This Discontinued Cereal Is A Blast From The Past That '80s Kids Still Mourn At The Store - Tasting Table

Cereal has been a breakfast staple for over 150 years. Pac-Man cereal launched in 1983 as a sugary General Mills tie-in featuring orb-shaped sweetened corn puffs resembling Pac-Man and colorful mini marshmallows shaped like Pac-Man and the ghosts Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde. Later versions added marshmallows of Ms. Pac-Man and a larger Super Pac-Man. General Mills discontinued Pac-Man cereal in 1988. Pop culture tie-in merchandise declined as the original brand lost cultural prominence, though the Pac-Man franchise persists with occasional new games. Nostalgia and ongoing interest among some consumers fuel hopes for the cereal's return.

"The bulk of the cereal, which first hit the market in 1983, was made up of orb-shaped sweetened corn puffs that looked a bit like Pac-Man himself, without the missing slice that is his mouth. To sweeten things further, the cereal was studded with colorful mini marshmallows in the shape of Pac-Man and the ghosts from the game - Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde. Some later iterations of the cereal also featured marshmallows in the shapes of both Ms. Pac-Man and a larger Super Pac-Man."

"Unfortunately, General Mills stopped producing Pac-Man cereal in 1988, five years after its initial introduction and eight years after the release of the first "Pac-Man" arcade game. As with any pop culture tie-in product, when the original brand starts to lose its hold on the cultural zeitgeist, the merchandise sales are sure to take a hit as well. But the Pac-Man brand lives on, and there are certainly some who are clamoring for a return of this beloved breakfast cereal."

Read at Tasting Table