Long before Captain Lou Albano did "The Mario," Columbia Records put out a recording by a duo called Buckner & Garcia titled "Do the Donkey Kong." The pair also put out a track called "Pac-Man Fever" that broke into the top ten on Billboard's Hot 100 rankings in 1982. Now, almost 30 years later they're returning to the spotlight, thanks to a lot of paperwork and the Rock Band Network.
39 individual contracts and a re-recorded version of their 8-song album in 1999 were necessary, according to an IGN report, but Buckner & Garcia's celebratory jams about "Centipede," "Donkey Kong" and "Defender" will all make it to Rock Band games via the Xbox 360 in the new year, with potential PlayStation 3 and Wii appearances to follow.
If these songs still sound like they did in 1982, they'll provide a much cheaper alternative to a "Pac-Man" tabletop machine for anyone wanting to summon the spirit of the decade in their home. They're kind of catchy, too, in that whole '80s mass-marketing-cash-in-on-catch-phrases sort of way.
Keyboards, Pro Drums and Guitar will all be supported for the album, so you'll be able to get your gaming nerd-out on with a handful of enablers at a time when all of these musical gems arrive. Will they score as high in the Rock Band rankings as they once did with Billboard? Only you can decide their fate on that front; but perhaps with enough interest "Pac-Man Fever" will engulf the world once again.
Have you been itching to see "Pac-Man Fever" get re-released for Rock Band titles? Which tracks on the album are you most looking forward to? Share your responses with us in the comment section below.