A strange little side quest
If Fire and Water Ball sends you down a curiosity rabbit hole, start here. By 1987, fantasy role-playing had become a major computer-game direction, with Zelda, licensed Dungeons & Dragons games and other story-led adventures expanding the form. The timeline takes another interesting turn: Pac-Man went on sale in 1980, and its creator Toru Iwatani famously linked the character's shape to a pizza with a slice missing. It is a good reminder that simple game mechanics can carry a surprising amount of history.