The old school 2old2play members know this little yellow guy very well. I'm sure many of us bugged our parents endlessly for quarters, gathered up all the pennies, nickels, and dimes we could to exchange them for quarters, and of course were more than excited to go out to eat with our parents to restaurants that had Pac Man in the waiting area.
I know it took me about 5 minutes to eat my meal and then start acting like a pit bull tied to a chain with a slab of steak only a few feet away.
I was lucky enough that my small town had 2 Pac Man machines, one at the Pizza Hut and one at the Dairy Queen. I was also lucky enough to be 13 years old with 2 parents that worked which allowed me to ride my bike to the Dairy Queen damn near every day just to get my fix and ensure my initials were virtually carved into the leader board. I dared not waste my money on the chocolate sundaes or even a small ice cream cone.
Pac Man was a great tool to teach us important life experiences. It taught us the value of money and you should make every penny last as long as possible to get greater value out of it or that the smallest kid would always give up his quarters if cornered by a larger group of big kids. It taught us patience to wait in line while others took their turn, great for when you have to go to any local government office to pick something up. It gave us stronger wrists and hands for better hand-eye coordination which was perfect timing for those of us going into puberty and discovering Hustler magazine. And most importantly, it taught us how to call "next" with our quarters which is invaluable in any pool hall.
Yes, Pac Man was and still is a great game for any generation to enjoy, but it holds a special place in the Gen-X group. So, Happy 25th Pac Man! And yes, had the original name "Puck Man" stuck with it, we would've defaced the hell out of every game stand out there (must read story to understand).
CNN Money has a great article on Pac Man; anyone that enjoyed Pac Man should read it.
Pac Man From CNN
- T3
I was lucky enough that my small town had 2 Pac Man machines, one at the Pizza Hut and one at the Dairy Queen. I was also lucky enough to be 13 years old with 2 parents that worked which allowed me to ride my bike to the Dairy Queen damn near every day just to get my fix and ensure my initials were virtually carved into the leader board. I dared not waste my money on the chocolate sundaes or even a small ice cream cone.
Pac Man was a great tool to teach us important life experiences. It taught us the value of money and you should make every penny last as long as possible to get greater value out of it or that the smallest kid would always give up his quarters if cornered by a larger group of big kids. It taught us patience to wait in line while others took their turn, great for when you have to go to any local government office to pick something up. It gave us stronger wrists and hands for better hand-eye coordination which was perfect timing for those of us going into puberty and discovering Hustler magazine. And most importantly, it taught us how to call "next" with our quarters which is invaluable in any pool hall.
Yes, Pac Man was and still is a great game for any generation to enjoy, but it holds a special place in the Gen-X group. So, Happy 25th Pac Man! And yes, had the original name "Puck Man" stuck with it, we would've defaced the hell out of every game stand out there (must read story to understand).
CNN Money has a great article on Pac Man; anyone that enjoyed Pac Man should read it.
Pac Man From CNN
- T3
