The chomping little orb known as Pac-Man melded with the power of pinball to create this unique hybrid game that brought a whole new set of challenges to the Pac-Man aficionado in Baby Pac-Man. With its pinball field displayed within the confines of a 13” video screen, it was an eye-catching game that certainly turned heads in the local arcade.

At the outset, things didn’t seem much different from the typical Pac-Man experience – a simply maze, navigated by the player via a joystick. But Pac-professionals quickly surmised the difference. Where were all those little orbs that empowered Pac-man to go on the offensive against the quartet of ghostly pursuers? This time around, that power had to be earned in a little game of virtual pinball.

Tunnels were strategically located throughout the maze, which led to the underlying pinball realm. Players would enter what looked like a conventional pinball game, flippers and all, and try to hit various letters with the ball until they spelled “P-A-C-M-A-N,” thereby earning energizers. They could also aim for the “Hoop Loop” at the top of the screen. If the successfully spelled “F-R-U-I-T-S” the coveted fruit prize would increase by a level. And finally, if they were able to spell “T-U-N-N-E-L,” Pac’s speed was increased significantly when he returned to the maze portion of the game.

Unlike traditional pinball, the game didn’t end if the ball missed the flippers and dropped to the bottom of the screen. Rather, the player was simply returned to the maze section. Unfortunately, this stroke of mercy came with a price, for the first thing noticed upon return to the maze was that all of those handy tunnels were nowhere to be found. Now, it would take all of those refined Pac-Man skills at your disposal to either finish the level or meet your eventual demise. And there was one other option – while in the pinball mode, there was a designated saucer that, if hit, would allow a player to return to the game, with the tunnels still present and accounted for. Hitting that saucer made your return much more palatable. Regardless, your life began in the maze and ended there as well. It was impossible to die during the pinball portion, so at least there was that small comfort.

Although a unique concept, Baby Pac-Man didn’t manage to start a video game/pinball trend by any measure. And yet, it still earns a place in the history of gaming for putting an innovative twist on a highly popular arcade classic.