As an Australian, it is always exciting when I hear of Australian development teams getting to work on highly acclaimed and established franchises. It has been announced by Bandai Namco that the Melbourne-based development team Hipster Whale are collaborating with Bandai Namco Studios Vancouver to develop a brand new free-to-play game titled Pac-Man 256.
To be released on tablet and smartphone devices later this year, Pac-Man 256 purportedly introduces players to a brand new genre of PAC-MAN games. The iconic character will star in an endless maze chased by the infamous “256 Glitch” present in the original game. Players will encounter plenty of Pac-Dots, Power Pellets and the ghost ensemble: Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde – as they endure the maze that unfolds before them.
Expect to hear more information on this game, including a release date, in the coming weeks/months.
Tatsuya Kubota | Head of Mobile & Web Gaming at Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe S.A.S.
The gaming industry keeps on growing massively on a daily basis and we, at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe, are proud to be pioneers of this with some of the biggest licenses out there! This year, we are celebrating PAC-MAN’s 35th Anniversary and we couldn’t miss such an opportunity: we decided to create a brand new exciting game with Hipster Whale and BANDAI NAMCO Studios Vancouver. This results in a stirring game based on some elements that made history. Join us in celebrating PAC-MAN’s anniversary!
Daisuke Hattori | Project Manager of PAC-MAN 256 at Bandai Namco Studios Vancouver Inc.
We are thrilled to be working with the creators of the huge hit Crossy Road in creating a new PAC-MAN game for his 35th Anniversary. We’re already seeing incredibly strong, hooking gameplay in the early prototypes, and cannot wait to share this experience with everyone!
Matthew Hall | Hipster Whale Director
Playing PAC-MAN in a seaside arcade in 1980 is one of my earliest memories. It is an incredible honor to be able to contribute to one of the most iconic video game franchises in history. Our game, PAC-MAN 256, takes the infamous ‘glitch’ level of PAC-MAN and builds upon this to become a unique game that retains the retro spirit of the original.
