Google Lets You Play Pac Man on the Streets of the Lower East Side
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Two-Bits Arcade and Hanksy’s “Best of the Worst” pop-up aren’t the only ones with vintage video game Pac-Man at their fingertips. For a limited time, anyone can play Pac-Man, anywhere in the world. No quarters needed!
The brains over at Google seem to have an affinity for the beloved retro game, as evidenced in their 30th Anniversary tribute back in 2010. This time, they’ve turned streets and alleyways of major metropolises into paths of pellets for Pac-Man to chomp. The game appears to be modeled after the speedy version, which is always a morale boost when trying to flee those bulging-eyed ghosts.
And yes, you can make Pac-Man gobble up pellets on the Lower East Side, faster than developers can properties. The LES edition challenges you to zip up and down Ludlow Street, circle around Sara D. Roosevelt Park, or navigate the clusterfuck at Canal and Bowery. It’s not the first time we’ve caught Blinky zooming around the Lower East Side, either – he was hanging out by the old Seward Park high school a few years back. Constant vigilance!
There’s plenty of internet discussion over which cities are the best overall boards to play. Consensus seems to be that New York, Boston, San Fran, Paris, and Tokyo take the cake bouncing pretzel for the most unique landscapes. The game is also available on mobiles, but only in certain spots, and revealed to those who prove worthy.
Enjoy the nostalgia while it lasts.