| BurgerTime | |
|---|---|
 Arcade flyer | |
| Developer | Data East[a] |
| Publishers | |
| Series | BurgerTime |
| Platform | |
| Release | August 25, 1982 |
| Genre | Platform |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
| Arcade system | DECO Cassette System |
BurgerTime,[b] originally released asHamburger[c] inJapan, is anarcade video game fromData East. It was published in 1982 for theDECO Cassette System. The player controls chef Peter Pepper, who walks across oversized ingredients in a maze of platforms and ladders, causing them to fall and stack on buns below, eventually creating complete burgers. Peter is pursued by anthropomorphic hot dogs, fried eggs, and pickles. A limited supply of pepper can be thrown at aggressors immediately in front of Peter, briefly stunning them.
The game's original title ofHamburger was changed toBurgerTime outside of Japan, which was also used for all ports and subsequent games in the series worldwide. In the United States, Data East USA licensedBurgerTime for distribution byBally Midway in North America.[14] Data East also releasedBurgerTime in the United States through its DECO Cassette System. The Data East and Midway versions are distinguished by the manufacturer's name on the title screen and by the marquee and cabinet artwork; the game itself is identical.
The first home port ofBurgerTime was released for theIntellivision console in 1983, followed by versions for other systems. There have been multiple sequels for both the arcade and home. When Data East went bankrupt in 2003,G-Mode bought most of the company'sintellectual properties, includingBurgerTime,BurgerTime Deluxe,Super BurgerTime, andPeter Pepper's Ice Cream Factory.[15][16]
The object of the game is to build a number of hamburgers while avoiding enemy foods. The player controls the protagonist, chef Peter Pepper, with a four-position joystick and a "pepper" button.
Eachlevel is a maze of platforms and ladders in which giant burger ingredients (bun, meat patty, tomato, lettuce and cheese) are arranged. When Peter walks the full length of an ingredient, it falls to the level below, knocking down any ingredient that happens to be there. A burger is completed when all of its vertically aligned ingredients have been dropped out of the maze and onto a waiting plate. The player must complete all burgers to finish the board.
Three types of enemy food items wander the maze: Mr.Hot Dog, Mr.Pickle, and Mr.Egg. The player can score extra points by either crushing them under a falling ingredient or dropping an ingredient while they are on it. In the latter case, the ingredient falls two extra levels for every enemy caught on it. Crushed or dropped enemies return to the maze after a short time, with crushed enemies appearing on the edges and dropped enemies respawning at their landing point and climbing back up into the maze if necessary. Dropping enemies is much riskier, but it also awards more points and allows the levels to be finished faster.
At the start of the game, the player is given five pepper shots to use against enemies. Pressing the button causes Peter to shake a cloud of pepper in the direction he is facing; any enemy touching the cloud is briefly stunned, and Peter can safely move through them. Food items (ice cream, coffee, fries) appear after a set number of ingredients have been dropped, awarding bonus points and an extra pepper shot when picked up.
There are six boards of increasing difficulty, with more burgers/ingredients, more enemies, and/or layouts that make it easier for Peter to become cornered. After the player completes the sixth board, the cycle repeats. One life is lost whenever Peter touches a non-stunned enemy, and the game ends once all lives are lost. The number of points required to gain extra lives varies between ports.
Mattel Electronics obtained the rights toBurgerTime fromData East and released theIntellivision version in 1983. That year, they also released versions for theAtari 2600,Apple II,Aquarius, and, as aself-booting disk, theIBM PC.[17] A version fromData East for theTI-99/4A was published in 1984.[18][19] AColecoVision port was published byColeco in May 1984.[20][21] Ports were released for theFamicom in 1985,[22]MSX in 1986,[23]Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987[24] andFamicom Disk System in 1988.[11]
In Japan,Game Machine listedHamburger as the 11th highest-grossingarcade video game of 1982.[25] The magazine later listed it as the 23rd most successful table arcade unit of June 1983.[26]
Following its North American debut at the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) show in November 1982, it was reviewed byVideo Games magazine, which listed it as the show's fourth best game, while saying it was the "stupidest, silliest game ever, and that's why you couldn't get people off theBurger Time games with a crowbar!" The review praised the "music, challenging mazes, and comical" characters.[27]
Computer and Video Games gave it a positive review, comparing the level structure toDonkey Kong (1981), stating thatBurgerTime has "a charm all its own" and praising the controls.[4] TheDeseret News calledBurgerTime "one of the real surprises of 1983 for the Intellivision" and gave the ColecoVision version three-and-a-half stars out of four.[20]Computer Games magazine gave the ColecoVision andColeco Adam versions a positive review, stating that "the terrific flavor" of the arcade game remains but "the playfield has been greatly reduced".[28]
BurgerTime received a Certificate of Merit in the category of "1984 Videogame of the Year (Less than 16K ROM)" at the 5th annualArkie Awards.[29]: 40
| 1982 | BurgerTime |
|---|---|
| 1983 | |
| 1984 | Peter Pepper's Ice Cream Factory |
| 1985 | |
| 1986 | |
| 1987 | Diner |
| 1988 | |
| 1989 | |
| 1990 | Super BurgerTime |
| 1991 | BurgerTime Deluxe |
| 1992 | |
| 1993 | |
| 1994 | |
| 1995 | |
| 1996 | |
| 1997 | |
| 1998 | |
| 1999 | |
| 2000 | The Flintstones: BurgerTime in Bedrock |
| 2001 | |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | |
| 2007 | BurgerTime Delight |
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | BurgerTime Deluxe (iOS) |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | BurgerTime World Tour |
| 2012 | |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2017 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | BurgerTime Party! |
| 2020 | |
| 2021 | |
| 2022 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2024 | Chili’s Big Smasher BurgerTime |
An arcade spin-off,Peter Pepper's Ice Cream Factory (1984), and an arcade sequel,Super BurgerTime (スーパーバーガータイム) (1990), were not widely released.Super BurgerTime stars Peter Pepper Jr. and allows two players to play at once. It is fairly true to the original, but with many added features and a different style of graphics.
