Baby Boom

Baby Boom
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Mega-CD, Sega Game Gear
Publisher: Sega of America
Developer: Foley Hi-Tech
Supporting companies: Sega Girls Task Force (consulting)
Planned release date(s): 1994-12, 1995 199x 1994-12
Genre: Puzzle
Number of players: 1
State before cancellation: Late in development
Status of prototype(s): Found, dumped
Sound driver: GEMS

For the similarly-unreleased baby-themed Mega Drive game, see Baby's Day Out.

---

This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.

---

Baby Boom is an unreleased Sega Mega Drive, Sega Mega-CD, and Sega Game Gear action puzzle game developed by Foley Hi-Tech and scheduled to be published by Sega of America around late 1994. Originally conceived by the Sega Girls Task Force as one of the earliest Sega games designed firstmost for a female-audience, concerns with the game's control scheme and entertainment value eventually led to the project's formal cancellation.

While the Mega-CD and Game Gear versions were likely undeveloped, the Mega Drive version processed a considerable amount into its production, and eventually had ROM images of its numerous prototypes discovered and dumped for preservation.

Story

“	New Years Eve, 1999. The party of the century begins without YOU... While they revel, YOU GET RICH! Easy money. A COOL MILLION. Just to watch a couple hundred babies. The best part? They are already being monitored in an automated romper room at the swank, womb tomb apartment called the Hive. Settle in and watch the party on TV and at first light, YOU WILL BE RICH The clock strikes midnight and parties erupt all over the City Chaos, confusion, noise, lights, sparks. Everything is wild with excitement. Everything that is, except for the computers The computers are silent and dark something has gone wrong. All systems are down - All the Doors unlock - The babies escape - All of them. It seems the Hive computers were not ready for a change in the millenium. By the time the backup systems kick in, the babies have crawled all over the place and they are causing trouble. Everything the break comes right out of your pocket. If they are not back to their mechanical nannies by the time their folks return, they will not pay you... And you will still have to pay for baby havoc. Babies! EveryWhere. Too many to carry... Cajole em, coax em, point em in the right direction, just get the back to their cribs Easy Money? In a pig's eye. Happy New Year!	„
— In-game introduction

Gameplay

Players use a mechanical arm to keep the wandering babies out of potential danger.

Baby Boom puts players in control of a ceiling-mounted mechanical arm which can swing all around the playfield, challenging them to pick up and safely corral a large group of babies as they unpredictably wander about the numerous stages. Sometimes the babies appear in circular baby walkers, or wearing distinctive clothing like baseball caps, and overall boast a surprising variety of appearances.

There is also a diaper changing minigame.

Stages

	The Lobby
	"Collect the babies Easy enough!"
	Bonus Stage 1
	"Keep the babies away from walls for some $$$"
	Electronic Suite
	"Collect the babies Easy enough!"
	Bonus Stage 2
	"Change the diapers as fast as you can"
	Music Store
	"Collect the babies Easy enough!"
	Bonus Stage 3
	"Keep the babies away from walls for some $$$"

History

Development

Main article: Baby Boom/Development.

Prerelease

Baby Boom was first announced at Sega Gamer's Day 1994 as an action game for the Sega Mega Drive, Sega Mega-CD and Sega Game Gear.

Production credits

• Producer, Designer: Ed Annunziata
• Composer: David Javelosa

Source:

Developer statements

Magazine articles

Main article: Baby Boom/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Mega Drive version

ECTS 1994 promo sheet

Artwork

• 

  Cover art (later)

• 

  Cover art (early)

• 

  Mega Drive cover art (early)

• 

  Mega Drive cover art (later)

• 

  Game Gear cover art (later)

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
?	CRC32 bd697054 MD5 2dc49f8d7f371cdc003a296f379907a0 SHA-1 7baa515001aff4fa93c871189c891e5bd2eaab11	2MB	1994-08-11	CD-R archive			(514 kB) (info)	Page
?	CRC32 6e0cf48d MD5 5d768a29192443b67e21c01d03aee1d9 SHA-1 22c8e6ac65de990a3f30aedf777f7336f7791e66	2MB	1994-06-06	CD-R archive			(210 kB) (info)	Page
?	CRC32 c0d97f6f MD5 3e5176ccdd2849fc2cd28d7a14978eee SHA-1 24b5a84fb68b89a5ac4e7a9e85af95880067fc5f	2MB	1994-07-11	CD-R archive			(209 kB) (info)	Page

External links

• What happened when Sega courted female players in the mid-’90s article by Richard Moss at Polygon