By Kevin Hunsperger @kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter The wackiness of the Snapchat challenge moves forward with video game characters. All of mine are classic ones. I don't do the video game thing these days so I'm not sure who some of the characters are that Sean and Chad sent. Enjoy the show.
I remember the night my family bought the Pac-Man video game for our Atari. I don't remember the exact date, but it wasn't long after it was released. This odd game with a bright yellow pie man eating dots and avoiding four little ghosts captured my pre-teen imagination. The sounds still echo in my memory bank as I remember mastering level after level, eating the power pellets and chasing after the Pinky, Blinky, Inky, and Clyde. Of course, I had had practice playing the arcade version prior to owning the home copy. Perhaps I picked up my love for fresh fruit and pretzels from playing Pac-Man.
Ms. Pac-Man
The thing I love about Pac-Man is that the video game was only the beginning. There was a spin off featuring a female version, called Ms. Pac-Man. A bow and lipstick helped players tell her and Pac-Man apart. The two eventually got married and had Baby Pac-Man. And like his famous parents, he too got his own game, but this time it was pinball game with video.
I wish I had this album still....
Just like today, anytime there is anything popular out there, we get lots of new products too. There were stuffed toys, breakfast cereal, and a Saturday morning cartoon featuring the Pac-Man family and their ghostly enemies. I collected Pac-Man trading cards and stickers and I had an awesome Pac-Man album with really cool artwork. As much of a pack rat as I am, this item didn't get saved. I'd love to have it again.
Through the years, just like everything else Pac-Man has evolved. His look has changed, but his mission has remained the same, eat those pellets and power up! I'm still a fool for old school and like to play the original arcade version. Dave & Buster's even has a giant screen version of it. I had a chance to play it last summer.
Thanks to modern day technology, I don't have to drop quarter after quarter into the machine. I can play the game on my phone and online. I've promised myself if I ever win a large sum of money, I'll buy an arcade version because more than 30 years later, I still have Pac-Man fever.
