Why is this giant Pac-Man eating its way along the Costa del Sol this summer?

Before Fortnite, Minecraft, 3D games and hyper-realistic graphics, videogames had to be simple and with a very high level of playability. It's not that they were better or worse, but the technical limitations forced developers to prioritise the core idea of the game above everything else. There are examples such as Pong, Tetris or Space Invaders, pioneers in their time and with very basic mechanics compared to today's games. One of these games that made a difference was Pac-Man (1980), one of those characters that has already become an icon of the video game industry due to its cultural and economic impact.

To mark the 45th anniversary of its birth, the OXO video game museum and Bandai Namco Entertainment are exhibiting a giant figure of the mythical yellow Pac-Man throughout Spain. It first arrived in Madrid, then Malaga city, in the Vialia shopping centre, and now it is moving to the Costa del Sol.

With the collaboration of Fuengirola town hall, the figure of one of the most famous characters in the history of videogames has been installed on Paseo Marítimo Rey de España in Fuengirola, where it will remain visible for a month as an outstanding and eye-catching attraction.

This action is part of the commemorative campaign developed by the OXO museum thanks to its collaboration with Bandai Namco Entertainment. The aim: to pay tribute to one of the most universal icons of the video game world, which celebrates 45 years of cultural and historical relevance in 2025.

Pac-Man, designed by the Japanese creator Toru Iwatan, was a great success at the time and was a big hit on arcade machines due to its colourful design and hundreds of levels. It was also one of the first games to make the leap into the world of merchandising, with T-shirts, cuddly toys and other products, and even had its own cartoon series.

Standing over two and a half metres high and true to the character's classic pixelated design, Pac-Man now becomes a meeting point for tourists, locals and videogame fans, reinforcing the Costa del Sol's role as a cultural and technological destination.