Burgertime FAQ(version 0.4.0)

Burgertime FAQ(version 0.4.0)
An old Apple game(originally on the arcade but this FAQ is for the Apple
version.)

By Andrew Schultz([email protected])

This is part of my contribution to the efforts to preserve the memory of
great old apple games. Note that this is NOT a FAQ for the ARCADE
version of Burgertime but a FAQ for the Apple version distributed as a
*.dsk file on Asimov.net.

***************AD SPACE************
My home page:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762
My Apple games page:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2762/games

************************************************
Brief outline:

GENERAL STUFF

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

GAME CONTROLS

OBJECT

HOW POINTS ARE SCORED

LEVEL ATTRIBUTES

MAPS

STRATEGIES

STRATEGIES BY LEVEL

MISCELLANEOUS

VERSIONS/CREDITS
************************************************

GENERAL STUFF

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Peter Pepper-the protagonist of this game.

Hot dogs-monsters.
Fried eggs-more monsters.
Pickles-yet more monsters. They begin to appear on level 3.
French fries/coffee/popcorn: allow Peter Pepper to shake pepper at
the baddies(no, I'm not sure how, either!)

GAME CONTROLS

I=up, J=left, L=right, K=down.
S=shake pepper(in the direction Peter Pepper is headed)
[space] = stay still
ctrl-R = reset game
ctrl-C(before the game) is a cheat on the cracked Burgertime at
asimov.net which gives unlimited pepper and chefs.
Q toggles sound
Esc pauses the game
H pulls up a help menu.

OBJECT

The object is pretty simple. You as Peter Pepper must make sandwiches
fall to receptacles on the bottom. This is done by running over the
length of them--it needn't be done all at once. Fast foods like hot
dogs, eggs, and pickles will try to hinder Peter(he will die if they
touch him) but he has a weapon in his ability to throw pepper. He can
also make the bun fall on them(they disappear and reappear on the
bottom) or get them to fall with the bun(they are stunned for a bit but
then climb back up.) A level is complete when there are no more
sandwich parts for Peter Pepper to run over. He does a little dance and
then the next level pops up.

HOW POINTS ARE SCORED

You get 50 points each time a bun falls from one platform down to the
next. There is no bonus for chain reactions, but dropping, say, a bun
three levels(with a monster on it) gets you 150 points for the bun. You
gain points as buns fall below it, too.
The pepper is worth 500(ice cream/popcorn?), 1000(coffee), or
1500(french fries) points depending on if the current level mod 3 is 1,
2, or 0.
You get 500 points for each monster you get to fall down on the bun with
you.
You get 100 points for squashing a monster as a bun falls down. The
monsters appear below.

LEVEL ATTRIBUTES

"Drops" refers to the total number of platforms the top buns need to
drop to get to the next level.

1:18 drops to level 2. You're as fast as the monsters. Popcorn(worth
500)
2:20 drops to level 3. You're again as fast as the monsters. There are
some "dead ends" here.
3:Pickles are introduced along with two more sandwich components.
4:The monsters are a little faster than you.
5:The first long platforms without ladders are introduced.
6:The first extended "dead end" platforms are introduced.
7:The first compartment away from the rest of the board(lower right)
pops into place.

MAPS

Each map is drawn as near to the game as text will allow. When you hit
level 13 the maps recycle to level 1, but the monsters don't slow down.

Key to maps:
1 = top of bun
2 = lettuce
3 = meat
4 = bottom of bun
5 = spam(?) Might really be tomato. The apple doesn't have the color
for cheese.
6 = frozen meat(?) Might have freezer-burn. Is this a Social Statement
on the Fast Food industry?
_ = free space
H = ladder
P = where pepper is found(as a general rule, three platforms below the
top middle.)
^ = where the burgers wind up

NOTE: Sometimes a ladder will bisect a part of a hamburger. In that
case, I put the ladder in there and it is assumed that the bun and
ladder coincide.

Level 1

_______________111111111___111111111___111111111___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH111111111HHH HHH HHH222222222HHH222222222HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH___HHH___PPP HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
___222222222HHH HHH HHH HHH333333333HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH222222222HHH333333333HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH444444444HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH333333333HHH333333333HHH_________HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH444444444HHH444444444HHH444444444HHH___HHH___HHH

\ / \ / \ / \ /
------- ------- ------- -------

Level 2

___111111111___111111111___111111111___111111111___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH222222222HHH222222222HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH333333333HHH HHH HHH___HHH___HHH222222222HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH333333333PPP HHH HHH333333333HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH444444444HHH___HHH___HHH___HHH___HHH444444444HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH222222222___
HHH HHH HHH
______HHH___HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH333333333___
HHH HHH HHH
___444444444HHH444444444___
\ / HHH \ /
------- HHH -------
HHH
HHH
\ / \ /
------- -------

