The Pacman 30th anniversary of the video game franchise that makes its debut Saturday in Naperville will celebrate a cultural icon and introduce a new generation to the virtual world.
“Pacman & Friends, the video game” will be released in the fall. Unlike the classic arcade game, the video game will only cost 99 cents. It will feature two players, with the ability to play against a friend on another game.
What makes the game unusual is it allows players to travel between different worlds as a Pacman ghost. The worlds that can be visited will be the kitchen, pool, shopping, bed and even a bedroom.
“This is what you see right now but imagine there is ghosts there,” said Craig Zimmerman, CEO of Glu Mobile, the company releasing the game. “It’s like when you see a Mario cart go over the bridge in Super Mario Brothers.”
The game has a nostalgic feel with colorful graphics, music and sounds, Zimmerman said. Players of the game will even be able to unlock exclusive wallpapers, sound effects and trading cards for the game on the Glu Mobile website.
The game will be available to download via the Google Play Store and iTunes.
The game and the birthday bash will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Centennial Beach in Naperville. The celebration will feature Pacman face painting, game design stations for children and adults and a photo booth. Food, drinks and live entertainment will also be available.
“This game will be fun, new and different from the traditional Pacman we know,” said Charlie Adamian, director of marketing at Glu.
Although this is the first time Glu Mobile has released a Pacman video game, the company has released many similar mobile games, including the “Guitar Hero” game that is based on Guitar Hero Live, Zimmerman said.
The game will help introduce a new generation to the Pacman brand and to Glu Mobile, which he believes will help the company grow in the future.
“We’ve been around for more than 20 years and we’re excited to see the new generations come out and play our games,” he said.
In addition to the Pacman release, the company will also release a new game called The Grand Tour, based on the British TV series hosted by Jeremy Clarkson.
“The Grand Tour” will be released Aug. 25 on the App Store and Google Play Store. The new game will have multiplayer modes, similar to Guitar Hero.
Anyone looking for the classic Pacman game at the end of the weekend can visit Dynamite Entertainment at 1060 W. Chicago Ave. in Chicago. The company has exclusive rights to distribute Pacman games.
Streets near the company’s storefront have been blocked off with police tape to make way for a Pacman bus that is used to promote the game. The bus will make its way around the city Saturday.
The company has donated $10,000 to A Home 4 Disabled Kids to host a family fun day and game release. All the money raised goes toward the organization, said Derek Thomas, the creative director of Dynamite Entertainment. The event will feature face painting, games, food and more.
“It will be a big event,” he said.
Both games will be free to download but in-app purchases will be available.
A Home 4 Disabled Kids is a nonprofit organization that works to empower children and families by helping find safe homes for children with special needs, Thomas said.
According to Zimmerman, the game is similar to the classic Pacman. Players will be in the main character, Pacman, and can go through the different different worlds.
“As you go through the different worlds, it will have new kinds of enemies. In some of the worlds, you will have to go through to get a fruit. That will grow back,” Zimmerman said.
The developers are taking the classic game and modifying it. And taking it into a new place with the developers’ creativity, he said.
