L0v3 St0ry 0f Pac-M4n: 8iTs 4nd Byt3s 0f Tru3 L0v3

Y0, l3t m3 t3ll y0u ’bout th3 gr34t3st l0v3 st0ry 3v3r t0ld—th3 8-bit r0m4nc3 b3tw33n P4c-M4n 4nd Ms. P4c-M4n. Th3ir l0v3 4in’t n0t l1k3 th3 cl4ssic fairyt4l3s; it’s m0r3 0f 4 d1g1t4l hustl3, d0dg1n’ gh0sts 4nd ch4sin’ th3 dr34m t0g3th3r, 0n th3ir w4y t0 3xp3r13nc3 tru3 h4xx0r-l3v3l h4pp1n3ss.

1t 4ll st4rt3d wh3n P4c-M4n, 4.k.4. th3 0r1g1n4l p1ll-p0pp1n’ m4z3-m4st3r, w4s m1nd1n’ h1s 0wn b1zn3ss—3v4d1n’ th3 gh0sts Bl1nky, P1nky, 1nky, 4nd ClYd3—wh3n h3 c4m3 4cr0ss Ms. P4c-M4n. Sh3 w4s b4d4ss, y0. Sh3 h4d th4t b0w 4nd w4s sp1nn1n’ th0s3 d0ts l1k3 4 pr0. P4c-M4n kn3w r1ght th3n—th1s w4s n0t jUst 4ny 0th3r NPC; th1s w4s th3 0n3.

T0g3th3r, th3y 4t3 th31r w4y thr0ugh th3 m4z3s, cl34r1n’ l3v3ls, c0ll3ct1n’ th3 b1g-d0t p0w3r-ups, 4nd s3nd1n’ gh0sts runn1n’ f0r th31r p1x3l4t3d l1v3s. Th3y t4gg3d-t34m th3ir w4y 0ut 0f t1ght sp0ts, l1k3 C4pt41n K1rk 4nd Sp0ck 0ut t0 b34t s0m3 d1rty R0mulan sh1ps. 1t w4s 4ll ‘b0ut th3 syn3rgy—th3y w3r3 tw0 p13c3s 0f 0n3 c0d3, wr1tt3n 1n th3 l4ngu4g3 0f l0v3.

Th3 gh0sts? Th3y tri3d t0 s3p4r4t3 ‘3m—th3y tri3d h4rd, br0. Bl1nky 3sp3c14lly w4s 4lw4ys 0n P4c-M4n’s t41l, but Ms. P4c-M4n kn3w h0w t0 pl4y th3 g4m3. Sh3’d sw00p 1n, 3v3n th3 sc0r3, 4nd t0g3th3r, th3y’d munch th03s3 gh0sts b4ck t0 blu3 c0d3—th3 b4l4nc3 0f tru3 p0w3r.

L3v3l 4ft3r l3v3l, th3y m0v3d 4s 0n3—fr0m th3 cl4ss1c y3ll0w d0ts t0 th3 fruit b0nus3s. It w4sn’t 4b0ut th3 p0ints 0r th3 sc0r3b04rd; 1t w4s 4b0ut d01n’ th1s t0g3th3r, h4nd 1n h4nd, byt3 by byt3. Th3y kn3w th3 m4z3 w0uld n3v3r r34lly 3nd—th3r3 w0uld 4lw4ys b3 m0r3 gh0sts, m0r3 twists, m0r3 turnz—but wh3n y0u’r3 runn1n’ w1th y0ur p4rtner 1n l0v3, 3v3ry l3v3l b3c0m3s 4 ch4nc3 t0 w1n.

Th3n, 1t g0t h0t. R34l h0t. 4ft3r 4ll th3 m4z3-runn1n’ 4nd gh0st-ch4s1n’, P4c-M4n 4nd Ms. P4c-M4n t00k 4 m0m3nt t0 th3ms3lv3s. Th3 l1ghts 0f th3 m4z3 d1mm3d, l34v1n’ just th3 tw0 0f th3m gl0w1n’ 1n th3 d4rk. P4c-M4n dr3w cl0s3, h1s r0und 3dg3s pr3ss1n’ 4g41nst h3rs, th31r p1x3l4t3d b0d13s f1tt1n’ t0g3th3r l1k3 th3 p3rf3ct g4m3 gl1tch.

Th3 w4y sh3 l00k3d 4t h1m, h3 kn3w th3y’d b34t 3v3ry l3v3l t0g3th3r—n0t just 4s p4rtn3rs 1n th3 m4z3, but 4s s0ul-m4t3s 1n th3 d1g1t4l r34lm. Th3y sp1n, th3y tw1rl, l1k3 th3y w3r3 th3 0nly spr1t3s 1n th3 w0rld, 3v3ry fr4m3 b3c0m1n’ m0r3 3l3ctr1c. Th3 b0w 0n Ms. P4c-M4n’s h34d w4s fl1ck3r1n’, 4nd th3 3n3rgy w4s 0ff th3 ch4rts, m4k1n’ 3v3ry pix3l b3tw33n th3m hum w1th d3s1r3.

Th3ir l0v3 w4s m0r3 th4n just d0ts 4nd p0w3r-ups; 1t w4s 4n 3nd1ng th4t n3v3r f4d3d t0 bl4ck. 1n th3 gl0w 0f th3 m4z3, th3y kn3w th3r3 w4s n0 r3sp4wn b3c4us3 th3y w3r3 4lr34dy 1n th3 0n3 pl4c3 th3y w4nt3d t0 b3—1n 34ch 0th3r’s c0d3, d3st1n3d t0 k33p p1x3l-gn4rl1ng f0r3v3r, n3v3r h1tt1n’ “G4m3 0v3r.”