Easy points make this the best of Burker King’s recently released trio of games.
Originally written on December 11, 2006.
When you pay four dollars for a game, its probably best to keep expectations in check. Burger King’s recently released batch of games are pretty much only worth getting as a novelty or as a means of earning a few more coveted Achievement Points. Given that gaining points is the only reason many will play these games, Pocketbike Racer fits that bill perfectly as its the easiest and most painless gamein terms of getting many points with minimal effort. The game is a kart racer, not unlike games like Mario Kart or Diddy Kong Racing. The game controls quite well and allows you to drift by using the “A” button as a handbrake. The tracks are usually littered with pairs of pylons that, when driven through, grant you some power to use in the form of various weapons and abilities. You can boost, use a defensive shield, launch rockets at opponents, use a blinding flash that typically causes AI-controlled players to drive off the course or crash into walls and stop and a few other things as well. There is also a mode where all power ups are removed and you simply race. This is probably the most challenging mode in the game but its not to hard either.
The game also features a battle mode which is where the game’s bad AI is really made apparent. Since its all about gaining powerups as fast as possible, you don’t need to follow the usual path of the course. The AI seems to realize this after the match is already underway and often gets stuck or disoriented when trying to take advantage of it. It only takes 6 points to win and I’m pretty sure the highest score I ever saw an AI-controlled player get was 3. The game is ridiculously easy but thats really the best part of it. Points are earned for beating all the tournaments in the game (sixteen, it takes awhile but is never hard) as well as simple little tricks such as doing a wheelie for two seconds, a stoppie for half a second or jumping 50 metres. There are also points for winning a game on multiplayer and playing 25 games on Xbox Live. I have yet to play this game on Xbox Live but I’m assuming it isn’t the most popular title on there. Still, as long as you get this game soon, it may be possible to grab those points as I’m sure someone somewhere will be playing it.
All in all, the game is an unspectacular yet easy means of earning 200 points. It also provides a cheap and unique addition to your gaming library as its one of the strangest forms of marketing in recent years. At four dollars, you really can’t go wrong with Pocketbike Racers. My advice, turn on a couple of episodes of the Hotspot and play through everything. It will only take a few hours and you’ll be done with it.
