Pac-Man

"Pac-Man Hungers For Battle!"

Pac-Man is the eponymous protagonist of Namco's Pac-Man franchise, debuting in the original game released in 1980.

He is also a playable character in Nexed.

Real-World History
Pac-Man was concieved to appeal to women in a time when arcade games were dominated by space shooters and other violent games, with designer Toru Iwatani hoping that attracting women and children to arcades would give them a more family-friendly image as opposed to the then-current male-centric culture.

Pac-Man's spherical design was inspired by a pizza with a missing slice, while his name was originally Puck-Man, inspired by the Japanese onomatopoeia for eating, "paku-paku". However, his name was changed to Pac-Man for international releases, as Namco executives feared that Puck-Man arcade cabinets would be vandalized by changing the P to an F. The Pac-Man name would later be adopted in Japanese media as well.

While a modest success in Japan, Pac-Man would become a phonomenon internationally, becoming the best-selling arcade game in the United States. This success would lead to Pac-Man becoming an icon of gaming, with his franchise spanning across video games, two television shows, merchandise, and appearances in movies such as Wreck-It Ralph and Pixels.

While Pac-Man's design was generally inconsistent for the first few years after the release of the original Pac-Man, the design used in Nexed stems from the original Puck-Man arcade cabinets, albeit with changes introduced in the Pac-Man World series, such as a smaller nose.

Gameplay Information
"When it comes to video games, Pac-Man’s one of the golden oldies. Known for his insatiable appetite and conflicts with the Ghost Gang, Pac-Man has chomped his way into gamers’ hearts for many years. When he’s not running through mazes in search of Pac-Dots, though, he prefers to settle down at home with his wife and children.

Even all these years later, gluttony is still Pac-Man’s greatest sin. Craving a bite with no ghosts in sight, he stumbled upon an advert for a fighting tournament, with the winner’s greatest wish being granted. Dreaming of a feast for him and his family, Pac-Man raced off to take a bite out of the grand prize!"

Pac-Man is designed as a beginner-friendly character, although one that has slightly more depth than characters like Mario. Pac-Man has average stats, being a little heavier than average while also a little slower. His kit also contains a number of moveset staples, such as a chargable projectile, a gap closer, and a potent punish tool in the form of Pac-Dot Shoot, Pac-Dot Trail, and Chomp respectively.

In addition to the standard "master of none" downside that most all-around fighters have, however, Pac-Man also suffers from having some of his best attacks require time to really get going; Super Pac-Dot Shoot requires a second to activate, Pac-Dot Trail is at its best when Pac-Man is given enough room to create a full trail, and Chomp has considerable lag to compensate for its sheer power. Overall, while Pac-Man is a great character to start the game with, patience and positioning is vital to optimal play.

Grounded Attacks

 * Jab: Pac-Man throws a punch.
 * Dash Attack: Pac-Man morphs into his classic form as he repeatedly bites forward, being able to deal multiple hits of damage.
 * Forward Light: Pac-Man throws a side kick.
 * Up Light: Pac-Man throws an uppercut.
 * Down Light: Pac-Man chomps at the ground.
 * Forward Strong: Pac-Man chomps forward in his classic form. This is his best kill move.
 * Up Strong: Pac-Man throws a backflip kick.
 * Down Strong: Pac-Man uses the Butt Bounce from the Pac-Man World games, jumping into the air before crashing down with his rear.
 * Counter: Pac-Man chomps forward in his classic form.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Air: Pac-Man does a somersault in the air while in his classic form.
 * Forward Air: Pac-Man throws a straight kick.
 * Back Air: Pac-Man throws a drop kick behind himself.
 * Up Air: Pac-Man throws a backflip kick resembling the Flip Kick from Pac-Man World 2.
 * Down Air: Pac-Man curls up before dropping to the ground, resembling the Butt Bounce from Pac-Man World. Opponents hit in the early frames of the move can be spiked.

Grabs / Throws

 * Grab: Pac-Man grabs the opponent with both hands.
 * Pummel: Pac-Man headbutts the opponent.
 * Forward Throw: Pac-Man reels back before throwing the opponent forward. This is his best combo throw.
 * Back Throw: Pac-Man spins around and tosses the opponent behind him. This is his best kill throw.
 * Up Throw: Pac-Man throws the opponent into the air.
 * Down Throw: Pac-Man throws the foe to the ground, transitions into his classic appearance, and bites at them repeatedly.

Stage Intro
Pac-Man appears in his classic form (with the animation resembling a reversed version of the death animation from Pac-Man) before gaining his standard design and entering his battle stance.

Taunts

 * Pac-Man juggles some Pac-Dots before eating them, resembling an animation from Pac-Man World.
 * Pac-Man eats a piece of bonus fruit.
 * Pac-Man transforms into his classic form and chomps in place before returning to normal. This resembles a taunt from the Super Smash Bros. series.
 * Pac-Man lies down as two pixelated ghosts fly over his head. This resembles a taunt from the Super Smash Bros. series.

Victory Animations
Pac-Man's victory theme is a remix of the intermission music from Pac-Man, although the song only loops once.
 * Pac-Man chases a ghost off the screen in his classic form before returning to normal and posing.
 * Pac-Man lands next to a sign which reads “7560”, after which he gives the camera a thumbs-up.
 * Pac-Man quickly chomps up a bunch of bonus fruit before burping, releasing a pair of ghost eyes from his mouth. After this, he just shrugs at the camera with a sheepish expression.

Colors / Costumes
  "Ms. Pac-Man Joins The Madness!"

