Pinside rating
This game received 47 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 6.876 /10
Score breakdown
Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:
Game design: 6.911
Artwork: 7.017
Sounds/Music: 6.253
Other Aspects: 7.213
Pinside staff rating
This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 2 of us have rated this game.
Ranking history
An overview of this machine's ranking over the last years. Lower is better.
Rating history
An overview of this machine's rating over the last years. Higher is better.
Found 36 ratings (with comment) on this game
There are 36 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 2.
List options
7.204/10
9 months ago
Tucson, AZ
The playfield is difficult and fast pace due to the small overall size. Great theme if you grew up on pacman. Overall a boring game but unique how the game switches between pinball and arcade. Definitely a collector's item for the pacman fan.
7.448/10
3 years ago
Kettering
Good fun game, I enjoy playing this on the rare occasions I see it. A really fun combination of a video game and pinball. Proper sized flippers and ball but a much shorter playfield with less on it but most of the time you will be playing the video game which is what you should be doing, it is Pac-Man!
7.876/10
4 years ago
I want one!
First off, the video mode is wicked. Those ghosts are not friendly...much harder than Pac Man itself. Got through 2 levels and thought that was a miracle.
THe playfield is also nice considering the size. Great satisfaction going from side to side hitting the FRUIT lanes. Also like the Godzilla radar-like shot in the middle. Always enjoy hitting those even when they aren't that important.
Video mode could have used some real color. This is kinda greenish...reminds me of the crappy atari port for Pac Man back in the day.
First off, the video mode is wicked. Those ghosts are not friendly...much harder than Pac Man itself. Got through 2 levels and thought that was a miracle.
THe playfield is also nice considering the size. Great satisfaction going from side to side hitting the FRUIT lanes. Also like the Godzilla radar-like shot in the middle. Always enjoy hitting those even when they aren't that important.
Video mode could have used some real color. This is kinda greenish...reminds me of the crappy atari port for Pac Man back in the day.
5.868/10
4 years ago
A very bland pinball machine and an equally bland video game. The pin/vid hybrid was a great idea, but Baby Pac Man fails to deliver. Also, owning this game is not advised for people not well versed in arcade machine repair. They are known to be very problematic. Hopefully, someday, a kit is made that will both enhance the game as well as make the electronics (particularly the Vidiot PCB) reliable.
7.836/10
5 years ago
This is the most unique machine in my collection. It's a bit hard to rate as purely a pinball machine as it's a video game + a pinball machine. The video game part is Pac-man with different three different mazes and very fast and pretty tricky ghost. The cool thing about it is there are no power pills as they must be earned by playing the pinball part of the game. You can also increase the fruit values and tunnel speed on the pinball side of play. I always clean up some dots and go for the pinball part as soon as possible (via tunnels on the video playfield). The table is short so play is somewhat different from a full size pinball table and takes getting used to. If you are not a fan of video games, this one is not likely for you. Some of my non video gamer friends just can not play this game very well at all. So far my Baby Pac-Man has been reliable(cross fingers). Very unique and interesting game.
6.807/10
5 years ago
A fun game, but hard to give a true rating since it incorporates pinball and an arcade game. From a nostalgia factor it's a great addition to the game room, but game play is hard do to unrelenting ghosts and the pinball portion is pretty uninspired. With that said it looks cool and was a great concept, especially back in 1982. I wish this game had the arcade game truer to Pac-Man and the pinball side had a little more to offer. Slings that were active, instead of passive would have made a big improvement in my opinion.
7.112/10
5 years ago
First of all, if you are not BOTH as lover of Pacman AND Pinball, then this game is not for you, move on. However, if you are passionate about both, this game is one of the best, most difficult, and entertaining games ever. That being said, once you develop a feel for the basic strategy of the game, it can feel repetitious. The key is to have a score goal in mind. Pacmam and pinball lovers a like love a good high score challenge to achieve. Take for instance, my machine has a personal friend of mine's high score of over 3 million points stored on it. That is a hell of a feat in this game IMO. So I am literally addicted to this game because of the challenge it presents and the overwhelming sense of satisfaction when you achieve a very high score (1.5 million plus IMO). So, if you are looking for a very difficult, but addicting game, that will keep you coming back for more, than this is the game for you. I love it!!
6.851/10
5 years ago
Sorry, but I'm a sucker for a pin that combines a video game in with it. See Caveman!
