SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Leading video game and interactive entertainment developer and publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. and developer Doppio Games today announced the launch of PAC-MAN(TM) WAKA WAKA, a new voice-controlled game for select Amazon Alexa devices. Best experienced with Echo Show devices, Fire TV Cube and screen-based devices like Samsung TVs with Alexa Built-in, PAC-MAN WAKA WAKA lets players talk to the iconic video game legend in his native Wakanese language. You can say “waka” to go right, “waki” to go left, “wiki” to go up, and “wika” to go down to direct PAC-MAN on a new adventure as he chomps his way through spectacular mazes, escaping ghosts and eating delicious fruit along the way.
Built by Doppio, the leading voice game developer founded by gaming veterans and makers of The Vortex and The 3% Challenge, PAC-MAN WAKA WAKA is a collection of new interactive games on Alexa. Players can explore wondrous new worlds, each with 15 mazes to guide PAC-MAN through, with new worlds being added in every regular content update. Each world features a plethora of goodies to uncover, including classic Power Pellets and the new Frenzy Mode, along with new game mechanics. Players can even experience a classic arcade mode starring the legendary ghosts: Inky, Pinky, Blinky and Clyde, with unique voice-controlled gameplay. For more competitive players, a complete set of special objectives lets gamers collect stars and earn high scores on each level.
The new Alexa Skill also introduces players to PAL, the PAC-Assistant and Liaison, who helps out PAC-Denizens in their day-to-day lives, just like Amazon Alexa helps customers in the real world. Players can even have insightful and fun conversations with PAC-MAN himself to get the video game hero to share his birthday, perform a beatbox, and express his moods in interesting new ways.
“PAC-MAN is such a legendary and familiar hero, he’s become a household name. With PAC-MAN WAKA WAKA, he’s now fully officially become a member of the smart home,” said Pearl Lai, Brand Manager for BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “PAC-MAN has always been a welcoming game, something that can be enjoyed by people from every ‘waka’ life. We’re excited to welcome PAC-MAN into peoples’ homes to experience the joy of the series in a whole new way.”
To access the new PAC-MAN WAKA WAKA experience, “enable” the skill and provide parent or guardian permission in the Alexa app. Once the skill is enabled, you can just say “Alexa, open PAC-MAN.” Access to the full suite of the content in PAC-MAN WAKA WAKA requires a subscription to the Waka Club – try it out for just $6.99 a month by asking in-game “Alexa, what can I buy?” to learn more. Waka Club members have full access to all available Worlds and will get access to new Worlds as they are released. Without a subscription, players can enjoy the first five levels of Tutorial World, as well as the first level in each of the worlds, free of charge.
For more information about PAC-MAN WAKA WAKA or other titles from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., please visit; https://www.bandainamcoent.com, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS, or join the conversation at https://www.twitter.com/BandaiNamcoUS.
PAC-MAN(TM) WAKA WAKA assets can be found at the BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. press room site at: http://www.bneapressroom.com
About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises including PAC-MAN(R), GALAGA(R), TEKKEN(R), SOULCALIBUR(R), and ACE COMBAT(R). BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. is the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN(TM), DRAGON BALL Z(R), and ONE PIECE(R). More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS
About PAC-MAN and PAC-MAN’s 40th Anniversary
Born on May 22, 1980, PAC-MAN immediately rose to meteoric popularity, first in video game arcades, then on the pop culture stage and through an array of branding and entertainment appearances throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s.
2020 marks PAC-MAN’s 40th anniversary and with a brand recognition rate of 97%, PAC-MAN’s image and brand continues to be one of the most beloved and recognized on the planet. PAC-MAN continues to entertain and delight fans – of all generations – with new video game offerings, innovative brand partnerships, and creative collaborations.
To learn more about PAC-MAN’S 40 th Anniversary celebration, please visit:
https://www.pacman.com/en/. You can also follow PAC-MAN on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/pacman/, on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/officialpacman?lang=en, or on
Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/officialpacman/?hl=en.About Doppio Games
Based in Portugal, Doppio Games makes conversational games about people and their relationships, discussing life’s biggest questions in a delightfully surprising and humorous way. They are a group of voracious readers and knowledgeable gamers who are passionate about using voice to bring storytelling and game design closer together. To achieve this, they are taking their experience from renowned studios such as BioWare, Playfish and Digital Chocolate, together to demonstrate that voice is the new touch for the games industry.
Amazon, Alexa, Echo Show and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Press Release (C) 2020 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.