Pac-Man debuted in Japan on this day in 1980 and changed the world of video games. I’m old enough to have been alive and gaming when that coin-op machine hit the U.S. later that year and transmitted Pac-Man Fever to the point that even my grandmother liked the game. While those who tout story over gameplay still claim that gaming is still waiting for its “Wizard of Oz” moment, I’d argue that the way parents introduce their young’uns to the dot-eating hero has become just as much of a tradition as being off to see the Wizard.
To celebrate, I made a quick little sprite of Chomp-Chomp, the Pac-family dog as he appeared in the Ruby-Spears cartoon that went on to inspire later official Pac-games. He’ll be added to the GFX Generators in the small site update later this week.