Peter Pepper deserves better. The star of Data East's BurgerTime isn't a household name in the same way that Donkey Kong, Pac-Man and Bub & Bob are, which is a shame when you consider that the original 1982 arcade game was a truly groundbreaking release that remains eminently playable, even by modern standards.
The concept is easy to fathom; you must walk over various parts of a massive burger, causing them to fall and create a 'complete' meal at the bottom of the screen—all while avoiding the unwanted attention of various nightmarish food items.
You could argue that the weaker 1984 sequel, Peter Pepper's Ice Cream Factory, did some damage to Pepper's reputation, or that 1990's Super BurgerTime was simply released at the wrong time and prevented the character from enjoying a much-needed revival. Perhaps it's the fact that the BurgerTime licence, once owned by Data East, is now in the hand of G-Mode, and hasn't been put to good use in the past few decades.
Whatever the reason, Pepper's '82 debut is worthy of reassessment, and if you have especially deep pockets (and plenty of space at home), the ideal way to do this is to invest in Quarter Arcades' BurgerTime cabinet.
You surely know the drill by now; these are 1/4-scale models of iconic arcade games with authentic features such as faithful artwork, a light-up marquee, illuminated coin slots, and more.
An internal rechargeable battery keeps things ticking over (it's charged via USB-C), and the game itself is run under software emulation. The action is displayed on a crisp and bright LCD screen.
Given that we're talking 1/4 scale, the controls are small but still perfectly usable. BurgerTime isn't an overly complex game when it comes to its interface, so it lends itself well to this scaled-down format. While there's a two-player option, it's not simultaneous; players take turns. If you're a left-handed person, then you'll be pleased to learn that there are two action buttons on either side of the stick.
Quarter Arcades has covered some of the biggest coin-ops of all time, and it feels like the range is now digging in the tall grass for titles which are perhaps less well-known. BurgerTime is hardly obscure, but it's certainly a game that might have passed many people by over the years and, therefore, another solid edition to the range.
If you've been keeping up with these releases, then you have our admiration—your games room must be massive, and your bank balance considerable.
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