Pac-Man History Explained

Do you remember playing Intellvision, which had gaming graphics more reminiscent of a cyan or magenta checkerboard?

The was the first gaming console my uncle owned when we were children, making it, by default, the first gaming console I played. One of the first of its kind developed by Matel in 1979, Intellivision and Atari were the first video games I remember before the Nintendo Entertaiment System brought Mario and changed everything.

A new exhibit, The Art of Video Games on display from now until September 30 at the American Art Museum in Washington brought these memories and others back to life. It covers everything from Pac-Man, to Myst, to today’s Mass Effect.

Exhibit goers can play games, learn about how and why they were created, and enter a room lined with video game consoles placed behind glass ranging from the first Atari to today’s PlayStation III.

And there’s learning to he had, too. Did you know Pac-Man was based on a story about a creature that ate monsters to protect children? See, where would you be without that fact?

I’ll admit going from the hall of presidents’ portraits and bust of important people to rooms full of video games made for an interesting transition, but exhibit creators say these electronic masterpieces are also works of art.

“Art is beguiling. Much like a great novel or film, you can become engrossed in the world created by a video games and the Smithsonian American Art Museum wants to celebrate the designers and developers who create these worlds,” stated exhibit organizers.

And what great game is complete without a compelling soundtrack? Music makers at 3 p.m. April 29 will fill the museum’s courtyard to play some of the most memorable video game music scores.

When it leaves Washington, the exhibit will also make stops in Florida, Michigan, Phoenix and Seattle.