Level 3

___111111111___111111111___111111111___111111111___
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH_________HHH555555555___555555555_______________
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH666666666HHH_________HHH HHH666666666HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH444444444___444444444PPP444444444HHH444444444HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH___HHH______
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH___HHH___HHH_________HHH
\ /HHH HHH\ /
------- HHH HHH -------
HHH HHH
___111111111HHH HHH111111111___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH222222222HHH HHH222222222HHH
HHH HHH HHH\ / \ /HHH HHH HHH
HHH444444444HHH ------- ------- HHH444444444HHH
HHH HHH
HHH_____________________HHH
\ /HHH HHH HHH HHH\ /
------- HHH___HHH_________HHH___HHH -------

Level 4

___111111111___111111111___111111111___111111111___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH555555555HHH222222222HHH222222222HHH555555555HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
___222222222___555555555HHH555555555___222222222___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH666666666HHH666666666PPP666666666HHH666666666HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
___333333333___333333333___333333333___333333333___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH666666666HHH666666666HHH666666666HHH666666666HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH333333333___333333333___333333333___333333333HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH444444444HHH444444444HHH444444444HHH444444444HHH

\ / \ / \ / \ /
------- ------- ------- -------

Level 5

_______________111111111___111111111_______________
HHH HHH HHH
HHH____________555555555___555555555______HHH___HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
_______________222222222HHH222222222HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH____________666666666PPP666666666___ HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH____________333333333___333333333HHH___HHH___HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH_________HHH666666666___666666666___ HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH____________333333333___333333333HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH____________444444444___444444444HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH ______HHH___HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH \ / \ /HHH HHH
HHH ------- ------- HHH_________HHH

Level 6

___111111111___ ___111111111___
HHH HHH HHH
___111111111HHH HHH ___111111111HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH555555555___ HHH ___222222222___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
___222222222HHH HHH PPP555555555HHH
HHH HHH HHH
___222222222HHH HHH333333333___
HHH HHH HHH
___333333333HHH HHH222222222HHH
HHH HHH
HHH333333333___ HHH ___444444444___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
___444444444HHH HHH HHH333333333HHH
HHH HHH HHH
___444444444___ HHH HHH____________
HHH HHH hhh HHH
____________HHH HHH444hhh444HHH

\ / \ / \ / \ /
------- ------- ------- -------

Level 7

___111111111___ ___111111111___111111111___
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH222222222HHH111111111HHH222222222HHH222222222___
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH ___222222222HHH___HHH______444444444HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH333333333PPP444444444HHH
HHH HHH
HHH555555555___ HHH
HHH HHH HHH \ /
HHH333333333HHH HHH -------
HHH HHH
HHH ___444444444HHH ___111111111___
HHH HHH HHH\ /HHH HHH
HHH666666666HHH HHH ------- HHH555555555HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH444444444HHH HHH_________HHH333333333HHH
HHH HHH
HHH444444444HHH
\ /
-------
\ / \ /
------- -------

Level 8

___111111111___111111111___
HHH HHH
______HHH______555555555___
HHH HHH
___111111111___333333333HHH_________HHH111111111___
HHH HHH HHH HHH
___222222222___444444444PPP444444444___222222222___
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH333333333HHH HHH333333333HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH666666666HHH HHH_________HHH
HHH HHH\ / \ /HHH HHH
HHH_________HHH ------- ------- HHH666666666HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH333333333HHH111111111___111111111HHH333333333HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
___444444444___555555555___666666666___444444444___
HHH HHH HHH
HHH444444444HHH444444444HHH

\ / \ / \ / \ /
------- ------- ------- -------

Level 9

___111111111___ ___111111111___
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH_________HHH111111111___ HHH_________HHH
HHH HHH
___555555555___222222222___111111111___555555555___
HHH HHH HHH
HHH333333333PPP_________HHH
HHH
______HHH______222222222___
HHH HHH HHH
____________HHH444444444HHH333333333HHH____________
HHH HHH
___333333333___ ___444444444___333333333___
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH444444444HHH HHH444444444HHH

