For many who grew up in the 1990s and early 2000s, Pac-Man was a big part of our childhood.
I have fond memories of playing the game with my sister on our PC and at the arcade with my friends, as well as downloading the mobile game on my first smartphone.
So imagine my excitement when I got to play the game in real life at the Pac-Man Carnival in Sentosa on Thursday (Dec 11).
The action takes place in a life-sized maze modelled after the iconic arcade game. It also holds the record for Singapore’s largest human Pac-Man game.
Besides lighting and sound effects mimicking the game, the blackout tent has an elevated spectator zone where family and friends can watch participants navigating the maze.
Taking on the role of Pac-Man, I had to collect all the “Pac-Dots” in the maze — represented by blinking floor pellets that switch off once stepped on — while avoiding the life-sized ghosts patrolling the pathways.
While I had tons of fun, my years of experience playing the game did not translate into real life as I’m not much of a runner.
It was also difficult to keep track of which pellets were still lit as the maze walls obstructed part of my view, preventing me from strategising like I usually do in-game.
During the three-minute game, a large screen displayed my name, a countdown timer and a leaderboard of the fastest players. It also periodically showed live footage of me trying to navigate the maze.
I cleared the maze in about two minutes, laughably far from the 42-second record timing set a couple of rounds before me.
Games galore
Besides the maze, The Pac-Man Carnival also has a variety of nostalgic arcade games like mini basketball, racing simulators and even the original Pac-Man — a blast from the past.
I also got to try my hand at carnival games like the classic ring toss and innovative giant pong.
Moreover, the event has a PC gaming area, where visitors can play Pac-Man titles such as Shadow Labyrinth and Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac, and a Challenge Arena where they can try out the Championship version of Pac-Man and try to beat the existing high score.
Those feeling peckish after gaming can look forward to an assortment of food, ranging from doner kebab, specialty drinks, to small bites such as nachos, jacket potatoes and takoyaki.
The Pac-Man Carnival, which is Southeast Asia’s first and largest, is being held in celebration of the game’s 45th anniversary.
The event was officially launched at an opening ceremony on Thursday, which was attended by Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Low Yen Ling.
The Pac-Man Carnival will run until Jan 11 at Palawan Green, Sentosa. Opening hours are 3pm to 10pm from Monday to Thursday and 12pm to 10pm from Friday to Sunday.
Visitors to the island will also be greeted by a Pac-Man-themed Sentosa Express train during this period.
On Dec 31, there will be a special New Year’s Eve countdown at the carnival from 12pm till after midnight. It will feature fireworks in Pac-Man inspired colours as well as interactive programmes.
Standard admission starts at $2.90 and tickets can be purchased at https://acc9ss.com/.
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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
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