Anilrgowda

In their constant quest to dominate every facet of your life, Microsoft has decided to strike up a partnership with the second largest hamburger chain in the world and deliver something that we haven’t seen for quite some time: French fries and video games. That’s right folks, for the low-low price of $3.99 – supposing that you’re purchasing a value meal, of course – you can be the proud owner of what will assuredly be a collector’s item in due time. There are three games in all, each with its own gameplay and mini-games to toy around with. Rest assured, these games won’t unseat Gears as this holiday’s most saught after Xbox game, but if you’re looking for a few hours of cheap fun, then look no further than the Burger King collection.


Gameplay

Big Bumpin’: the pinnacle of Burger King gaming. Essentially it’s a return to form for Blitz Games, as they were the same blokes who brought the celebrated Fuzion Frenzy to the original Xbox. Big Bumpin’ is a conglomeration of five mini games, all situated around bumper cars. The mini games really ratchet up the intensity when you take them on Xbox Live. There’s Shockball, a game where players carry a charge ball and need to pass it to others before it explodes. Then there’s Power Surge, a game in which players need to pick up a charge and deposit it at another point before the competition can bump (Get it? Bump?) it out of you. Last Man Standing is a game variant that forces players to knock others off the map as it degrades around you. Next is Own The Puck, which pits four cars against one another with the task of keeping control of a puck. Last, but absolutely not least (in fact it’s the best of the bunch), is Bumpin’ Hockey. Take that bad boy online and you’ll see what fun really is. Scoring the puck in the opponents’ goal is tough, but when it happens it’s great. It’s just too bad that the online code can get a little jumpy at times.

On top of these wonky mini-games are power ups that can be picked up along the way. They do fun little things like magnetizing your car so the puck is sucked towards you, then there the one that reduces the speed of one of the other drivers, and finally there’s the “bumper car equivalent of onion breath” that repulses the opposition to opposite sides of the map. There are also standard pickups like those that repair, speed you up, and protect you from attack.

The biggest issues that we had with Big Bumpin’ were with the controls and with the sheer lack of mini-games. More often than not, the main struggle is against the control mechanics, which all too often have you sliding off aimlessly, especially when the map is made of ice (or at least we think that’s what the shiny blue stuff is). The lack of more mini-games is also a bit disconcerting – until you look at the price tag.


1280x720 | 640x360

Overall Gameplay Impressions

Like Pocketbike Racer, the strongest suit of Big Bumpin’ is its online play. Getting four guys together to bang into one another in any of the mini-games – we don’t care what you say, Bumpin’ Hockey rocks – is a blast for a good while, certainly longer than the other two games in the Burger King Collection. Aside from a few navigational oddities (the menus kick you around needlessly) Big Bumpin’ is a great time for the price. Do yourself a favor and suffer through a Whooper and some fries, you’ll be glad you did.

Graphics and Audio

Visually the game doesn’t have a whole lot to offer that we haven’t seen before though there are some impressive reflections and effects, especially when you take into account that you’re playing a sub-five-dollar product. Younger gamers will be distracted by the bright lights and flashes, though wiser players know that it’s merely a distraction for the rather unattractive core. Much like the rest of the BK Collection, Big Bumpin’s audio simply does not deliver in any way, shape, or form. There’s some nice carnival themed music on the menus, but chances are you’ll be running to your custom soundtracks before too long.

The Bottom Line

Much like the other Burger King games, this one isn’t exactly jam-packed with features. You’ll play it for a few hours, then take it online, play for awhile longer, then you’ll be done with it. It’s fun for the time that it lasts, and will definitely last you longer than the more expensive value meal that you’ll be buying. Bumpin’ Hockey could add some serious legs to the game supposing you can master it. Needless to say, if you’re going to get any of the Burger King games, this should be the one.









Not a ton of gameplay but you’ll like what’s here. This game is boss.






Some decent effects cover up an otherwise unattractive presentation.






When the menu music is the best a game has to offer it’s time to turn down the volume.






The five mini-games will keep you busy for a little while, Xbox Live helps even more.






Blitz Games does what it does best, but they’ve done it.






Overall Score NOT an ave