Prime Video
'Secret Level' showcases Pac-Man's controversial redesign and becomes subject of social media mockery
The controversial redesign of the beloved Pac-Man in the ‘Secret Level’ series has become the perfect target for mockery and memes of all kinds due to its new and unrecognizable appearance.
‘Secret Level’ is one of the most anticipated Prime Video series for the end of 2024. Aside from having an all-star cast, it will be a great opportunity to see official bonus material for many video games for the first time in the form of 3D animated shorts. However, one of the titles represented in the series has generated a lot of buzz in social media due to the great controversy surrounding its redesign. It is the classic Pac-Man, one of the most veteran characters in video games, whose version in the series has little or nothing to do with its traditional appearance, which has provoked a lot of mockery and memes about it.
This is what Pac-Man’s redesign in Prime Video’s ‘Secret Level’ looks like
Last December 4, 2024, the official account of the Prime Video ‘Secret Level’ series on X uploaded a teaser of the Pac-Man episode. For many, this barely half-minute video set off all the alarms, because what was shown had little or nothing to do with the very characteristic and recognizable design of the characters. You can see the clip in question below:
Instead of the classic yellow creature we’ve seen recently in titles like Pac-Man World: Re-Pac, we have a generic-looking anthropomorphic being wearing a dark hood and cape combination and carrying a sword, while facing off against creatures that wouldn’t look too out of place in a Dark Souls game. This chapter of ‘Secret Level’ is, in effect, a reinterpretation of the game’s basic premise with certain philosophical overtones: “eat or be eaten”.
The classic ghosts that haunt Pac-Man in the original game (Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde) have also been reimagined as menacing beings with large jaws and many teeth, which we would argue are more common designs in dark fantasy titles such as those in the Hidetaka Miyazaki saga.
However, the reaction to these redesigns from users of social media sites like X has been largely negative. Many point out the obvious: changing the design of such a recognizable and iconic character for the video game industry was an extraordinarily risky move. While the attempt to explore new horizons with such a beloved intellectual property is laudable, this “overreach” has become a negative aspect and is generally perceived as a way to dilute the brand’s reputation.
Released in arcades in July 1980, Pac-Man went on to become one of the most successful arcade games of all time, spawning a franchise with multiple home console adaptations and sequels. One of the key elements of its success was the minimalist yet recognizable design of its characters: Pac-Man was a cheerful yellow ball that gobbled up capsules while running from some funny and colorful ghosts.
Luckily, we’ve already watched ‘Secret Level’, and while we commented that the Pac-Man episode “will provide plenty to talk about”, we admit that it’s a “very particular reinterpretation of that world.” You can read our full review here.
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