Did Pac-Man have a secret family?

The love between Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man has been celebrated in video game circles for decades.  But how did this second child come about?  Did Pac-Man have a secret family or a bastard child?  Tonight, we investigate.

Nine months after the release of the pinball machine Mr. and Mrs. Pac-Man (the only time we see her actually taking Pac-Man’s name… though it also seems to be hers anyway) came Baby Pac-Man, a video game pinball hybrid that probably made more in merchandising rights than in the arcade coin box.

Out came the original Pac-Man cartoon, with little Pac-Baby as one of the characters of the Pac-family, who lived in Pac-Land (can we say narcissist?).  All seemed normal in the world of Pac-Peoples… at least as normal as round yellow people who eat one another and wear nothing but hats, boots and gloves can be anyway.

Then pops up Jr. Pac-Man.  Released in 1983, it wasn’t clear at first if Jr. Pac-Man was just Baby Pac-Man in a Family Ties-like “sudden kid aging” thing… or if he was an older, yet never before disclosed child.

But wait… there’s a twist here.  The second season of the Pac-Man cartoon introduced Pac’s *ahem* cousin “PJ Pac,” who is clearly based off the artwork for the Jr. Pac arcade game.  Early character models for the cartoon actually list this character as “Pac-Jr.” before Pac himself introduced him as his “cousin.”

Hmmm.  You’ve been a busy man, Pac-Man.  Not exactly eating a home this whole time, have ya?  Little wocka wocka wocka on the side, or are you not revealing your full past to your bride?

Ms. Pac-Man could not be reached for comment.