"BurgerTime is the classic arcade example of why we have retro. It’s the blues of gaming. The roots. We need to preserve our classics and we want to relive our past. But let’s not do it with 80’s tech," John Griener, President of MonkeyPaw Games, said in an interview with Siliconera.
The original game designed by Data East was simple enough. Playing as Peter Pepper, you climb ladders and drop ingredients (the bun, beef patty, green vegetable stuff, and tomatoes) to create a hamburger while dodging Mr. Hot Dog who was probably a lobbyist from the hot dog industry.
While the goal is the same, BurgerTime HD for Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox Live Arcade gives Peter Pepper the ability to jump and throws him in cylindrical levels. Why did MonkeyPaw Games decide on such a huge change?
"We needed to remake the entire concept while keeping the core mechanics. So the fun stays but the world gets painted on an entirely new canvas," Griener explained. "The cylindrical rotating levels allowed us to expand the playing field without losing the burger-making mechanics. The ability to see through the cylinder and spot what others are doing on the other side opened the doors for a more dynamic multiplayer experience."
"Behind Peter Pepper you can see other opponents and gameplay objects. These could be other chefs playing against you, other ingredients and other enemies. It’s not a meaningless upgrade to 3D graphics because it’s actually important to keep track of what’s on the other side of the rotating world. This is a fairly unique way of translating an old 2D game and we feel it’s an evolution of the core design," Griener concluded.
What do you think of MonkeyPaw’s concept of keeping the core (i.e. walking on floating beef patties) and modernizing arcade games?
