Joining the ranks of online games with varying eco-plausibility like “Ocean Survivor” and “Catstration” is “PackMan,” or Packaging Man, a creation of the Dogwood Alliance. The organization aims to protect Southern forests from packaging-heavy (and tree-hungry) corporations; the game takes aim at fast-food execs in particular.
The intro of “PackMan” depicts colorful villains wielding phallic chainsaws while informative text scrolls by, and a “take action” link at the game’s end encourages players to contact the CEOs of 11 major fast-food companies.
Said Campaign Director Scot Quaranda in an Aug. 5 statement, “Southern forests, the jewel of the American landscape, are being destroyed to bring you fried chicken, burgers, and fries, and super-sized convenience in a glut of wrappers, boxes, and cups … Join the fun and help our hero Packaging Man escape from the corporate evildoers, recycle all of that excess packaging, and protect our Southern forests.”
After such lofty goals, the game itself is disappointing: It’s a simple retooling of “Pac-Man” without the artistic quality or the green message of the skippable intro. But if you’ve got some time to kill on a lazy August afternoon, check it out.
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