Early video games are interesting because there’s no explicit story. At least, not in the way we consider a narrative in gaming now. A lot of what games were narratively were left to the imagination of the gamer. No game embodies that like Pac-Man.
So, welcome to this week’s edition of Mess Around Mondays. Waypoint’s weekly glimpse into the tangled mess of pop culture and gaming that exists within my brain. Today, the dystopian, post-apocalyptic world that is Pac-Man.
PAC-MAN FEVER DREAM
Every time I see a screenshot of Pac-Man, the black background with blue walls of the maze makes me think Pac-Man is there against his will. So, here’s my story. The game is set in a world like The Running Man. Pac-Man must compete for the enjoyment of others.
He’s placed in a maze with a cage full of prisoners whose only goal is his demise. Four are released at a time. The prisoners are given impenetrable armor with retractable plates. At the corners of every maze is a button wirelessly connected to those plates. When Pac-Man hits that button, the plates open and the lights in the armor flash blue. This is his only opening to incapacitate them and continue unbothered for a moment.
As he moves through the maze, he has to hit glowing buttons spaced out on the walls. If he hits all of them without being killed, he moves on to the next room. This continues until he either dies in the maze or reaches the final room where Pac-Man discovers that there is no way out and he’s destined to do this forever.
THE BRAIN GAME
Every single bit of that was wholly ridiculous, I know. But that’s kind of the greatness of these games. Anyone can create their own story within them. It keeps the game interesting and may even give some insight into certain development decisions. Pac-Man is just the weirdest possible thing I could think of.
I hope for more games that don’t spoon-feed you the narrative. I wouldn’t say a certain level of imagination has been lost as gaming has grown. There are far too many indie games that dispel that notion. But what I will say is that, on our part, there is a loss of the willingness to create stories for ourselves. Tap into that side of your brain every now and then. There’s some real fun there.
The post Mess Around Mondays — Pac-Man: 2PACalypse appeared first on VICE.
The post Mess Around Mondays — Pac-Man: 2PACalypse appeared first on VICE.
