Google and Pac-Man are celebrating the 45th anniversary of the iconic maze video game with a new Google Doodle, allowing fans to play a special version of the game. Since its initial release in 1980, the Pac-Man franchise has grown into one of the most iconic brands in gaming, with a long and storied history for the Namco game. Pac-Man has been featured in everything from a multitude of video games to TV series and even sparked the "Pac-Man Fever" trend in the early 1980s. Now, Pac-Man is celebrating a massive milestone in collaboration with Google.
Pac-Man's 45th anniversary has already seen the gaming brand collaborating with a variety of different companies to celebrate the milestone. Bandai Namco teamed up with Krispy Kreme earlier this year to bring a series of Pac-Man-themed donuts as a special promotion for the donut chain. The developer even made Pac-Man Championship Edition playable in specific Volkswagen cars, offered through the "AirConsole" app found within some 2025 lines of Volkswagen vehicles. A new promotion is now bringing a special version of Pac-Man to Google.
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Google officially rolled out its newest Pac-Man collaboration on October 30, adding a new Google Doodle with a playable version of Pac-Man. The Google Doodle includes four classic Pac-Man levels playable within the search engine, while also adding four unique "haunted house" mazes designed by Google and Bandai Namco for the collaboration. The haunted house mazes feature some unique designs, with each of Pac-Man's specific ghosts said to be haunting the different mazes. Pac-Man fans can only play the special Google version of Pac-Man for a limited time, accessible through the Google homepage.
Pac-Man Gets Google Doodle Game for 45th Anniversary
Pac-Man's 45-year history has seen the character and franchise go through a variety of different forms and genres. The maze formula of the original Pac-Man has been iterated on a plethora of times, including Ms. Pac-Man and the previously-mentioned Pac-Man Championship Edition among others. Pac-Man has also been brought into everything from 3D platformers like the Pac-Man World series to a dark action-adventure game in Shadow Labyrinth. Pac-Man has even become a mainstay in the Super Smash Bros. Series, first appearing in Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and returning in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Pac-Man's 45th anniversary brought with it a brand-new remake of a classic game in the franchise. Last month saw the release of Pac-Man World 2: Re-Pac as a re-imagining of the second entry in the 3D platformer spinoff, featuring remixes of the original game's stages. The previously-mentioned Shadow Labyrinth also released as part of Pac-Man's 45th anniversary, re-imagining Pac-Man's core mechanic in an action-adventure format while also retaining some classic elements of Pac-Man gameplay. Pac-Man's anniversary festivities continue to celebrate the nearly five-decade-long history of one of gaming's most recognizable mascots.
- Released
- September 26, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- NOW Production
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Multiplayer
- Local Co-Op
WHERE TO PLAY
Source: Google