The Nex Playground, the camera based, motion controlled device has certainly been gaining momentum since it launched in the US in 2023. The pastel tinged cube has certainly added plenty of games featuring well known IPs like Sesame Street, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Kung Fu Panda and now it has added one of gaming’s biggest icons to its roster Pac-Man.
The pizza shaped, power pellet eating, ghost chomping arcade legend is coming to NEX Playground via Pac-Man on NEX. Enjoy classic gameplay with a twist, use your body to help Pac-Man navigate mazes or compete with your friends to be the last man standing. You can even decorate the mazes with backgrounds you unlock via gameplay.
Pac-Man on Nex is just one of the many titles you can enjoy with your subscription to Nex’s Play Pass and it is available now.
The Next Playground is available online at Nex’s website as well as retailers such Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Sam’s Club and Costco.
Nex, the company behind Nex Playground, the active play system that gets families moving together, today launched PAC-MAN on NEX, a new motion-powered take on PAC-MAN™. Designed for Nex Playground, the game transforms the iconic Maze-chase gameplay into an active experience where players use their own movements to guide PAC-MAN through the Maze.
More than 45 years after PAC-MAN first arrived in arcades, PAC-MAN on NEX gives longtime fans a new way to experience a gaming classic while introducing it to a new generation of players. Instead of using a joystick or controller, players move their arms to steer PAC-MAN through the Maze, collecting PAC-Dots, grabbing Power Pellets, and dodging Team Ghost: Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. The result keeps the familiar strategy and High-Score chasing at the heart of PAC-MAN while turning it into an active experience designed for the living room.
PAC-MAN on NEX will feature three distinct game modes, giving players different ways to experience PAC-MAN on Nex Playground, from the classic Maze-chase gameplay fans know and love to new competitive and cooperative experiences designed for active family play:
- Classic Mode: The original PAC-MAN experience, reimagined with motion controls. Players use arm movements to guide PAC-MAN through the Maze, collecting PAC-Dots and Fruit, grabbing Power Pellets to turn the tables on Team Ghost, and chasing a High-Score while clearing each stage.
- Showdown Mode: A new, fast-paced competition where up to four players share the Maze and compete across three rounds to outlast their opponents and earn the highest score. Showdown also introduces a new Jump mechanic, allowing players to dodge Ghosts, other players, and attacks. When a player is eliminated, they return as a controllable Ghost, keeping everyone in the action until the round ends.
- Team Chomp Mode: A co-op mode for two to four players that challenges families and friends to clear the Maze together. Players caught by a Ghost become trapped in a cage, leaving their teammates to race to their rescue and work together to complete the stage.
Beyond the three modes, PAC-MAN on NEX gives players more to discover as they play. Progressing through Classic Mode unlocks new themed Mazes for the other game modes, transporting PAC-MAN from the familiar arcade Maze to environments inspired by jungles, oceans, desert temples, frozen tundras, and cherry blossom gardens. Showdown also introduces new power-ups – including Jelly Balloon Drop, Slime, and Speed Boost – that add new twists to the competition.
“PAC-MAN is a game so many of us grew up with, which makes it especially fun to now see kids experience it in a completely different way,” said David Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of Nex. “We wanted to preserve everything that makes PAC-MAN immediately recognizable while asking what the game could feel like if you could control it with your own movement and play it with the whole family. Working with Bandai Namco gave us the opportunity to turn a classic people have loved for generations into something families can rediscover together.”
“PAC-MAN has become an ambassador for video games as an icon that crosses generational boundaries and represents the wholesome fun that games can deliver,” said Susan Tran, Sr. Director of Brand Development for PAC-MAN at Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. “PAC-MAN on NEX and how it reimagines the original game with motion controls and multiplayer modes is a truly innovative way to experience the arcade classic again for veteran gamers or discover the joy of it for new fans.”
Players can experience PAC-MAN on NEX exclusively on Nex Playground through Play Pass, the content subscription service that unlocks the full catalog of games and experiences on Nex Playground. The game launches with single-player Classic Mode, with multiplayer experiences for up to four players planned to follow shortly after launch. Play Pass is sold separately and can be added at any time. To learn more, visit nexplayground.com.