With millions of followers who still vividly remember the thrill and excitement of the first arcade games, Pac-Man has gained a truly legendary status nearly forty years after its release. Now, thanks to the collaboration between its original designer and an Australian slot machine maker, the most recognized name in the world of video games is coming to the casino.
The new game, called Pac-Man Wild Edition and its successor Pac-Man Dynamic Edition, combine the retro feel and looks of the classic arcade with modern casino gambling. In 1980, when the original game was launched, it was different from everything that existed at the time. With its graphics, which would be considered “ancient” by today’s standards, and its unique gameplay, Pac-Man arcade revolutionized the market, where the pinball machines were probably among the most entertaining devices available. Now, the new video slot inspired by the game seems to have a similar goal – making a revolution in the casino world.
Catering to Millennials
In 2016, Sydney-based slot manufacturer Ainsworth Game Technology (AGT) announced a strategic partnership with the Japanese game company that created Pac-Man in the 1980s, Namco. Today, it is called Bandai Namco Entertainment International and it is still developing video games for consoles and PCs. As a product of this partnership, Pac-Man Wild Edition brings the best of the slot machine and video game entertainment and combines various technologies into one retro, fun and rewarding game.
Unlike many slot games before it, the new release was designed to appeal to the new generation. Currently, the main audiences that flock to casino floors for slots remain the older adults who started visiting casinos a few decades ago. The colorful, flashy one-armed bandits, however, have not been able to attract the next generation, and thats why some casinos stopeed offering bonuses. And now, Ainsworth believes, they would immediately find the new themed slot appealing.
But will the Pac-Man slot cater to millennials? It comes in a few exciting formats that would certainly catch the eye of both slot players and Pac-Man fans.
Pac-Man Wild Edition
Pac-Man Wild Edition was the first game from the Ainsworth-Namco collaboration to hit casino floors on AGT’s new A640 cabinets, large, bright video slot machines that are being distributed across Australia, New Zealand, North and Latin America, Europe, and Macau. Designed by Bandai Namco, the game features the familiar imagery and authentic sounds of Pac-Man – the ghosts, the pallets, the electronic music, etc.
This is a 5-reel, 30-line video slot, which has a standard 5×3 layout and four progressive jackpots. The most basic symbols are playing cards from Nine to Ace, followed by four ghost symbols, namely Blue Ghost, Blinky, Inky, and Clyde. There are also four fruit symbols that appear on reel 5 only and with other symbols. These include a melon, an orange, an apple, and a cherry. The game also features a Scatter illustrated as the Power Pallet, as well as two Wilds, the Pac-Man Wild and the Wild Power Pallet.
There are 5 extra reels on top of the main reels and they include only the Pac-Man, Pattern, and either Key or No Key symbols. There are plenty of special features, transforming symbols, and many more. Pac-Man Wild Edition has an RTP of 94.2% and is a low variance game, which means that despite the many bonus payouts and special features, they do not tend to trigger very often, but don’t worry you can always make use of best casino bonuses at bonusinsider.com.
Special Features and Progressive Jackpots
This is where Pac-Man Wild Edition really stands out from the majority of modern video slots. It comes with a wide variety of special events that can be triggered throughout the game. Whenever the Pac-Man Wild appears on the extra reels, it transforms all three symbols beneath its position into wilds. This happens in the main game and during free spins, which are activated when three Pac-Mans land scattered on the reels. The main 5×3 grid expands to 9×3 reel grid with 90 pay lines, where players receive 9 free spins and can re-trigger 5 additional free spins.
When the Pac-Man symbol appears on the first reel along with a fruit symbol on the fifth reel, the Fruit feature is triggered and the player is awarded a 2x, 3x, or 5x multiplier on the winnings of the main game. Another bonus feature is the Wheel Feature, which is triggered when 3 Key symbols land on the extra reels above the main set of reels. A large wheel is displayed and when the player spins it, he or she could win one of several credit winnings or the Jackpot Feature. And this is where the game becomes even more interesting.
When you activate the Jackpot Feature, a special screen replaces the basic slot game and displays the classic Pac-Man maze of dots and ghosts. You need to pick one of three routes – the Pac-Man chases one of the ghosts on the route to reveal one of the progressive jackpots, Mini, Minor, and Major.
On July 7, 2018, the virtual Pac-Man Wild Edition was released and now it features a fourth progressive jackpot, called the Grand Jackpot. The game is almost identical and using HTML5 and Javascript, it is available for both desktop and mobile use. The Pac-Man Dynamic Edition is quite similar, only with enhanced graphics and faster gameplay. Now, all slot games within the Pac-Man series feature the four progressive jackpots and offer the authentic arcade game experience fused with the excitement of casino gambling.
