Pac-ManThe creator of is one of the characters in the 2015 video game comedy Pixelsand the twist regarding this character is even funnier due to the reveal of another cameo. While Pixels is obviously a fiction film, the film is full of all kinds of Easter eggs and references to real-life video game franchises and figures. The addition of Tōru Iwatani to the film is one of the biggest, although Pixels there is another Pac-Man Easter egg that makes this special appearance even better.
2015 Pixels is an Adam Sandler video game comedy, but instead of focusing on a specific video game, it’s actually about an invasion of aliens who take the form of video game icons. Iconography of Tetris, Donkey Kongand Pac-Man can be seen throughout the film, with a team of highly skilled players brought together by the president to defend the Earth. However, a video game creator appears in the film, with Pac-Man creator Tōru Iwatani being played by actor Denis Akiyama.
Pixels’ Tōru Iwatani takes his hand off Pac-Man
He is harmed by his own creation
One of the most emblematic scenes Pixels see Pac-Man creator Tōru Iwatani interacts with the alien version of his creation, which is one of the funniest jokes in the film. In the scene, Iwatani tries to reach out and touch Pac-Man, stating that “he is my son.” However, Pac-Man then bites Iwatani’s hand, leaving him screaming.
This scene was widely used in the company’s marketing campaign. Pixels for the prominent use of characters, transforming an emotional moment into a comical one. Although it does not kill Tōru Iwatani, the bite causes your hand to become pixelatedwith him yelling at the characters to kill Pac-Man as he runs away in fear.
The real creator of Pac-Man has a pixel cameo as a repairman
He can be seen repairing an arcade machine
Although Tōru Iwatani is played by Denis Akiyama in Pixelsthe real-life creator of the video game himself appears in the film. At the beginning of the film, a repairman can be seen working on a Pac-Man arcade cabinet. It turns out that this background character is played by Tōru Iwatani, making it a fantastic way to pay homage to the real-life video game icon.
Tōru Iwatani’s appearance in Pixels it actually makes the character’s fate funnier, as it means Iwatani appeared in a film where he was destroyed by his own creation. While having the character Iwatani rip my Pac-Man’s hand off is pretty funny, the idea of the person this character is based on being on set makes it even more fun. This is one of the best cameos of Pixelsshowing that the film actually respects the video games it pokes fun at.