Global Toy News Insight
PAC-MAN on NEX is a strong example of how legacy entertainment IP can be reinvented for today’s family play market without losing what made the property recognizable in the first place. Nex is taking PAC-MAN’s familiar maze-chase mechanics and replacing the traditional controller with body movement, while adding competitive and cooperative modes for up to four players. For the toy and gaming industry, it shows the potential of combining evergreen licenses with active, social play to introduce established characters to kids while giving parents a nostalgia-driven reason to participate.

There’s also a broader platform story here. Nex Playground already offers more than 60 active games and has collaborations with companies including Paramount, Hasbro, Sesame Workshop and NBCUniversal. Adding PAC-MAN strengthens a content strategy built around recognizable IP while giving licensors another way to extend brands beyond traditional toys and screen-based gaming. With Nex Playground distributed through major retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Costco and Sam’s Club, these partnerships can also put entertainment properties into a family-play ecosystem with significant retail reach.

Nex Launches PAC-MAN on NEX, Bringing the Iconic Arcade Classic to Active Play

SAN FRANCISCO – 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.

About Nex

Nex is on a mission to connect families and friends through active play. Created by parents for parents, Nex combines technology and play to deliver fun, social, and interactive experiences powered by natural body motion. Its award-winning active play system, Nex Playground, is the only controller-free console built specifically for kids and families with safety and privacy at the core of its design. Nex Playground is kidSAFE+ COPPA compliant and a member of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) in the U.S. In the U.K., Nex Playground aligns with GDPR requirements, earning PEGI 3 age ratings on the included starter bundle. Motion-tracking data and processing stay local to the device, and every system includes a built-in camera cover.

Nex Playground with Play Pass features a growing catalog of 60+ active games, from sports to dance, fitness, and educational experiences, including Nex Originals and collaborations with partners such as Paramount, Hasbro, Sesame Workshop, and NBCUniversal. Nex has been recognized by Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, TIME’s Best Inventions, and Parents’ Best Entertainment System for Families, and has earned Red Dot, IDEA, and Core77 international design awards.

Nex Playground is available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, and TikTok Shop, online and at select retail stores in the U.S. and Canada. It is also available in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland at Amazon U.K., Argos, and Smyths Toys.

About Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., part of the Bandai Namco Group, is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for major video game consoles, PC, online, and mobile platforms. The company is known for creating many of the industry’s beloved classic franchises such as PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®, and publishing the critically acclaimed DARK SOULS™ series and the blockbuster title ELDEN RING™.

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is also the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime-based video games, including GUNDAM™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL™, and ONE PIECE®. Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Media Contact:
nex@berlinrosen.com