Thanks for taking the time to watch the videos. I think one of the most interesting facts is in the first video, where he talks about how the president of Namco fought the Yakuza! As if I didn't need another reason to like Namco!
Yeah when I was a kid, the "Character/Nickname" startup screen of Pac-Man always confused me. "Why do the ghosts have two names?" But it turns out the "Character" is actaully the CHARACTERISTIC of the ghost. Blinky follows you around as if he's your "Shadow." Pinky is "Speedy" enough to catch you off at the pass, which she tends to do frequently. Inky is "Bashful" and tries to stay away from Pac-Man as much as possible. And if you get caught by "Pokey" Clyde, you probably need more practice. Other games use these ghosts characteristics, too, like Pac-Mania.
One of my favorite instances of these ghost charactertics is in an unlockable mode in Ridge Racer V. In this mode, you race as Pac-Man against the four ghosts on motor scooters, and must deal with their characteristics from the first game. Blinky darts out ahead and when you pass him, he'll follow you relentlessly. Pinky will try to speed ahead of you and cut you off. Inky just kind of does his own thing. And immediately after you start, Clyde's scooter breaks down and he slows to a crawl. But he still remains an obstacle as you'll lap him several times and must avoid bumping into him!
Anyway, one interesting fact about the ghosts that he barely touches on in the videos is that orignally, they were all red. Namco thought that would eliminate confusion as to who the enemies were, but Toru Iwatani fought to have the colors change so people could tell who was who. I wish I could meet Toru Iwatani someday.
