Pac-Man first appeared as an arcade game from Namco in 1980, and its short startup jingle became one of the most recognisable sounds in gaming history. The original tune plays when a new game begins, signalling the maze, the dots and the chase that follows. Reversed and distorted versions later circulated in meme edits and short videos, where creators used the backwards melody as a joke about something going wrong or a game breaking. That contrast between a cheerful classic and a warped playback is why the reversed clip still appears in retro and comedy edits today.