51. PAC-MAN

Franchise / home series: Pac-Man

Notable non-Smash games: Pac-Man (1980); Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (2010)

Pac-Man joined Smash 4 as Bandai Namco’s historic arcade mascot, representing one of the oldest and most iconic characters in video game history. His inclusion solidified Smash as a crossover of gaming’s biggest legends across decades.

In Smash, Pac-Man’s moveset is full of references to his arcade legacy: he summons bonus fruit with different projectile properties, hydrants for stage control, and even old-school ghosts via his smash attacks. His Fire Hydrant, in particular, is central to his zoning and combo game, acting as both a projectile and stage obstacle.

Pac-Man plays as a creative, trap-oriented character who rewards set-play, improvisation, and item mastery. His whimsical animations and 3D reinterpretation of classic sprites make him both a nostalgia piece and a complex, strategically rich fighter that rewards deep lab work.