Reinventing a video game icon is a daunting undertaking, especially when it comes to Pac-Man, who is undoubtedly the first true icon in the history of video games. The frantic races of the yellow wolverine have marked the history of the medium for more than four decades. Created in 1980 by Toru Iwatani and published by Namco, Pac-Man quickly became a global phenomenon. This timeless license, available in more than 30 main games and countless spin-offs, has sold more than 43 million copies of all opuses, and has generated nearly 14 billion dollars in revenue, making Pac-Man one of the most recognizable symbols, not only of JV, but also of pop culture.
45 years after the appearance of the yellow ball, Bandai Namco has decided to give the license a facelift. With Shadow LabyrinthSeigo Aizawa (producer-director having previously worked as a programmer on Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS), tackled a major challenge: transposing the colorful and joyful universe of Pac-Man in a dark and dystopian aesthetic. In this new iteration, where the gameplay is fully immersed in metroidvania, Aizawa attempts to rethink a legend while respecting its heritage.
During an interview for which the time passed much too quickly, Seigo Aizawa (an affable man, with a surprising good nature and an infectious smile) revealed to us the behind the scenes of this transformation, addressing the genesis of the project, its collaborations with Bandai Namco, and the delicate balance between innovation and homage. Between reflections on gameplay, artistic inspirations, and narrative ambitions, Aizawa also enlightened us on the possible future of this reinterpretation, and its connections with the episode Circle from the series Secret Level on Amazon Prime. From the omnipresence of the ghosts of the past (in every sense of the word) to the oppressive atmosphere of the labyrinth, each aspect testifies to a deep desire to transcend expectations while offering a new vision of this video game monument. (Thanks to Tatsuhiro Suzuki, for his essential translation work.)
- Also read | Secret Level: We classified the episodes, from the intro cinematic to the final boss
Can you tell us how the idea for Shadow Labyrinth came about and what inspired you to reimagine the Pac-Man universe in a much darker and dystopian light?
Well… Pac-Man will celebrate its 45th anniversary in 2025, next year [l’interview a eu lieu en décembre 2024 – NDLR]. We've been producing Pac-Man family games for years. We asked ourselves how to reach a new audience, who have never played Pac-Man before. We talked for a long time, and it was this idea, this concept that emerged, which we thought about a lot. We want to reach the audience by creating something completely different from what we've done before, and that no one has ever seen before. This is our initial idea.
What was Bandai Namco's role in the development of this new interpretation? Did they impose limits or give complete creative freedom?
When this idea emerged, we had a lot of discussions [avec les têtes pensantes de Bandai Namco]to see how far we could go with something totally different. And we needed freedom. We said to ourselves: “let's do what we have to do”. So, technically, we had no creative limits, we had free rein.
But we also worked jointly with the Namco studios who designed the previous games. We even presented the project to Iwatani-san [le créateur de Pac-Man – NDLR]. He was surprised, and also liked the project.
Let's talk a little about the gameplay and design of Shadow Labyrinth. The game is presented as a Metroidvania. What specific gameplay elements differentiate your game from other titles in the genre? What are the distinctive elements of the Pac-Man license that we will find in the final title?
Among the elements specific to Pac-Manwe will find three essential concepts:
- the need to eat/consume,
- the labyrinth,
- evasion/evasion of combat.
We can see two examples of this in the trailer. At the end of the trailer, we see Pac-Man's enormous jaw, like that of a giant dog, devour an enemy. This is how we acquire new skills, new skills. And for the other example, it's in the middle of the trailer. We see Puck [le mini-Pac-Man qui accompagne l’avatar – NDLR] who merges with Swordsman #8, he changes shape and this allows him to access otherwise inaccessible areas. These are two of the typical elements of the license Pac-Man which we included in the game.
In the Shadow Labyrinth episode “Circle” of Secret Levelwe see these numerous bags which seem to contain bodies… Is this a clue to a possible die'n'retry aspect, or rogue-like mechanics in the game?
Shadow Labyrinth is above all an action-platform game, but we knew that most people would categorize it as a “Metroidvania”, however… There is definitely an aspect of repetition, you could see it in the trailer. We want to create an action-platformer with a high degree of difficulty. You will have to fight, again and again, and learn to overcome difficulties. There will be a notion of starting over, but we do not consider it to be a rogue-like.
