Pac-Man: all version differences
4 documented differences between the releases of Pac-Man, each with a source. Back to the main page for names, releases and where to play.
Category × version
| Category | Arcade (NA) | Arcade (JP) | Arcade (US) | NES (Tengen) | NES (Namco 1993) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Text | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Graphics | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Version differences
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TitleArcade (NA)
In North America the game was renamed from Puck Man to Pac-Man, out of fear that vandals would turn the P into an F.1
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TextArcade (JP)Arcade (US)
The ghosts' Japanese names — Oikake, Machibuse, Kimagure and Otoboke, nicknamed Akabei, Pinky, Aosuke and Guzuta — became Shadow, Speedy, Bashful and Pokey (Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde) in the US.2
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GraphicsArcade (US)
The US attract mode shows a Midway copyright line instead of the Namco logo; a DIP switch for alternate ghost names works in Japan but is disabled in the US version.3
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TitleNES (Tengen)NES (Namco 1993)
Tengen's NES versions swap the Namcot logo for a Tengen logo and show all ghosts in yellow with nicknames only; Namco's 1993 reissue brings back the arcade-style ghost names.4
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13