October 29, 2008 - For a big yellow circle with a serious eating disorder, Pac-Man sure has chomped his way into the hearts of gamers across the world. He's essentially a little yellow pie with a slice taken out, yet he's grown into an instantly recognizable 1980s pop icon that's virtually synonymous with video games. However, like many rock stars and celebrities, fame seems to have taken a heavy toll on the little guy's psyche.

Let's take a look at Pac-Man's erratic and obsessive behavior. Hanging out in dark mazes with spooky characters is not a healthy way to spend all your free time. Rarely is he seen venturing out for some fresh air. Also, a voracious appetite for small blocks that look like the central lines on a two-lane highway has to fall under some kind of mania. When Pac-Man does temporarily cease eating tons of roadway markings, his cravings bend toward fresh fruit. Bizarre. Finally, he pops power pills, freaks out, and runs off chasing after ghosts. These are concerning signs indeed.

The original Pac-Man game has been ported to holy hell for all manner of different systems, and he's become the most widely recognized video game character ever. While modern attempts to remake the game in to a 3D platformer or other ill-conceived genre adaptation have failed miserably, the original game still shines as a classic worth more than a few quarters of your time.

Odd factoid: Pac-Man has no official ending, but a game-crashing bug prevents players from making it past the 256th level. Assuming you survive long enough, a glitch in the programming attempts to draw 256 fruit on the screen simultaneously when you reach the aforementioned level. This obscures the entire right half of the screen, making the game unplayable. Oh drat! Foiled by fruit!