Though Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada wasn’t directly involved in the creation of the new Metroidvania-style Pac-Man game Shadow Labyrinth, he did help out with the title’s marketing, serving as a bridge between Japanese and overseas staff. As one of the few original Namco employees still working under Bandai Namco, Harada recalls being mentored by Pac-Man creator Tōru Iwatani.
In a recent 4Gamer interview, Harada reveals that he wanted to include Pac-Man as a playable fighter in the PS1’s first Tekken game. Unlike the character’s original design – which is round and non-humanoid – Harada wanted Tekken’s Pac-Man to be a person with a yellow head and muscular body in a similar vein to characters like Paul and King. Brimming with confidence, Harada pitched the idea to Iwatani, thinking it would “definitely” pass.
However, Iwatani shut down Harada’s proposal, angrily scolding his colleague for his reckless handling of Namco’s mascot. According to Harada, Iwatani then presented him with a thick document detailing the various guidelines for for featuring Pac-Man in other works. Needless to say, Harada never thought of including a Pac-Man-based fighter in Tekken ever again.
Both Bandai Namco and Iwatani have changed in the last 45 years since Pac-Man was introduced to the world, and Tekken 8 now has its own Pac-Man-inspired level, Pac-Pixels, and other content inspired by the character. Iwatani, though no longer at Bandai Namco, expressed his approval of Shadow Labyrinth’s darker direction (which debuted in the Secret Level animated anthology series) after it was explained to him by producer Toru Takahashi. We may never see a buff Pac-Man in Tekken, but that doesn’t mean Bandai Namco will stop trying to push the envelope with the big circular mascot.
Related: Tekken 8 producer defends team’s efforts to faithfully portray Miary Zo’s ethnicity
