Pac-Man, Namco's pellet-munching protagonist and arguably the first face of video games, invaded Japanese arcades 35 years ago today, launching a fever that would sweep America just a few months later.

Where would the industry be without Pac-Man? The game released in 1980, and for the most part Pac-Man (originally known as "Puckman" in Japan) is the only relic of that year that remains in an industry that has grown exponentially since then. Nintendo released the Game and Watch, the precursor to the Game Boy, in 1980 as well, and the first Zork! text adventure was released. But Namco's yellow mascot has stood the test of time and continues to be a force in gaming, with Championship Edition DX earning rave reviews from players on Steam (by the way, the game's on sale today).

Read: Blogger Dan Gayle's take on the Pac-Man dossier

What was it that made Pac-Man so addictive? Was it the randomly generated paths of his enemies, the googly-eyed ghosts? Was it the can't-get-it-out-of-your-head sound effects (I hear "wakka wakka" in my sleep sometimes, and I was born 7 years after the release of the game)? Was it that "just one quarter more" mentality that had kids and adults alike feeding quarters into arcade machines like lemmings in 1980?

In truth, it was all these things. And though Ms. Pac-Man is arguably a better game than the original by virtue of her various stages and tighter gameplay, the original game still beckons in pizza shops and laundromats around the county, begging for quarters with the same ferocity as it did when the game released.

Make sure to check out Amazon today for some great deals on Pac-Man merchandise. And hey, if you just want to play the game to remember the good ole days, Google has you covered. Get pac-in'!

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