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Baby Pac-Man

gameactive14 mentionsFirst seen May 22, 2004Last seen Apr 6, 2026

Profile

Baby Pac-Man is a hybrid pinball-video game manufactured by Bally in 1982, representing the second licensed Pac-Man machine and a significant early attempt to merge pinball mechanics with arcade video game elements. The machine featured a small playfield with a Pac-Man video component integrated into the backglass/head area and achieved moderate commercial success with 7,000 units sold, marking one of Bally Midway's last major successes before the company's decline. Though more successful than the earlier Caveman hybrid, Baby Pac-Man became a cautionary example in pinball history, with its monitor-based design approach influencing designer concerns about future hybrid technology implementations.

Aliases

No aliases

Relationships

  • manufacturesBallyBally manufactured Baby Pac-Man in 1982medium
  • affiliated_withCavemanEarlier Bally hybrid game that was less successful than Baby Pac-Manmedium

Facts

No facts recorded

Claims (15)

  • factualmedium

    Baby Pac-Man is a rare machine in good playing condition

    Source: ChuckwurtSDTM Pinball Tutorial: Chuckwurt and Pacman's Baby
  • opinionmedium

    Pinball and arcade communities both dislike Baby Pac-Man due to its hybrid nature

    Source: ChuckwurtSDTM Pinball Tutorial: Chuckwurt and Pacman's Baby
  • factualhigh

    Baby Pac-Man has no wizard mode or multiball

    Source: ChuckwurtSDTM Pinball Tutorial: Chuckwurt and Pacman's Baby
  • factualhigh

    Ghosts in Baby Pac-Man behave with true randomness that cannot be manipulated like in classic Pac-Man

    Source: Chuckwurt

Recent Mentions (14)

  • Referenced as later hybrid pinball-video game; Caveman noted as predating it

    Episode 115 - The Age of Desperation and Innovation: Gottlieb System 80AApr 6, 2026
  • Modern pinball/video game hybrid; Nick Baldridge's game swapped to Steve Ridge on December 31, 2015

    Episode 301 - Interview with Steve Ridge 12-31-15Jan 6, 2016
  • Billy purchased and sold; hybrid pinball/arcade; avoided CRT restoration, sold at break-even

    Tribe Multiball with Rachel and Tim: Episode 6, 25,000 Imported Italian Twinkle LightsMay 16, 2021
  • Later hybrid pinball-video game that followed Caveman's pioneering design

    Past Times Pinball History Ep 10: CavemanJan 10, 2024
  • 1982 Gottlieb hybrid video/pinball machine; subject of this tutorial stream

    SDTM Pinball Tutorial: Chuckwurt and Pacman's BabyFeb 11, 2018
  • Hybrid arcade/pinball game Jon considers must-have

    Ultimate Arcade Games I NEED in my Collection!Aug 19, 2021

Contradictions

No contradictions detected

Related Glossary Terms

No linked glossary terms

SDTM Pinball Tutorial: Chuckwurt and Pacman's Baby
  • factualmedium

    The record score on Baby Pac-Man with three lives is 2.7-2.8 million

    Source: ChuckwurtSDTM Pinball Tutorial: Chuckwurt and Pacman's Baby
  • factualhigh

    Map walls become invisible starting at map 7, fully invisible at maps 10-12

    Source: ChuckwurtSDTM Pinball Tutorial: Chuckwurt and Pacman's Baby
  • factualhigh

    The spinner on Baby Pac-Man can be 'cheesed' for consistent high scoring

    Source: Jack DangerBaby Pac-Man at Level 257
  • factualhigh

    Baby Pac-Man was manufactured by Bally Midway around 1980-1981

    Source: Jack DangerBaby Pac-Man at Level 257
  • factualmedium

    The slingshots on Baby Pac-Man don't have coils, they just bounce

    Source: Jack DangerBaby Pac-Man at Level 257
  • factualmedium

    You need to score 72,000+ points to get on the high score board

    Source: Jack DangerBaby Pac-Man at Level 257
  • factualhigh

    The high score of 236,000 on this machine was set by a technician testing/working on the game, not a legitimate player

    Source: Jack Danger (from conversation with technician)Baby Pac-Man at Level 257
  • factualhigh

    Baby Pac-Man is notoriously unreliable and frequently breaks

    Source: Jack Danger, Arcade ManagerBaby Pac-Man at Level 257
  • factualhigh

    The playfield is leaning/not level on this particular machine

    Source: Jack DangerBaby Pac-Man at Level 257
  • factualhigh

    The flippers on this machine are saggy

    Source: Jack DangerBaby Pac-Man at Level 257
  • factualhigh

    Spelling TUNNEL speeds up Pac-Man in the video portion of the game

    Source: Jack DangerBaby Pac-Man at Level 257
  • Rare 1980s Bally arcade-pinball hybrid combining Pac-Man maze game (top) with pinball mechanics (bottom) for earning power pellets

    Holy Grail Arcade & Pinball Hybrid - Baby Pac Man!Oct 14, 2021
  • Pinball/arcade hybrid; one of RetroRalph's favorite machines in collection

    Home Arcade Tour 2022Oct 26, 2022
  • Hybrid arcade/pinball machine from Bally Midway (1980-1981); subject of the stream

    Baby Pac-Man at Level 257Aug 7, 2017
  • Valley/Midway hybrid game referenced as example of early video-pinball integration; Gomez suggests it and Granny/Gators were not successes.

    Pinball 2000 Part 2 - Featuring George GomezApr 11, 2024
  • First successful proof-of-concept machine revived using PinMAME-HW system

    Get RealMay 22, 2004
  • Bally hybrid video/pinball game, 1982; sold 7,000 units—Bally Midway's last major success before collapse. Small playfield with Pac-Man video component in head.

    Pinball Is Dying Part 3 – Bally-MidwayJan 16, 2023
  • Historical game with screen in backglass; referenced as cautionary example of failed pinball-video game hybrid; concerned designers about monitor-based approaches

    Millennium Moment- Pinball 2000Aug 5, 2021
  • Bally hybrid machine (1982); second hybrid using licensed Pac-Man IP; more successful than Caveman; featured in compact arcade form factor

    Episode 5 - Video ModesNov 20, 2023