Pac-Man, released by Namco in 1980, became one of the most famous arcade games ever, and its death jingle is now inseparable from the character's fate. When a ghost touches Pac-Man, the game plays this descending electronic sound before the next life begins, a cue players learned after countless arcade sessions. As retro gaming clips spread on YouTube, TikTok and streaming, the sound escaped the arcade and became shorthand for any sudden loss, keeping it familiar to audiences who may never have played the original.