Puck Man: the original Japanese cabinet and why it is so rare
Before the yellow Midway machine there was a white Namco one with a different name. Puck Man cabinets are the holy grail of the hobby, and most people have never seen one.
What Puck Man was
Puck Man was the name on the first cabinets Namco shipped in Japan from 22 May 1980. The name derives from the eating sound paku-paku; Midway changed it for North America to avoid vandalism, as described in puck man to pacman rename. The game code was the same, with the Japanese title in the attract mode and the original Japanese ghost nicknames shown on screen, which are listed in blinky pinky inky and clyde.
How it differed from the Midway cabinet
| Feature | Namco Puck Man | Midway Pac-Man |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet colour | White with cartoon-style art | Yellow with blue and black art |
| Title | Puck Man | Pac-Man |
| Ghost names on attract screen | Japanese nicknames (chaser, ambusher, fickle, feigned ignorance) | Shadow, Speedy, Bashful, Pokey |
| Form factors | Upright and cocktail table | Upright, cocktail and cabaret; see pacman arcade cabinet details |
| Distribution | Japan and limited exports | North America and most of the world |
Why so few survive
- Namco's Japanese production was a fraction of Midway's; most of the world's cabinets were built in Chicago.
- Japanese arcades traditionally replaced or converted cabinets quickly, so many Puck Man boards were swapped for newer games within a few years.
- Export units were few and mostly reached Europe, where some were relabelled.
As a result, authenticated Puck Man uprights number in the low hundreds worldwide and sell for several times the price of a Midway original, placing them at the top of the collecting field described in pacman merchandise collecting.
Spotting a genuine one
- The cabinet shape and control panel differ from Midway's; a yellow Midway body with Puck Man art is a conversion.
- Namco serial plates and Japanese-language service labels should be present.
- The ROMs show the Puck Man title screen; a Midway board in a Namco cabinet is a mismatch.
- Side art on genuine units was screen-printed directly onto the cabinet, not applied as a decal.
The broader story of how a modest Japanese launch became a global phenomenon is in origin story of pacman. For the game itself, with no shipping costs, the maze modes on the mr pacman free maze games are a click away.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Puck Man the same game as Pac-Man?
Yes. Same code and maze; only the name, cabinet art and attract-screen ghost names differ.
How many Puck Man cabinets exist?
No official count exists, but authenticated uprights are believed to number in the low hundreds worldwide.
Why is a Puck Man cabinet worth more?
Rarity: Namco built far fewer than Midway, and many were converted or scrapped.