\ / \ / \ / \ /
------- ------- ------- -------

Level 10

___111111111___ ___111111111___111111111___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH222222222HHH HHH_________HHH222222222___
HHH HHH
___333333333HHH111111111PPP HHH333333333___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
___555555555HHH666666666HHH HHH555555555HHH
HHH HHH
___333333333HHH ___666666666HHH333333333___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH666666666HHH HHH444444444HHH666666666___
HHH HHH
___222222222HHH444444444___ HHH222222222___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
___444444444HHH_________HHH HHH444444444HHH
HHH HHH
HHH HHH
HHH HHH
HHH HHH
HHH\ / \ /HHH
HHH ------- ------- HHH
\ /HHH HHH\ /
------- HHH_____________________HHH -------

Level 11

___111111111___________________________111111111___
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
______HHH______ HHH ___111111111___ HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH222222222HHH HHH HHH222222222HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH ___111111111PPP HHH ______HHH___HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH222222222HHH HHH HHH222222222HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
______HHH______ HHH ___333333333___ HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH333333333HHH HHH HHH444444444HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH ___333333333___ HHH ______HHH______
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH_________HHH HHH HHH333333333HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH444444444___444444444______HHH______444444444___

\ / \ / \ / \ /
------- ------- ------- -------

Level 12

_______________111111111___111111111_______________
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH ___222222222___222222222____________HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH___HHH______555555555___555555555___ HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH ___666666666PPP666666666______HHH___HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH____________333333333___333333333___ HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH ___222222222___222222222______HHH___HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH___HHH______555555555___555555555___ HHH
HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH ___444444444___444444444____________HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH___HHH___HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH HHH
HHH HHH HHH\ / \ /HHH HHH HHH
HHH___HHH___HHH ------- ------- HHH___HHH___HHH

STRATEGIES

Time is never on your side, and after level 2 it isn't even neutral.
The monsters can turn and run faster than you on the later levels. It's
best to get them out of the way by running over a bun with them close
by. Also with regard to monster speed you will want to negate it a bit
by moving in advance. In other words, if you are moving left and know
you want to climb up, push I to go up before you hit the stairs. This
may backfire in cases where you are climbing up stairs and there are two
platforms to the left in a row--you just need to work on your timing in
this case to make sure Peter does not try to go back down the ladder,
which would be a disaster with Mr. Egg in hot pursuit.

Although knocking off the top buns quickly would seem to get you through
the levels, it is better to go for the lower buns first on the earlier
stages and try to get monsters to fall with them. The reason for this
is that pepper appears based on how many monsters you've taken out of
commission. It appears after the third, sixth, and twelfth monsters
trashed(squashed or dropped on a bun) respectively.

If a bun falls while a monster is on it(pepper or no) it will fall
further(three levels, as opposed to one) as a result. In some cases you
can knock monsters and levels out pretty quickly.

Don't use pepper unless you would lose a life otherwise, and stock up on
pepper in the early levels while you can. Sell your life dearly when
you have pepper and are on your last man, but try to be efficient. One
good strategy is, with several monsters following you, to turn quickly
and shake the pepper. If they're too close it won't work.

Wait up for a monster and drop him down with a bun if you can. Every
time a bun drops off with a monster on it, it drops three levels instead
of the usual one. In some cases you can drop the monster again if you
are quick enough, but if the monster starts shaking back and forth to
consciousness, don't press your luck.

Monsters seem to turn off some times randomly when they are on a ladder.
Use this fact to your advantage. And more importantly, say you are
above and to the left of a monster. If it is going left and has a
choice between going up or left, it will go up. Another fact to use to
your advantage--you can force monsters to commit and then deke them out,
as they cannot backtrack.

To go as quickly as you can, you can often anticipate your next move.
For instance, if you are going left and want to climb up the stairs, hit
I and you will go up at the stairs with no time lost. The downside of
this is that if you are going up/down and hit a horizontal direction,
you will go left/right if you have just passed a stair.

Be aware that if there is not much left when you lose a life, it will be
very tough to get through the level, since walking over buns is a great
defensive tactic. If there is one bun left, you will have to go
directly for it, since the monsters are faster than you. You'll risk
losing some pepper.

Burgers that are split by ladders are probably the toughest. However,
if you have enough time, or you want to use a pepper, you can turn the
tables on a monster chasing you up/down the stairs and send him down.

You can also, with perfect timing, run at a monster and drop him with
the bun. This should be a last-gasp tactic, though, unless you can get
VERY good at it. He needs to be just barely touching the bun.

