Obsessed Pac fans of a certain age might remember the adorable appearance of Mrs. Pac-Man in it Back Land, the 1984 side-scrolling sideshow that first gave Pac-Man legs. this week Game re-release on Switch It appears to have thrown the “bug” into the memory hole, though, a strange reconfiguration that may be a result of the complex legal history surrounding Mrs. Pak ManCreate.
backman book contributor Ryan Silberman and artist Nick Caballero They were among the first to notice the apparent change on Twitter this week. shed light Back Land Swap out screenshots in which Mrs. Pac-Man’s iconic bow and red pumps have been replaced with a character in pink high heels and a matching hat. The little son’s object has been changed to the size of a child. Pac-Man similarly removed the trademark red bow that was first seen in 1983 AD son pacman.
Mrs. Pac-Man and Son Pac-Man as appeared in the original version of Back Land. The pair were released from this week’s Switch re-release.
Leaving the sprites in their original form was clearly the simpler choice for Hamster, who publishes the Arcade Archives series on Switch. describe Back LandThe reissue of the Arcade Archives notes that “the series faithfully reproduced many of the classic Arcade masterpieces,” making such a slight change all the more surprising. What’s going on?
Who owns Mrs. Pac-Man?
Bandai Namco did not respond to a request for comment from Ars Technica regarding the modification. But this move may have something to do with the long and complex legal history of Mrs. Pak Man Itself.
while the original backman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Corporation, a company Mrs. Pak Man arcade locker Life began as a “acceleration toolkit” called crazy oto It was created by a group of MIT students who call themselves the General Computer Corporation (GCC). This mod kit was eventually spun into the 1982 edition of Mrs. Pak ManWith the official blessing of Namco.
In a 1983 lawsuit, the GCC states were given a perpetual right to receive a royalty any time Namco reissued a new version of it. Mrs. Pak Man or son pacman (also developed by the Gulf Cooperation Council). This ownership, renegotiated in 2008, helps explain why these two games are rarely included in Pac assemblies to this day.
Fast forward to 2019, when AtGames announced it You have acquired these property rights from the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council While trying to release a file Mrs. Pak Man Retro wardrobe. This in turn led to Lawsuit from Namco Bandai that was settled in 2020 For undisclosed terms.
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