Burger Time was released to the arcades in 1982 by Data East. The title was very successful and it was ported to many systems but the Atari 7800 was not one of those systems. Thankfully, Ken Siders decided to take his version of the game (Beef Drop) which he had created for the 5200 and port it to the 7800 to bring the fun to the system.
Beef Drop for the 7800 was released in two different versions, one with a POKEY chip and one without (called Beef Drop VE). Visually these versions are exactly the same with their difference being in sound quality. In Beef Drop you play the role of Chef Pete as he tries to make burgers while being chased by Frank, Mr. Yolk, and Dr. Dill through various platform mazes. If any of these guys touch Pete, he loses a life. Thankfully, Pete is not entirely defenceless. By using pepper, Pete can freeze his enemies on the spot to allow him a quick escape. Pete can also drop burger parts onto his enemies to crush them or he can give them a ride on falling burger parts for extra points. Once the burgers are all completed, Pete moves onto the next platform to start again. Each new platform is more complex with more areas for Pete to become trapped. Beef Drop captures the essence of Burger Time very well and will satisfy any fan of the arcade title. The game has beautiful graphics, excellent control, and great sound (even the TIA version has good sound). This excellent title should not be missed.
