Earlier this summer, we broke a story that Bandai Namco was getting “Pac-Man Fever” again as they announced the creation of Pac-Man’s Pixel Bash. This game is the latest in a long line of Pac-Man themed multigame compilations produced by Namco, Pixel Bash standing out for including more Namco arcade classics in the package than any other official arcade production.
With other Pac-Man units, Bandai Namco has always offered a few different models to choose from. They generally have only created one coin edition, while they increase the selection for the non-coin/residential versions. With Pixel Bash, the “Chill” version of the game was announced last month, bringing a distinct “man cave” design to the mix, replete with a mini-fridge and cup holders. Today, we have a look at some other variations that home users in particular might be interested in. As a note, all of the units below are non-coin; all non-coin models have 19″ LCD monitors, while the coin model gets a 26″; they also feature the same software package with 32 games (Ms. Pac-Man included).
Cabaret
First up is the cabaret model. Cabarets enjoyed popularity back in the early 80s, but except for releases like this one, they are unheard of anymore. If you aren’t familiar with this style, it’s a smaller version of an upright machine, finding a solid appeal with kids. This one also has a fake coin door on it for aesthetic purposes.
Cocktail
Another type of cabinet that is somewhat unusual to find these days, although we’ve seen more games go this route than the cabaret one. The Pixel Bash version does screen flipping for 2-players and is available in a wood grain or black finish.
The Pac-Man’s Arcade Party Bartop
One nice little surprise was the return of the bartop. It is possible that you’ve seen bartop Pac-Man games for sale