A console-only sequel,Diner, was created after the 1984 purchase ofIntellivision from Mattel by INTV Corp. It was programmed by Ray Kaestner, the programmer of the Intellivision version ofBurgerTime. InDiner, Peter Pepper must kick balls of food so that they roll off platforms and down ramps to land on a large plate at the bottom of the screen, while avoiding or crushing enemy food items that are trying to stop him.
BurgerTime Deluxe was released for theGame Boy in 1991 with similar gameplay to the original arcade game.[30]BurgerTime Deluxe was re-released for theNintendo Switch through theNintendo Classics service.[31]
A crossover withThe Flintstones titledThe Flintstones: BurgerTime in Bedrock was released onGame Boy Color in 2000.[32]
Namco releasedBurgerTime Delight for mobile devices in 2007. It includes "new graphics, characters and power-ups".[33] There are six "arcade levels" and eight enhanced mode levels with perils of falling ice and rising fire from the grill. Besides the pepper of the classic game, there is now a salt shaker, that when collected stuns all enemies on the screen.
A 3D update,BurgerTime World Tour, was released in 2011 forXbox Live Arcade andPlayStation Network, and in 2012 forWiiWare.[34] It was delisted from Xbox Live Arcade in April 2014.[35] G-Mode and XSEED Games released a re-imagining of the game on October 8, 2019, titledBurgerTime Party!, for theNintendo Switch, with new modes and redesigns.
In 2024, theChili's restaurant chain obtained the license forBurgerTime to create a browser-based game calledChili's Big Smasher BurgerTime. In this version of the game, players control the franchise mascot Joe ChiliHead in a quest to create Big Smasher Burgers across six levels of gameplay. Players who participated also had the chance to win prizes such as free burgers for life.[36]
The arcade version ofBurgerTime has been included in various collections, includingArcade's Greatest Hits: The Midway Collection 2 for thePlayStation andData East Arcade Classics for theWii. In late 2019/early 2020, it was released with fellow Data East titlesKarate Champ,Caveman Ninja andBad Dudes in anarcade cabinet for home use by manufacturerArcade1Up.[37][38] Although the cabinet comes with four games in one, its artwork features only the graphics ofBurgertime.[37][38]
The NES and FDS versions were available on theWii Virtual Console.[39][11] Its Game Boy counterpartBurgerTime Deluxe was released for the3DS Virtual Console in 2011.[40][41][42] The NES version is also included in the 2017 compilationData East All-Star Collection for theNintendo Entertainment System.[43]
The 1982 arcade version was released through theArcade Archives series forPlayStation 4 andNintendo Switch on July 30, 2020.
Clones for home systems includeMr. Wimpy,Bear Bovver,Burger Chase,BurgerSpace,Chip Factory,Burger Boy!,[44]Basic Burger,[45]Barmy Burgers,[46]Burger Builder,[47] andLunchtime.[48]BurgerSpace is a 2007open source clone.[49]
Elements ofBurgerTime were incorporated into the episode "Gameboy" of theDIC Entertainment animated seriesCaptain N: The Game Master. Peter Pepper appears in the moviesWreck-It Ralph andPixels. ABurgerTime parody called "Burgerboss" appears in an episode ofBob's Burgers with the same name. There is a copy ofBurgerTime in the front display window of the fictional storeBlast From the Past in the movieBack to the Future Part II.
On September 5, 2005, Bryan L. Wagner ofTurbotville, Pennsylvania achieved a record score of 8,601,300 and improved to exactly 9,000,000 on June 2, 2006.[50] According toTwin Galaxies, he improved it further to 11,512,500 points on September 19, 2008, at the Challenge Arcade inWyomissing, Pennsylvania.[51] TheMAME world record was verified by Twin Galaxies on December 2, 2016, as 7,837,750 by Roger Edwin Blair III ofMountain City, Tennessee.[52]
| Franchises |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Other video games | ||
| Pinball machines | ||
| Related | ||