BurgerTime for Computers

IBM PC DISKETTE [#4556]

Based on the Data East arcade game

Program: Gene Smith

CATALOG DESCRIPTION (January 1983, Consumer Electronics Show)

As the burger chef, you're out to build delicious hamburgers. As you run through the colorful maze assembling the ingredients, nothing can stop you. Except menacing hot dogs and pickles that are out to ruin the meal! Bury them under beef patties, lettuce and buns. Or, knock them out with pepper. The game gets more difficult as you get better. (One or two players.)


APPLE II DISKETTE [#4519]

Based on the Data East arcade game

Program: Tim Wladyka, Eric Del Sesto

CATALOG DESCRIPTION (January 1983, Consumer Electronics Show)

As the burger chef, you're out to build delicious hamburgers. As you run through the colorful maze assembling the ingredients, nothing can stop you. Except menacing hot dogs and pickles that are out to ruin the meal! Bury them under beef patties, lettuce and buns. Or, knock them out with pepper. The game gets more difficult as you get better. (One or two players.)

DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

The success of Intellivision BurgerTime caused Marketing to ask for the game on every platform possible.

Tim Wladyka, a contract programmer who regularly worked for the Mattel Electronics systems software department started development on the Apple II version of this game. When he got bogged down, Eric Del Sesto was pulled off of Atari 2600 programming to take over and finish the project. (Although only 18, Eric was one of the most experienced computer game programmers on staff, having had a computer game published while he was in high school.)


FUN FACT: The color card for an IBM PC had two monitor outputs: RGB and composite video. The standard PC color monitor was RGB and displayed 8 colors. However, a composite monitor (such as was standard for the Apple II) hooked up to the PC could display 16 colors. Few applications, though, used the additional available colors. Gene, however, wrote completely separate graphic routines to take full advantage of each type of monitor. The results on a composite monitor were stunning - even visiting representatives from IBM were shocked.