Here’s How Arcade1Up Makes Pac-Man Home Arcade Cabinets

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Among video game characters, few are as iconic as Pac-Man. One of the earliest and most widely recognized video game figures, Pac-Man has been a significant and enduring success since its debut. Arcade machines featuring Pac-Man remained popular staples in arcades and eateries for years after its initial launch. In 2025, on May 22, Bandai Namco will commemorate the game’s anniversary, which marks 45 years since its first release in Shibuya, Tokyo.

After that point, the basic character has undergone multiple redesigns and updates, transitioning from 3D platform games to pinball and even a kart racing game. Bandai Namco has made the character versatile and adaptable, with eccentric experiments like 2005’s Pac ‘n Pix coexisting with faithful tributes such as the highly successful Pac-Man Championship Edition, which maintained the essence of the original while introducing new mechanics and levels to challenge even the most devoted Pac-Man fans. However, the original Pac-Man, along with Ms. Pac-Man that came after it, remains the quintessential representation of the concept, a game that has been ported numerous times and continues to be played over the years.

To celebrate the event, TopMob had a conversation with Cyrus Rosenberg, Senior Vice President of Licensing and Business Development at Arcade1Up. This company is well-known for manufacturing scaled, authentic arcade cabinets of iconic classic games, such as Pac-Man. Since they have created several versions of both Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man cabinets, our conversation with Rosenberg focused on their collaboration with the Bandai Namco license to create machines that mimic the sensation of inserting a quarter into an arcade machine in a corner of a pizzeria.

As a passionate gamer, I embark on an exciting journey with the licensors to acquire authentic arcade ROMs. Then, I roll up my sleeves and meticulously ensure these classic games are seamlessly adapted to modern-day boards. The magic lies in preserving the original gaming experience – that unique feeling of playing those timeless games.

He explained that while these ROMs can be easily found, we subject them all to an individual quality assurance check on every device to ensure they are authentic arcade versions. To put it simply, I, as a fan of our product, like to describe it this way: it’s more like today’s video game remasters. You might recall the games, not exactly how they were, but what I mean is we have new artwork, there are no faulty controllers, essentially, it’s a brand-new arcade machine, similar to your memory, yet different when compared to the original arcade versions which may have been worn from use.

Therefore, because they’re working from the initial game ROMs and not modifying them, any inherent issues or glitches in those ROMs will also persist. For instance, in the case of Pac-Man, this implies that the original Map 256 Glitch can still be activated, assuming you possess the necessary skills to reach it.

Achieving the same level of responsiveness with the latest equipment is crucial, and this involves thoroughly understanding the initial arcade cabinet. Details such as joysticks should be replicated as closely as feasible, or players would notice discrepancies. Arcade1Up machines are usually constructed to three-quarters scale, making them more compact for home usebut aside from size, the company strives for exact replication.

In creating our emulators, we begin by replicating the design of a genuine machine. This means that for Bandai Namco products, certain games necessitated a four-way joystick, while others required an eight-way one. However, we ensure these emulations accurately reflect the original arcade format. For instance, Pac-Man’s screen is vertical, and we select ROMs that are compatible with both the four-way control stick and the vertical screen. Despite our arcades being about three-quarters scale, they aim to recreate the authentic arcade experience.

Just like Arcade1Up, they utilize original artworks for their arcade cabinets while adapting them to a modern design. Rosenberg emphasizes that their main objective is “preserving retro authenticity,” which means that although there might be slight adjustments in the artwork placement compared to the originals, it should still clearly reflect how the artwork looked back in 1980.

Rosenberg explains that the method they used to make authenticity a key principle came from listener feedback – fans desired the same level of attention and love in the production of the cabinet hardware, just as it was given to the software.

He stated, “The feedback from fans has significantly impacted our company right from the start.” In our debut in 2018, we had a design internally referred to as the ‘shark fin’. This was actually a standard arcade format across all our products. But one of the earliest responses we received during our launch was that people preferred the original cabinet shape. Since there are only a few iconic shapes in arcade history, some similarity was inevitable. We aimed to replicate the design for Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man as closely as possible. Although size wasn’t maintained, the shape was exactly the same.

2027 marks the anniversary of Ms. Pac-Man, frequently recognized as the superior vintage version of Pac-Man. This remarkable game was initially an independent project that found its way into Midway and evolved into an official Pac-Man game. The approaching celebration is bound to stir up nostalgia among gamers once more. While the updated version was skillfully designed, the original remains unique as a pioneer. Forty-five years later, the original game continues to shine with timeless elegance that many modern games struggle to emulate. In its own way, Arcade1Up is helping preserve this classic.

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2025-05-22 17:09