One attentive gamer found an unexpected surprise during their latest subway ride, sharing a picture of a clever reference to Bandai Namco’s Pac-Man hidden in plain sight on a Stockholm metro train. The puck-shaped protagonist has become synonymous with the gaming industry over the years, with Pac-Man’s arcade roots representing only a small part of the character’s lasting appeal.
Making its debut in Japan in 1980 and helping to set off what would become a global arcade craze, Pac-Man is one of the most recognizable properties in gaming. Even those who have never taken the arcade classic for a spin are likely familiar with the game’s pellet-munching hero and his ghostly adversaries. While the original Pac-Man arcade cabinet probably represents the character’s most well-known appearance, Pac-Man has shown up in everything from kid-friendly platformers to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series over the years.
Highlighting just how much of a global presence Bandai Namco’s Pac-Man has established for itself, a new picture posted to the r/gaming subreddit shows a clever reference to the iconic character embedded into the air vent on a Stockholm subway train. The picture, posted by Reddit user PUSCIFER, shows a subway air vent not dissimilar to the ones found inside countless subway cars around the world. Upon closer inspection, though, it’s possible to see Pac-Man hidden in among the vent's circular openings. Keeping true to the character’s arcade roots, this hidden Pac-Man Easter Egg is being chased by three hungry ghosts that have been similarly stamped into the vent.
Redditors responding to the post were amused by the clever Pac-Man Easter Egg and impressed that PUSCIFER noticed the subtle, easily-missed detail at all. One response praised the manufacturer that hid Pac-Man and his ghostly pals on the Stockholm metro, stating that it was “a creative way to pay homage to the gaming world.” Surprised to see a video game reference hiding in plain sight on a piece of public infrastructure, another Redditor pondered whether the gaming-related addition had been approved or if it was surreptitiously snuck in by the CAD designer for the part. Showing that the Pac-Man reference was just one of many hidden in the Stockholm metro, PUSCIFER linked another picture showing other shapes and icons visible on other air vents.
This subtle nod to one of gaming’s most recognizable figures is a wonderful example of just how prevalent video games have become in the modern world. And while flying to Sweden just to catch a glimpse of a video game Easter Egg is probably far outside the budget of most gamers, at least players can still spend time with the iconic hero as they explore the DLC for Pac-Man World: Re-Pac.