I really like this game for what it was. It was a decent blend of both worlds. Playing the pinball section was some fun as was the maze section. What pissed me off was the ghosts were faster than you in this as opposed to other "Pac" games, so you'd die quickly. It was tough trying to finish a couple mazes. But still, this was an overall fun game to me. = v )
I really like this game for what it was. It was a decent blend of both worlds. Playing the pinball section was some fun as was the maze section. What pissed me off was the ghosts were faster than you in this as opposed to other "Pac" games, so you'd die quickly. It was tough trying to finish a couple mazes. But still, this was an overall fun game to me. = v )
5.382/10
6 years ago
I keep this game in my collection and play it every great once in awhile. If I could just skip the video portion and play the pinball I think it would be more fun. The graphics are very washed out and gameplay is extremely hard. It would be nice if an updated game rom surfaced making it more enjoyable. Playfield is simple but fun.
7.015/10
6 years ago
If I just played this game in an arcade, i would probably hate it. its hard. But since i own the game, i absolutely love it. its challenging but when you get into a good game its amazing. out of all the pins i have owned i have had the most fun with this one.
7.169/10
6 years ago
Edit..
The strategy of this game is kind of a sleeper. Once you understand the playfield, it all makes sense. This game is kind of a masterpiece, IMO. Scoring high has everything to do with doing well on the pinball section of the game.
I love this game. It's fun. The video game part isn't great, and the pinball part isn't really that good at all, but somehow, when you put them together, it's great fun.
The strategy of this game is kind of a sleeper. Once you understand the playfield, it all makes sense. This game is kind of a masterpiece, IMO. Scoring high has everything to do with doing well on the pinball section of the game.
I love this game. It's fun. The video game part isn't great, and the pinball part isn't really that good at all, but somehow, when you put them together, it's great fun.
7.529/10
6 years ago
This game is brutally hard on the factory settings (but I never tweaked them.. I like the challenge). It's easy to see why it wasn't a success in the arcades since it chews up and spits out every casual player that plays my machine. BUT, it's a beautiful game package and a unique and fun game. Just be prepared for the challenge.
7.286/10
6 years ago
Not a big pacman fan and the pinball is basic but somehow the combination works for this hybrid game and my whole family loves playing it. We are definitely keeping it!
5.451/10
7 years ago
Baby Pacman is one of the most ambitious combinations of pinball and video to hit the arcades.
The Pros:
The PF is incredibly well packed with shots to make as well as orbit to orbit flow. Game Plan could have taken a pointer or two from this team for their tabletop bar games. The spinners are awesome when they rotate as they should. Getting that ball across the top arch is always satisfying! The vid plays like the real pacman game. Margaret Hudson was the perfect artist for this package.
The Cons:
The way to high scores on this game is to never finish the first level of the video game. The game just gets too hard to play after that and since it's a video game up there... you have no control of the environment or how fast those ghosts move. The balance is a tough one on this game... Calling mystery programmer! The flippers seem to be miles apart.
The Takeaway:
The best and most common of all the pin/vid hybrids ever made. I know some people who think that this is the best game ever! It's not the best game ever, but it is a great deal of fun and considering the tech and ruleset of the time, quite an achievement in my eyes. Pac+pin... an interesting novelty, and not anything more... in the annals of arcade history.
Escape to pin!
The Pros:
The PF is incredibly well packed with shots to make as well as orbit to orbit flow. Game Plan could have taken a pointer or two from this team for their tabletop bar games. The spinners are awesome when they rotate as they should. Getting that ball across the top arch is always satisfying! The vid plays like the real pacman game. Margaret Hudson was the perfect artist for this package.
The Cons:
The way to high scores on this game is to never finish the first level of the video game. The game just gets too hard to play after that and since it's a video game up there... you have no control of the environment or how fast those ghosts move. The balance is a tough one on this game... Calling mystery programmer! The flippers seem to be miles apart.
The Takeaway:
The best and most common of all the pin/vid hybrids ever made. I know some people who think that this is the best game ever! It's not the best game ever, but it is a great deal of fun and considering the tech and ruleset of the time, quite an achievement in my eyes. Pac+pin... an interesting novelty, and not anything more... in the annals of arcade history.
Escape to pin!
You too can add your own comment by rating this game! Click here to rate the machine.
Hey there! Got a moment?
Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run thanks to donations from our visitors? Please donate to Pinside, support the site and get anext to your username to show for it! Donate to Pinside
