Jr. Pac-Man (11/9/83)

Jr. Pac-Man tasks players with guiding Pac-Man’s son through increasingly complex maze environments, collecting dots and avoiding the familiar ghosts Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Timmy. Unlike earlier games in the series, these mazes feature a unique two-screen width and scrolling functionality, presenting larger playing fields to navigate. Collecting bonus items introduces a new element of risk; while they destroy Power Pellets, they also transform regular dots into slower-moving, higher-value targets. Gameplay is enhanced by episodic intermission sequences that tell the charming story of Jr.'s budding romance with a friendly ghost named Yum-Yum. These short vignettes unfold across several rounds, adding narrative depth to the core maze-chasing action. Two players can join in for cooperative play, working together to clear each maze and progress through the game’s unfolding story. The game runs on modified Pac-Man hardware and features a Zilog Z80 processor alongside Namco sound chips. Hidden bonus objects, originally unused by developers, can be revealed by achieving high scores and strategically consuming ghosts, adding an extra layer of discovery for dedicated players.