Pocketbike Racer

"A mediocre racing game whose purchase can only be justified by the price."

In the past, many odd companies had released video games in an attempt to generate publicity. Companies like Purina and Domino's come to mind with their Chase the Chuckwagon and Avoid the Noid games respectively. More recently, Burger King released a series of three games, Pocketbike Racer being one of them (Big Bumpin' and Sneak King being the other two) for $4 per game. Expectations going into a game made by a fast food company that only costs $4 are probably not going to be high, but you might be pleasantly surprised by the results. Though Pocketbike Racer does nothing to change the racing genre and brings little unique features to the table, it still can be a great deal of fun especially with friends, thanks to a strong multiplayer mode which boasts a few different racing variants.

Pocketbike Racer tries to cash in on the "hottest new trend" you've probably never heard of: racing pocketbikes. The races that these pocketbikes take place in are far from normal. You start off by selecting a character, either a Burger King mascot, ranging from The King to Whopper Jr., or a generic character. After that, you select a track that usual is either Burger King themed or has nothing to do with fast food at all. Oddly enough, from the pocketbikes you can select, some are never permanently unlocked. Thankfully, most of those pocketbikes are only usable in higher race speeds which you won't want to race on anyway.

Racing is fun but brings nothing unique to the table. You can fill up a bar on the right side of the screen to use some generic weapons or instead use that same bar for a quick speed boost. That's about it, and all you do otherwise is race. Due to glitches, your pocketbike will often get stuck in walls on the race track or sometimes in the pocketbikes belonging to other racers. Going off of the track makes you wait a few seconds before being placed back on the track. However, it is far too easy to drive off of certain tracks.

The graphics in the game aren't going to turn any heads, and neither will the music. There is no voice acting to be heard anywhere in the game, and the sound effects and music get repetitious fast. The game controls well if you're racing at lower speeds, but at high speeds the game controls horribly. You'll be driving off of the track or crashing into objects around every corner. Considering how much you're paying for this game, these complaints can be overlooked as the don't completely ruin the experience.

Grading Scales:
GAMEPLAY- 7/10
GRAPHICS- 5/10
SOUND/MUSIC- 5/10
REPLAYABILITY: 5/10
LENGTH: 5/10
VALUE: 10/10
CONTROLS: 5/10
MULTIPLAYER: 7/10
STORY (Not factored into average): N/A
FINAL SCORE: 7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/09/07, Updated 09/02/09

Game Release: Pocketbike Racer (US, 11/19/06)