The 1980s and 1990s saw a popularity peak for arcade games, which have been a mainstay of entertainment for decades. Many books have come and gone, but only a few have endured, emerging as well-known and cherished classics. Pac-Man, the well-known yellow mascot who nibbles his way through mazes while being pursued by ghosts, is one such game. But is it the all-time best-selling arcade game? The answer is indeed. Pac-Man is the most popular arcade game in history, having sold over 400,000 arcade cabinets worldwide, according to Guinness World Records. Its simple but addictive gameplay, adorable characters, and catchy music are all responsible for its success. It also ushered in a new era of gaming by making the labyrinth genre popular and encouraging a plethora of copycats.
But has Pac-Man ever been defeated? Yes, in a nutshell, but it’s not an easy task. Pac-Man is made to be a difficult game, and the challenge increases as you advance through the stages. Professional players, on the other hand, have perfected the game and can get high scores that appear unattainable to the normal individual. Billy Mitchell achieved the highest score of 3,333,360 points in 1999, and Twin Galaxies, the group in charge of keeping track of high scores at the time, recognized his achievement.
Whether Pac-Man has a conclusion is another frequently asked issue. Yes, but it doesn’t have a conventional finish. The game is virtually unusable once you reach level 256 due to a bug that renders the right side of the screen unreadable. The designers never intended for anyone to reach that level because this was a hardware restriction at the time. There are, however, patched versions of the game that let you play past level 256.
Who created arcade games, in the end? The inventor of the first arcade game to achieve commercial success, Pong, and the founder of Atari, Nolan Bushnell, deserves credit for this. The 1972 release of the game, which became a huge hit right away, helped to establish the arcade business. Bushnell also contributed significantly to the creation of other popular video games, including Asteroids and Space Invaders.
It’s difficult to comment on the previous arcade game. Due to the growth of mobile devices and home gaming consoles, fewer people visit arcades, and many of them have closed. However, there are still a few devoted supporters who preserve the arcade culture by gathering and restoring vintage equipment and organizing competitions and events. Therefore, even if the arcade period is over, its memory continues in the minds of those who had the privilege of growing up playing them.
“Computer Space,” a 1971 release, is thought to be the world’s oldest arcade game.