Bandai BurgerTime (VFD)

[TokyoBatman]

Bandai BurgerTime - 1983 (VFD)

It's going to be hard to explain how great this one is. I'm sure the name and game alone are very recognizable and nostalgic for a lot of people.

So this is the tabletop version of the arcade from Bally Midway. The original license is from Data East.

Overall, it kept a lot from the arcade. I believe it's missing Mr. Egg, an ice cream cone as a bonus, and you can only make 3 hamburgers instead of 4. Possibly a few more small points that I'm not recalling.

It has 2 different games, which is neat.

In game 1 you get ladders on all sides/platforms, but you lose the ability to warp on both sides of the screen. Enemies movement is within the ladders.

In game 2, ladders are at random on the 4 platforms. So some will be missing on the sides, however you get the ability to warp from one side of the platform to the other. Enemy movement is different. They can go up ladders on the left side and warp.

If I'm missing something with the differences in Game 1 and Game 2, please let me know. I may have not caught it all.

Each Game (1 and 2) is unique to itself, so it's hard to say the more difficult one. I like this aspect. I personally feel that Game 2 is a tad more challenging. This is for me, but you may think Game 1 is more challenging.

As you may know, you play as Peter Pepper, a chef, bound to make delicious hamburgers.

Trying to stop you are Mr. Hot Dog and Mr. Pickle. You can blast them with pepper to take them out.

You get 5 pepper bottles to start. When you get a box of French Fries or Cup of Coffee, you're awarded 100 points and 1 pepper bottle.

When you clear a screen by making 3 hamburgers, you start back with 5 pepper bottles.

You start the game with 2 lives and get an extra life every 10,000 points.

The graphics are stunning for a vfd, very bright, and beautiful.

You get the classic BurgerTime beeps when you start the game. This VFD has background beeps too, which is rare for a vfd.

The gameplay is smooth. I really like the difficulty level, it's well thought out. Once you adjust to how the ladders work and where you can attack enemies, where they can appear, ect. You can form a strategy and have a fantastic time!

(On a side note, Blanka mentioned that you may shut off the game if you beat the buttons too hard. As the On/Off button may bounce and lose contact with the board. I actually play pretty aggressively and that didn't happen to me. It may be how the board was screwed on, not really sure, but this is a side note I heard about. As long as you aren't going crazy wild, I wouldn't imagine it being an issue.)

The form factor is sleek and one of a kind. This game easily makes my top 5.

I recommend and hope you can get one! Happy hunting. These were only released in Japan so they can be hard to find.




Ratings:(1-10) - Difficulty:(Easy, Average, Hard)

Graphics: 10
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 10
Difficulty: Average

Overall: 9.5

[OTTOgd]

Cool review.

Gameplay video!?

[TokyoBatman]

Thanks! Blanka has a great video of this in his top 5 review. You should check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W28KtDE1oQg

[OTTOgd]

Ha! Yeah, I commented on that awesome video a year ago!

Where's #6-10?!?