Overview
Burgerland serves up a three-dimensional reimagining of the classic arcade game Burger Time, capturing the nostalgic essence of its predecessor while facing modern expectations. This remake faithfully recreates the original's quirky premise - you play as a chef assembling towering burgers by traversing platforms to drop ingredients while dodging persistent enemies. While the core mechanics remain satisfyingly intact, the experience feels like a straightforward port rather than a full reimagining, offering competent execution without significant evolution beyond its retro roots.
A Faithful Yet Familiar Experience
The heart of Burgerland lies in its unchanged gameplay loop that will immediately resonate with fans of the 1980s original. As the chef, you navigate labyrinthine platforms stacked with burger components, strategically walking across each ingredient to make them tumble down to lower levels. The tension comes from evading colorful enemies that patrol the structures, requiring careful timing and route planning. This foundation remains engaging, with levels progressively introducing more complex layouts and requiring multiple burgers to complete.
Visually, the transition to 3D brings a charmingly retro aesthetic that feels intentionally underdeveloped yet oddly endearing. The blocky environments and character models maintain the arcade spirit while adding modest depth through the new perspective. While not pushing technical boundaries, the visuals serve their purpose by making platform navigation clearer than the original's 2D view. The sound design follows a similar philosophy with serviceable but forgettable effects and background music that neither enhances nor detracts from the experience.
It's still a solid remake – maybe they could have tried to expand on the game play of the original though.
Moshboy
Where Burgerland stumbles is in its lack of meaningful evolution beyond the visual upgrade. While levels grow more intricate, the core gameplay remains static throughout the experience. Enemies don't introduce new behaviors or challenges as you progress, backgrounds maintain the same aesthetic, and bonus items lack variety. This absence of new mechanics or surprises makes extended play sessions feel repetitive, as later levels offer expanded complexity rather than fresh dynamics. The game delivers exactly what it promises - a competent recreation of Burger Time - but misses opportunities to enhance the recipe with modern ingredients that could have elevated it beyond nostalgic novelty.
Verdict
Faithful but uninspired remake of arcade classic
