Pac-Man World Re-Pac, the newly-announced remake of Pac-Man World, will feature Bandai Namco’s Pac-Mom character instead of the original Ms Pac-Man.
This is the second time the switch has now occured, after Pac-Mom previously took Ms Pac-Man’s place in Bandai Namco’s Arcade Archives: Pac-Land earlier this year.
Again, the reason for the swap seems to be the messy legal issues surrounding ownership of Ms Pac-Man, which are the subject of a 2019 lawsuit.
It is believed the rights to the character now lie with AtGames, a company which produces retro mini-consoles and arcade cabinets.
Avoiding the character’s use – even in remakes of games where she was originally present – appears to be Bandai Namco’s way of getting around further problems.
And if you’re struggling to tell the difference, well, Pac-Mom wears a pink hat. Ms Pac-Man wore a red hair bow.
Pac-Man World Re-Pac was announced yesterday as part of Nintendo’s most recent Direct broadcast. Pac-Mom is clearly visible in the game’s trailer.
Will Ms Pac-Man ever be glimpsed again? Is Pac-Mom the same character, albeit now with children? Bandai Namco is yet to comment.