STRATEGIES BY LEVEL

1. You probably won't want to go through this level quickly, and in
fact, it may be a good way to learn more subtle techniques. In this
level monsters are not as fast as you, and they frequently switch from
left/right to up/down even if they are coming right at you.
2. Lots of strategies will work here. The monsters haven't gotten much
cleverer, but I recommend leaving the bottom part for last since you
might get trapped there if you do it too soon.
3. Although the sandwiches in the lower left/right are only three high,
they may be the toughest to complete. Go directly for one, then switch
sides and try for the other. Timing can be critical. Wait by the
bottom bun until a hot dog follows you. Then go to the top of the
three-high bun and run across and down. Once the other hot dog has
committed, run to the left and down and take out the other side--the
monsters will be close together and you can buy a lot of time by sinking
them at once. You should be able to pick up the fries that will appear.
4. Rather easy if you go immediately to the top, but playing around on
the bottom for a while will net you extra points and more pepper. You
can squash a lot of monsters with all those buns. Note this is the
first level where the monsters are actually faster than you are. This
is the first level where having just one bun left becomes a real
nuisance.
5. Go straight up. The pickle should turn away from you but you should
probably juke down a bit to make sure. Use the pepper early to avoid
losing chefs, and try to get a monster to fall with each bun. Again, if
you lose just before the end, it will be hard to finish the task unless
you use a lot more pepper than you really want to.
6. Go immediately right, all the way up the ladder, left and up and
left. Catch a monster on the way down and you'll be off to a good
start. Note that if you stay on the top center, monsters will not be
able to find you but will continually go in circles. They will circle
around below. Use this to your advantage. The burgers on the wings are
the most annoying. Note that the top bun will need to drop five levels.
You'll want to drop the bun without monsters the first two times since
the left is very hard to access. And what you'll probably want to do on
the ends is to squash as many monsters as you can--it's easy to get
stranded, but if your timing is right you may get through the level
unscathed. The right side is not so bad. You can drop a monster with
the burger more easily on the right-hand side, since if you are killed
you can just pick that burger off last.
7. This may automatically take two men. I prefer to go immediately up
and to the top left of the small platform. After you catch a monster
with the lettuce, go back around. The last burger to take care of
should be the one in the lower right. You can often get monsters stuck
if you are able to make it to the far right, and you can juke them out.
It's often a matter of starting things, but once you get rolling, you
can get a huge part of the level cleared with little trouble(they may
circle between the two platforms on the center right!)
8. Climb up, right, and up. When the pickle comes down at you go off
to the right. He will be faked off to the right and you can continue
your climb. At some point you want to buy time to knock off the top
burgers, as they are the toughest to navigate. Eventually you will want
to get a bunch of monsters to follow you and go down below the two
middle burger trays--you'll knock off a lot of monsters, buy time, and
get rid of the two burgers at the center bottom.
9. There are lots of cul-de-sacs here which will force you to use
pepper or lose a life. Try to navigate them so you fake the monsters
into thinking you're going one way, and then go the other. For
instance, for the buns at the top right, you can go left from the stair
below it. Go up the left stair and wait just before you get halfway.
The monsters will come around to the left. You will probably not want
to bring a monster down with the bun until you run over the bun again--
otherwise you will have to go to the bottom right in order to finish the
deal off, which will cost you a life. You really need to plan on this
level.
10. You may need to sacrifice a life here; either side can be cleared
individually with relative ease, but clearing both sides at once is a
much tougher trick. Also, to complete the left side off the bat(which
might be a good idea--you cannot pick up pepper from the right side) you
will need to go left and up IMMEDIATELY and then go right before you get
to the top of the stairs. From there, you can probably fake the
monsters out until you have dropped all the buns you can.
11. Unfortunately, you cannot wait for infinite peppers. You can
strand yourself on the stairs just left of center, and then time
monsters' arrivals(they will circle about until you get to the
bottom/top of your flight of stairs) so that you can drop a bunch at
once. I've always had trouble with this level, so I can't really give
detailed advice.
12. Pray, or cheat, or have lots of peppers stored. But seriously,
this level seems close to impossible. The problem is that every time a
bun drops, it will drop one or three levels. That means you'll have to
move to the other side(and you're probably best off bringing a monster
down with the bun, or you'll be switching sides a lot!)

MISCELLANEOUS

Extra men are awarded after 10000, 20000, 40000, 60000, and 80000. They
are not awarded after that, which seems a bit unfair given the game's
complexity.
If you drop the final burger and run into a monster, you will not lose a
life.

-------------------------------------------

VERSIONS/CREDITS

0.1.0 created 9/14/2000--contains maps of levels 1-10 and a general
outline.
0.2.0 Made bigger maps and included levels 11 and 12. Included some
strategies.
0.4.0 A bit more on strategies and touched up maps, miscellaneous and
pepper information.

In future versions I plan to flesh out strategies even more.

Credits: asimov.net for the disk image of Burgertime. Didn't even know
this was an apple game until I saw it there!
My contact info: [email protected]