This obscure 1984 arcade game is a spin-off from Data East‘s classic 1982 hit, BurgerTime, in that it features Peter Pepper, the burger-dropping chef from that game. In Peter Pepper’s Ice Cream Factory, though, he is again navigating various screens of platforms and ladders, except this time he is trying to push scoops of ice cream into cones, as well as trying to take out chasing enemies by pushing or throwing ice cream at them.

To complete a level you must either roll or throw all the ice cream into cones, which is easier said than done because you’re being chased relentlessly by doughnuts, cartons of milk, and other food-based hostiles. If any touch you, you lose a life. To outwit the chasing enemies you can jump over them, or you can try to influence their movement with your positioning – just like in BurgerTime. Enemies don’t just home in on you directly – that would be unfair (and make the game impossible) – they instead choose their route depending on where you’re standing. And, as I mentioned above, you can also throw or roll ice cream at them to destroy them temporarily. Where the ice cream goes when you throw it I think depends on the direction you’re pushing the joystick/gamepad when throw it. If you want to throw it upwards, say: to position it on the platform above you (so you can then roll it into a cone), you need to push up when you press the throw button. There’s no in-game explanation of how to actually do this, so I’m deducing this from my own observations.

Peter Pepper’s Ice Cream Factory is a very simple yet extremely challenging platform game. In fact: it’s probably too difficult for most players to enjoy. Plus: it’s not entirely clear how to direct ice cream scoops when you throw them, so the game is likely to frustrate many. Which is a pity as it could’ve been a decent game. As it stands: it’s an interesting curiosity in the BurgerTime universe , but not much more.

More: Peter Pepper’s Ice Cream Factory on arcade-history.com