24 replies to this topic

[Student Driver]

In 2001, Playskool released simple handheld games in a "My First Video Game" line, Li'l Hungry Hungry Hippos and Li'l Pac-Man. Both played the same-- slow Kaboom!-like games-- and the Li'l Pac-Man game featured sound effects from the original Pac-Man.

So, now, 2008, a friend had her first child, and the father is a huge video game fan. I joked that I'd find the newborn a Li'l Pac-Man for its first birthday, to help ease it into an early life of gaming. Problem is, I can't find one anywhere... and oddly enough, outside of a few references from 2001, no mention of it anywhere, either. None on eBay, even.

I recall that in 2001, they were in KMarts, and were reportedly seen in Big Lots! as well; did Playskool just make a few, test market them, and dump them at Big Lots! when they didn't sell? Did adult game fans pick them up and pack them away? Did children get them and destroy them all? What happened to all of the Li'l Pac-Men?

[BigO]

At least one went to the Goodwill near my house where I found it today. I'd never heard of or seen one until now.

It has Pac-Man sounds and images, but actually plays more like Kaboom!

I thought it would be an interesting curiosity item sitting on a shelf.

[monzamess]

I was curious and found:
http://www.hasbro.co...i'l_Pac-Man.pdf
http://classicgaming...y.php?id=123006

[BigO]

monzamess, on Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:07 PM, said:

I was curious and found:
http://www.hasbro.co...27l_Pac-Man.pdf
http://classicgaming...y.php?id=123006

Yep, that's it. There seem to be relatively few pictures of these things on the internet. Will try to post pics/cheap-webcam-video/audio later.

[BigO]

Video added. Poor quality, PC+mic+webcam video, but video.

Attached Files

•  LilPacMan3.wmv   767.5K   117 downloads

[raindog]

My youngest niece was too young for these when they were first released, and when I went back the following xmas to look for them, they had evaporated. I don't know any kids of an appropriate age to buy this for now, but I'm still pretty curious. Thanks for the video.

[BigO]

Forgot to post the picture:

[wccw mark]

BigO, on Tue Jan 26, 2010 6:45 AM, said:

Forgot to post the picture:
LilPacMan.jpg

we got my son one of those when he was little.big lots had a ton of those back then.

[simbalion]

I just received one of these Li'l Pac-Man games today, Dec. 9, 2010, as an early Christmas gift: My Mom found it for me.
It's in great condition and works great.
And, since I collect Pac-Man games, this is right up my alley.

[BigO]

Just ran across mine in the closet. Having no good place for it since I moved I thought "I should just sell this."
Or I could just leave it sitting in the closet, annoying me every time I accidentally press a button on it and have to listen to it.
Or I could just leave it sitting in the closet and take the batteries out so it doesn't annoy me every time I accidentally press a button on it...

[bomberpunk]

if anyone finds one of these online, i would like to get it for my 5-month old nephew.. i would obviously wait until he was a bit older to pass it down, i would play it until then!

[BigO]

bomberpunk, on Fri Dec 10, 2010 2:38 AM, said:

if anyone finds one of these online, i would like to get it for my 5-month old nephew.. i would obviously wait until he was a bit older to pass it down, i would play it until then!

I'm pretty sure you'd tire of the game play before your 5 month old nephew was ready to play it.

[Mirage]

Wow, 2 years later the guy gets replies then nearly 3 years later Funny. Wonder if he ever ran across one in time for the kid's 1st birthday?

[BigO]

Mirage, on Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:42 AM, said:

Wow, 2 years later the guy gets replies then nearly 3 years later Funny. Wonder if he ever ran across one in time for the kid's 1st birthday?

There's very little on the internet about "Li'l Pac Man". This thread is pretty much the most active discussion about this thing on the web. That's how I ended up commenting on this thread in the first place: trying to figure out if anybody collected them and what they might be worth.

Edited by BigO, Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:10 AM.

[Mirage]

Yeah, I know, it's still pretty funny to me. Seems hardly anyone knows about these things.

[BigO]

Mirage, on Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:14 AM, said:

Yeah, I know, it's still pretty funny to me. Seems hardly anyone knows about these things.

Agreed on both points.

They are apparently either fairly rare or so uninteresting that almost nobody puts them up for sale (or even talks about them) on the web.
I vote for rare...
and I vote for "rare" to "magically" equate to "valuable".

Edited by BigO, Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:31 AM.

[SoulBlazer]

Yeah, strange how this worked -- the guy posted his note in 2007, he hasn't been back since 2008, and then FIANLLY three years later in 2010 someone comments on it.

I love seeing how these necro threads get restored time to time, usually long after the OP is gone.

[yuppicide]

I've never heard of this either until this thread was ressurected, so I say good job for that.

[MegaManFan]

Wouldn't mind having one of these for my collection!

[Nukey Shay]

Let's do the time warp again...I guess

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

Nukey Shay, on Sun Jul 17, 2011 5:45 AM, said:

Let's do the time warp again...I guess

It's just a jump to the left.

And then a step to the right!

[BigO]

A link to a pdf scan of a magazine article that shows the original packaging: (note: it's a pdf if this upsets you for some reason)
http://www.digitpres..._lil_pacman.pdf

[bomberpunk]

that was very upsetting.

[pimpmaul69]

hmm a pacman game that plays rally x music.

[simbalion]

I still have mine. It's sitting on the shelf beside a few antque table radios right now. Yeah, it's simple but I like it once in a while.