Pac-Man is an arcade game released in 1980, which is considered one of the most successful video games of all time. The game was among the first to deviate from the then-dominant genres of space shooters and rudimentary sports games, and allow the player to control a simple, cartoon-like character. The popularity of the game and the visual appeal of the Pac-Man character made the Pac-Man brand one of the first to be licensed for use in toys, an animated TV series by Hanna-Barbera, and other merchandise.

References

• In the February 8, 1983 Muppet comic strip by Guy and Brad Gilchrist, Robin the Frog displays his Frog Scout merit badge for playing the game.

• A girl plays a Pac-Man snare drum toy in Episode 1843 of Sesame Street.

• Kermit plays Pac-Frog in the comic strip from the Spring 1984 issue of Muppet Magazine.

• Slimey has an arcade machine of "Pac-Worm" to stay entertained as he recovers from an injury in Sesame Street Episode 1789. Despite the parody name change, Oscar the Grouch refers to it as Pac-Man during a round of "Three of These Things". While the multiple pellets are lifted from gameplay found in Pac-Man, the bent worm graphic is a visual reference to the 1976 game Blockade, in which the player shifts the movement of a snake (or a worm) in ninety degree angles to consume an apple that makes its body grow.

• Doc and Sprocket play a video game in the Fraggle Rock episode "The Challenge" that uses sound effects from Pac-Man.

• Kermit does an impression of Pac-Man in a Muppets.com video.

• In Elmo's World: Teeth, Elmo plays a game similar to Pac-Man on his computer, but with the titular character replaced by a set of clacking teeth.

• A sound effect in the song created expressly for "The Pig with the Froggy Tattoo" trailer samples a sound effect from Pac-Man.

• The 2012 direct-to-video special Elmo's Alphabet Challenge features a spoof of the game. A. B. C-more appears in the form of the ghosts and Elmo as Pac-Man, moving around the maze looking for various items beginning with different letters. Elmo makes a "muncha muncha" sound as he moves in lieu of Pac-Man's "wakka wakka" noise, which Elmo claims is merely a noise he makes when he's hungry.

• A photo featuring Cookie Monster uploaded on Sesame Street's Tumblr page features a "Delete Cookies" parody of Pac-Man to promote the DVD release of Elmo's Alphabet Challenge.

• The sesamestreet.org game "Cookie Monster Chase" features Cookie Monster as Pac-Man and the Yip-Yip Martians as the ghosts.

• In the Muppet Babies episode "Kermit Levels Up," Miss Nanny wears stockings based on Pac-Man, only with Kermit-esque eyes added.

Elmo's Alphabet Challenge

Delete Cookies

Cookie Monster Chase

Connections

• Peter Cullen played Sour Puss in the animated Pac-Man TV series (1982)
• Will Lee appeared in a 1982 TV commercial for the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man
• Russi Taylor played Pac-Baby in the animated Pac-Man TV series (1982)
• Frank Welker played various roles in the animated Pac-Man TV series (1982)