Ms. Pac-Man is Pac-Man's love interest and a recurring character in the series, debuting in her self-titled game in 1982. While Ms. Pac-Man is more feminine than Pac-Man, she shares his interest in eating and running through mazes. While she appeared in many Pac-Man titles such as the Pac-Man World games, legal disputes regarding the ownership of the Ms. Pac-Man game in the late 2010's led to the character being phased out of most media and replaced with various female Pac-People, with her most recent appearance being a cameo on the Pac-Land stage in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

As an alternate costume for Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man has a few changes:  "Pacster Is Back!"
 * The announcer refers to Ms. Pac-Man as a separate character from Pac-Man's other costumes.
 * Ms. Pac-Man's classic form resembles her appearance in Ms. Pac-Man, except for the exclusion of eyes.
 * Due to Ms. Pac-Man lacking a Super form prior to Nexed, an original Super Ms. Pac-Man was designed for her Level 2 Nexus Attack.
 * Three of Ms. Pac-Man's taunts differ from those of Pac-Man.
 * Ms. Pac-Man's first taunt has her wave at the camera, resembling her animation in Pac-Land, before blowing a kiss.
 * Ms. Pac-Man's second taunt replaces Pac-Man's bonus fruit with those from Ms. Pac-Man.
 * Ms. Pac-Man's fourth taunt has her lie down with Pac-Baby, with the ghosts being absent.
 * Ms. Pac-Man's victory theme is a remix of They Meet from Ms. Pac-Man.
 * Only one of Ms. Pac-Man's victory animations differs from those of Pac-Man.
 * Ms. Pac-Man's third victory animation has her dance while wearing a boa before posing. This references a commercial for the Atari 2600 version of Ms. Pac-Man.

Pacster, real name Pac, is the main protagonist of the Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures animated series, as well as games based on the show. While the original Pac-Man used a design resembling Pacster in Pac-Man Party and Pac-Man Tilt, Pacster is established as his own character in a world succeeding the events of the mainline Pac-Man series, being the last of the yellow Pac-People. While he can be gluttonous just like his namesake, Pacster is a dedicated hero determined to help those in need and find his missing parents.

As an alternate costume for Pac-Man, Pacster has a few changes:
 * The announcer refers to Pacster as a separate character from Pac-Man's other costumes.
 * Unlike Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man, Pacster vocalizes during battle, with his voice being provided by Erin Mathews.
 * Pacster's classic form resembles his ball form in the Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures video games.
 * Due to Pacster lacking a Super form prior to Nexed, he instead becomes Titanium Pac-Man to perform the attack.
 * Pacster has a unique Level 3 Nexus Attack dubbed Paczilla. While the method of activating it remains the same as Pac-Man's Pac-Chain, the cinematic depicts the trapped opponents in a city, with Pacster, now giant, stomps through it before picking up the opponents and delivering a powerful bite, ending the cinematic. However, this is only a cosmetic difference; Mechanically, Paczilla works identically to Pac-Chain.
 * Pacster's taunts differ from those of Pac-Man.
 * Pacster's first taunt has him flip a single Pac-Dot into his mouth, referencing the opening of Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures.
 * Pacster's second taunt still has him eat Bonus Fruit, but it gains a fully-rendered appearance as opposed to the pixelated fruit that Pac-Man eats.
 * Pacster's third taunt has him cought out green slime.
 * Pacster's fourth taunt has him pose alongside either Spiral or Cylindra.
 * Pacster's victory theme is an excerpt of The Pac Is Back, the theme song of Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures. The final ten seconds of the song (0:21-0:31) are used, but the vocals have been removed.
 * Pacster's victory animations differ from those of Pac-Man.
 * Pacster eats a ghost before coughing up its eyes, as well as some green slime. Having covered the camera lens in slime, he gives it a sheepish look with his hands behind his back.
 * Pacster celebrates alongside Spiral and Cylindra.
 * Pacster performs a backflip, but ends up falling on his backside. Regardless, he raises a fist in victory.

Trivia

 * While Pac-Man's tagline is borrowed from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Ms. Pac-Man's references Ms. Pac-Man: Maze Madness.
 * Pacster's tagline references The Pac is Back.
 * Ms. Pac-Man's title, "More Than Pac-Man With A Bow", references a commercial for the Atari 2600 version of Ms. Pac-Man.
 * Pac-Man was considered to be voiced by Martin T. Sherman, his voice actor from Pac-Man World 3. However, this was scrapped as Faz felt Pac-Man worked best as a silent protagonist.
 * Pac-Man's Up Special was originally planned to be the Wing Boots from Pac-Land, but was changed to Pac-Jump Pad.
 * Despite Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures becoming a meme in mid-2022, Pacster's inclusion was mainly decided upon because Faz had grown up with the show.
 * However, the inclusion of Brainiac Pac-Man as a Pacster alt was due to the "Nerd Pac-Man" meme.

Gameplay-Related

 * If Pac-Man is the last fighter to lose their final stock in a Stamina match, he will revert to his classic appearance and reenact his death animation from the original Pac-Man, complete with the sound.
 * The same happens with Ms. Pac-Man, with the death sound being replaced with the one from her game.
 * While Pacster does not have a special animation, the Pac-Man death sound can be heard once this occurs.

Credits

 * TransparentJiggly64: Images of Pac-Man used for Pac-Dot Shoot and Super Pac-Dot Shoot.
 * Techpack: Inspiration for Pac-Jump Pad.
 * evilwaluigi: Inspiration for Chomp.