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The early 1980s were a great era for video games. A company could score a massive with a game about making hamburgers by stepping all over the ingredients. And that’s exactly what Data East did in 1982 with their arcade hit, BurgerTime.
In this early platforming title, the player controls Chef Peter Pepper, a short-order cook with a highly unorthodox way of preparing meals. The goal is to assemble complete burgers by treading over platforms of varying heights, knocking the ingredients off, then letting them stack onto the bottom floor. Each of the six vertical maze levels are staffed with food-based foes such as Mr. Hot Dog, Mr. Egg, and Mr. Pickle to make the chef’s task more difficult. These enemies can be briefly stunned with pepper, and if one or more happens to be standing on or underneath a falling ingredient, it means big points! With catchy music to top it off, it’s easy to see why the title is so well remembered.
With its comical tone and fast-paced, frantic action. it’s a game that’s definitely worth playing a few rounds today. A number of ports were released over the years, but the original arcade version is my personal recommendation. If you’re hungry for some retro high score action, you can’t go wrong with BurgerTime.
