Few characters in gaming history are as iconic as Pac-Man or Mario. Since the medium’s early days, the two have laid the foundations for many other classics, starting with gaming’s genesis in arcade cabinets. Nowadays, both of these original titles are revered to this day. Of course, comparing the two characters makes it all the more interesting. Both of these franchises represent distinct periods in gaming history and diverge in interesting ways. Here is a breakdown of the two arcade icons side by side. Let’s-a-go!
The Two Characters Themselves
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With any popular franchise, one needs an iconic mascot; these two were some of the first in gaming. Pac-Man himself is a yellow cartoon creature who hunts ghosts with equally simple designs. Given the limited hardware, his lore and characterization are kept fairly spartan. Conversely, Mario is a human in a more recognizable world in his original arcade title, the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros. He fights through a construction site against more recognizable threats, such as walking turtles and the ape Donkey Kong. Neither of these approaches is better or worse, and they show how one can use the abstract canvas of the pixelated world.
One interesting way to compare the two characters is their designs, namely their color schemes. Pac-Man is a bright yellow character, a famously eye-catching color with mascots such as the Minions, Pikachu, the Simspons, and others. Mario, however, is red and blue, a color combo used for many other mascots such as Spider-Man, Superman, Optimus Prime, and others. Both of these uses of primary colors highlight their status as early mascots of the gaming industry.
The Original Games
The original Mario Bros. and Pac-Man are staples in the history of gaming. The original Pac had only a single map, which it used fully. Players could spend hours trying to outlast the ghosts and break records. The Later Ms. sequel would vastly improve every technical aspect. During their heyday, Pac-Man machines devoured quarters like the yellow character devouring dots. The original Mario Bros., however, was a much simpler game than even the original NES title.
Similarly, the game was only a single room where the titular duo fought off waves of Koopas. While not much, the game laid the foundation for later titles to build upon. However, after the video game crash in ‘83, the gaming medium would hang in the balance due to the failure of ET on the Atari 2600. Fortunately, Nintendo would step in and revitalize the genre. Mario Bros. became Super Mario Bros., the first big franchise in a post-Atari gaming landscape.
The Pac-Man and Mario Franchises
While the two were strong rivals during the early era of gaming, that fact did not stay. According to some, Mario became the most iconic gaming character ever, surpassing Mickey Mouse in recognizability. To this day, it is Nintendo’s flagship franchise, with hundreds of titles and billions in revenue. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the former series. Apart from cult titles such as the World trilogy, the yellow ghost-hunter has not seen many major releases outside his primary genre. Namco has moved on to other franchises, such as Soulsborne, Tales, and Tekken, for their leads.
As for spinoffs, one of his biggest recent outings was the critically panned Ghostly Adventures cartoon. Perhaps this was partly due to the simplistic nature of his games’ setup, leaving little room for expansion. However, the big-mouthed hero remains a legendary character. The original title is still heralded alongside Donkey Kong and Pong as a milestone for the gaming medium. His popularity was strong enough to earn a spot in Nintendo’s massive Smash Bros. franchise. Overall, both titles should be remembered for their contributions.
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