BurgerTime (NES) Playthrough

A playthrough of Data East's 1987 arcade action game for the NES, BurgerTime.

There is no ending, so in this video I play until I get a game over on level ten.

BurgerTime, originally a 1982 arcade game, is a single-screen action game in which you, as chef Peter Pepper, have to build hamburgers.

There are six stages, and each features a series of platforms connected by ladders. The platforms hold all of the things you'll need to create your burgers (the bun, the meat patty, lettuce, and tomato), and you need to drop them onto the plates at the bottom of the screen by walking over them. Once all of the burgers are finished you move on to the next stage, and after completing all six screens, the game loops at a higher level of difficulty.

What makes this all easier said than done is the army of ill-tempered foods that constantly chase after Peter. Mr. Egg, Mr. Hot Dog, and Mr. Pickle, as the manual calls them, are relentless in their pursuit, and if any of them get their grubby, calorically dense appendages on you, you are killed instantly.

(Is this a statement on America's eating habits?)

Thankfully, Peter isn't completely defenseless. He can drop pieces of the burger on to the enemies to kill them and he can stun them temporarily with his pepper shaker. Most of the time, though, you're best option is to run. Much like in Pac-Man, the bad guys are always tracking you, and they can be thoroughly devious in the ways they go about trapping you in their maze. It's all about reflexes and pattern recognition, and it's not easy despite its simplicity.

It is, however, a pretty addictive game loop. I spent many hours as a kid working my way through these stages, and even though the controls can be awkward, I've always found it to be an engaging and fun game that does a nice job of distinguishing itself from all the other single-screen action games of the early 80s.

It was already outdated looking when it came out on the NES in 1987 - the port dates back to 1985 when Namco published it for the Famicom - but the gameplay still holds up just fine.

If you enjoy games from the first "golden age" of arcade games, you'll find a lot to like in this nicely made conversion of a classic from yesteryear.

As long as you aren't too put off by being killed by sentient pickles, that is.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.

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