We want to create an action-platformer with a high degree of difficulty. You will have to fight, again and again, and learn to overcome the difficulties
Still on the subject of the Secret Level series. Did the episode “Circle” directly influence your vision for the game, or did you work on similar ideas in parallel with Tim Miller and his team?
Regarding the connections with Amazon and Secret Level… In fact, the project Shadow Labyrinth started in 2021, almost four years ago. And soon after, Blur Studios and Amazon contacted Bandai Namco to ask if the company wanted to be part of the project Secret Level. It was us who proposed the idea of “Dark Pac-Man”, Amazon and Blur were excited.
To return to the story of Pac-Man and Shadow Labyrinth: Will classic enemies like the ghosts from the games, Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde, have a place in Shadow Labyrinth? If so, how did you redesign them?
(Laughs) I can't tell you anything at the moment, but…* Stay tuned!*
-This is defense secret if I understand correctly?
Yes, it's a BIG secret (laughs)
Regarding the game's story, how will it be integrated into the game experience? Did you opt for a classic linear narrative or a more immersive and environmental approach, as contemporary metroidvanias like Hollow Knight or Nine Sols have done?
We opted for a more modern storytelling approach. It is through the exploration and discussions between Puck and Swordsman #8 that we discover the story and lore. When you explore the world, you will find elements that will explain the backstory of the game and that you will understand this world.
Let's come back to the aesthetic and atmosphere of Shadow Labyrinth. What were your artistic and musical inspirations to create the dark and oppressive, even sinister, atmosphere of the labyrinth?
As for the soundtrack, we asked Katsuro Tajima, who has worked on many Namco games, to create a sort of fusion between classic themes and something new. As for artistic direction, we called on Kazuma Koda, who worked on Nier Automatato create the concept arts. He is very good at creating post-apocalyptic universes. This is how we built this special atmosphere, by calling on very talented people.
Pac-Man is a cult license. How did you balance respecting the legacy of the original game while adding a radically new twist to it?
In fact, we tried to keep the fundamentals of Pac-Man in gameplay. As I mentioned: eating/consuming, the maze, avoiding combat…. It is precisely by retaining these elements that we try to respect the Pac-Man license as best as possible.
Why not market the game with the name Pac-Man and simply Shadow Labyrinth?
Our most important mission with Shadow Labyrinthis to reach a new audience, who has never touched a game Pac-Man. We discussed and exchanged a lot internally on marketing issues, and we finally decided to remove the name.Pac-Man” from the game title. For us, the game title should first introduce the gameplay of the game, so that the audience can understand what the game is, that's why we chose “Shadow”, “Labyrinth”.
At the same time, we also wanted people to understand that it's a game Pac-Man. This is why we worked on the style and logo of the game. We can thus see the kinetic effect of the movement of Pac-Man in the letter “O” of “Shadow”. The name therefore presents the gameplay of the game, but we know that it is linked to Pac-Man. “Shadow” defines the atmosphere of the game, “Labyrinth” refers to the maze of levels. [on voit d’ailleurs le labyrinthe sur la jaquette des jeux – NDLR] That's why we chose this name.
Harada-san, the boss of the Tekken series, said that Shadow Labyrinth would be a perfect ground for a crossover with Tekken. What do you think?
Well, for now we want to focus on creating our metroidvania action-platformer… But if the opportunity presents itself… He sure will get his chance. (Laughs)
- Also read | Tekken 8: Producer Katsuhiro Harada wants to include Pac-Man in one way or another
Regarding your future plans: If Shadow Labyrinth is successful, are you considering other dark reinterpretations of classics from the Bandai Namco catalog, or a possible sequel to Shadow Labyrinth?
First, we are targeting the year 2025. This will be the 45th anniversary of Pac-Manet Shadow Labyrinth will be an important milestone for this event. And the theme of this anniversary will be “making an impact”. We want, we hope that the game will have a real impact, that it will reach the public. We believe in its success. To come back to the question, it will depend on how Shadow Labyrinth is received by fans. If we succeed, we will consider other things, such as Shadow Labyrinth 2 or 3. But first we focus on Shadow Labyrinthwe hope the audience will like it.
Thank you very much for your time and for your answers.
Shadow Labyrinth will be released during 2025 on PC, Xbox Series, PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
- Also read | Secret Level on Amazon Prime: sincere tribute to the JV or disguised commercial strategy?
