring games from the franchise’s most popular arcade cabinets as well as plenty of new spins on the old classic like therecent battle royalePac-Man 99. Now, the newest compilation of classicPac-Mangames,Pac-Man Museum+is set to bring Bandai-Namco’s most famous arcade games into players' very own virtual arcade.
Pac-Manbecame an international phenomenon following the massive and widespread success of the original arcade games in the 1980s. ThePac-Manfranchise had an immense impact on pop culture throughout the 1980s and the character today has become the flagship mascot for Bandai Namco. With the widespread popularity ofPac-Man’s early arcade games came a multitude of ports and compilations with each console generation typically featuring several. Now, Bandai Namco has revealed the release date for the next compilation,Pac-Man Museum+.
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A trailer released Monday on Bandai Namco’s YouTube channel previewed the upcoming arcade simulation game and officially revealed the release date forPac-Man Museum+. Players will be able to play fourteen classicPac-Mangames likeSuper Pac-ManandPac-Man Championship Editionwhile earning coins to decorate their own virtual arcade with arcade cabinets, collectibles, and more. Fans ofPac-Manwon’t have to wait long to experience their favorite arcade games again as the game is scheduled to arrive on May 27th with the trailer also confirmingPac-Man Museum+as a Day 1 launch for Xbox Game Pass.
The trailer also showed off several customization options players can use to personalize their own arcades. Players will be able to addarcade cabinets styled after the classic games' original releases in order to unlock those games as well as a variety of other arcade-themed decorations like vending machines,Pac-Manflags, and even gashapon machines to acquire figures. The layout of the in-game arcade will be fully customizable with players able to change walling, flooring, positioning of machines, and even playing classic arcade music through a jukebox.
While arcade games are the first thing that comes to mind when many fans think ofPac-Man, the classic franchise has shown it is not afraid to try new ideas. Bandai Namco had previously released alocation-basedPac-Mangame titledPac-Man Geodrawing comparisons to Niantic’s popularPokemon GOand spinoffs likePac-Man WorldandPac-Man and the Ghostly Adventureshave re-imagined the classic character in a 3D platformer.Pac-Manhas stood the test of time as a face of the world of gaming throughout four decades andPac-Man Museum+looks to be an ode to the classic character’s roots.
Pac-Man Museum+will release on May 27 for PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
