Pepper II
Pepper II — frequently asked questions
- Is Pepper II on Steam?
- No. Pepper II is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
- What platforms is Pepper II on?
- Pepper II is available on ColecoVision, Arcade.
- When did Pepper II release?
- Pepper II was first released on December 31, 1982.
About Pepper II
Pepper II is a maze game with zip! The object of Pepper II is simple enough, all you do is zip closed sections of the maze and they will become filled with color. Zip in all the sections of the maze and it's complete. However, if you backtrack you might unzip your path, so be careful! Each stage has four mazes you must complete to move on, but you can move from maze to maze by using the exits located at the top, bottom, and sides of the screen. And don't forget about the bad guys trying to take you out all the while. If one touches you you're toast! You can fight back by zipping sections of the maze closed that contain power-ups that will make you invincible for a short time or clear the screen of all the baddies. The game keeps getting harder as you progress to higher stages.
Summary via IGDB.
Pepper II on Wikipedia
Pepper II is an arcade video game developed by Exidy and released in 1982. Despite its name, there was no predecessor named Pepper or Pepper I. Coleco published a port of Pepper II for its ColecoVision home system in 1983. The ColecoVision version supports one or two players, and offers four selectable skill levels.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Platforms
- ColecoVision, Arcade
- Developer
- Exidy
- Publisher
- Coleco
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ColecoVision | 1983 | $8 | $20 | $36 | 4 reviews |
Also released on: Arcade. We haven’t priced or authenticated that version yet.
Collector value & authenticity
ColecoVision · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-19
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a month
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about 3 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-19.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $3.00 in Jul 2009, $9.03 five years ago, and $8.18 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $25 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $2.63 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $2.99 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $5.49 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $3.98 | $14.99 |
| Jan 2015 | $5.65 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2016 | $5.38 | $26 |
| Jan 2017 | $8.95 | $2.99 |
| Jan 2018 | $8.49 | $15.26 |
| Jan 2019 | $6.91 | $14.99 |
| Jan 2020 | $7.03 | $14.47 |
| Jan 2021 | $8.39 | $12.01 |
| Jan 2022 | $9.99 | $10.93 |
| Jan 2023 | $9.48 | $11.98 |
| Jan 2024 | $8.97 | $19.40 |
| Jan 2025 | $7.43 | $28 |
| Jan 2026 | $10.90 | $24 |
| Oct 2026 | $8.18 | $20 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Label | Model # | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America Coleco | End label variants: for ColecoVision / for ColecoVision and ADAM | 2605 | 076930026052 |
| Europe CBS Electronics | — | — | — |
- North America: Model number confirmed by the UPC barcode, which encodes it.
- Europe: Sold in Europe by CBS Electronics; the ColecoVision FAQ lists its model number as 4L1878. CBS carts have black labels and a differently shaped top end.
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1983
- Players
- 1 or 2
- Authenticity
- Low
A zipping maze game that Coleco's early critics rated far higher than its reputation, and one of the cheaper carts to own complete.
Pepper II came to the ColecoVision from Exidy's arcade game, with 4D Interactive Systems credited as developer. Coleco's June 1983 advertising listed it among the games available then. The ColecoVision version supports one or two players and four skill levels, and it renames the arcade's Whippersnapper the Zipper Ripper.
Reviews were warm. Electronic Fun (August 1983) called it an outstanding game and arcade translation in gameplay, graphics and sound, and JoyStik's September 1983 review gave it top marks as a maze game in the tradition of Amidar and Pac-Man, with four connected mazes per level. Video Games Player took a cooler view of the arcade original, grouping it with Looping as not exactly a blockbuster.
How it was made
Developed by 4D Interactive Systems and published by Coleco.
What the press said at the time
| Computer Entertainer Vol. 2 No. 2 | May 1983 | Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★★½ |
| Electronic Fun with Computers & Games Vol. 1 No. 10 | August 1983 | 4 of 4 joysticks |
| JoyStik September 1983 | September 1983 | ★★★★★ (5 of 5) |
| Video Games Player Vol. 2 No. 2 | November 1983 | A |
“Altogether, we found PEPPER Il a delightful game. … Game play is fast and exciting, though it took us a while to get the control stick action working”
“In gameplay, graphics and sound, Pepper II is an outstanding game and an outstanding arcade translation.”
“Pepper II is a maze game par excellence in the best traditions of Amidar and Pac-Man.”
“Pepper n is excellent. There are three songs (including the dreary theme from the Alfred Hitchcock show) and incredibly colorful graphics.”
Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — diamonds through early 1987, stars after — comparing each game only with other games for the same system. Electronic Fun rated games out of four joysticks. JoyStik’s capsule ratings run from one star to five. Video Games Player graded games like a report card, A+ down to C-.
How the ColecoVision version differs
Computer Entertainer said the four skill levels run two easier than the arcade game, one more difficult, and one about the same as the coin-op.
One enemy is renamed on the ColecoVision: the arcade's Whippersnapper is called the Zipper Ripper.
Also on other platforms
Arcade
| Arcade | Exidy |
Worth knowing
- From the ColecoVision manual. Enclose a room containing a pitchfork and Pepper briefly turns into a devil that can eliminate Roaming Eyes; the Zipper Ripper cannot move while Pepper is devilish.
- From the ColecoVision manual. The Zipper Ripper, which unzips tracks not enclosing a room, appears only at skill levels 2 to 4.
- From the ColecoVision manual. Enclosing all four mazes in a play level wins 15,000 bonus points and a bonus Pepper; the side buttons are not used.
Before you buy
Plays on the standard ColecoVision controller and needs no overlay. Loose copies are among the inexpensive ones, with a clear step up for a complete copy and a higher price for a factory-sealed copy, so the box and manual are the value. No counterfeit is documented, so condition is the main variable.
Pepper II screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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