WHAT’S HOT

   Burgerama is a puzzle game in which you climb
the corporate ladder with the ultimate goal of becoming the "Big
Boss" of the WC Burger company.  There are over 50 unique
levels, 3 soundtracks, and realistic sound effects that make this game
really fun to play. 

SETUP

    To install Burgerama on your Pocket PC,
just launch the setup file, accept the license agreement, and you will
be on the way to fast food bliss.

PROGRAM FEATURES

Burgerama’s "Menu" gives you access to the usual options.   

In addition to the game
board this screen also displays vital information such as the order
window, level indicator, and the cash register.

    Hard
work and dedication are key to climbing the corporate ladder. 
In Burgerama you start out as a "lowly Crew Boy" and make
your way to becoming the "Big Boss" of the WC Burger company. 
  

    The object
of the game is to complete orders as quickly as possible (and by quickly
I mean in as few moves as possible).  The faster you fill orders
the faster your cash register fills up, allowing you to continue to
the next level.  The bottom line is to make money because if the
register isn’t full you won’t be able to move on. 

    The game
starts with simple 2×2 puzzle patterns using the same food items and
progressively gets harder incorporating more complex shapes and using
multiple food items to complete a puzzle.  That is when the game
really gets interesting.   

    You can
fill the orders one by one, but I suggest that you multitask and work
on multiple orders.  If you finish a lot of orders in a consecutive
manner you will score in on combo move points.  Combo moves will
get cash into the register much quicker than completing regular orders
alone. 

    You can
find which orders need to be filled by looking at the right hand corner
of the screen.  A cool thing that eases the order process is that
the orders can be filled in any orientation.  Now here’s the hitch
…there needs to be a clear path from the point where the item is located
to the point where the item will be placed.  The items can’t just
be conveniently placed anywhere you want them to go.  I like this
because it makes the game a little more challenging.  A nice feature
that the game offers is that it highlights all the possible moves once
an item is tapped so you don’t have to worry about analyzing the screen
too much. 

The available moves are
highlighted to help aide your move. 

   There are some
exceptions to these basic rules.  For instance, when a rush order
is placed you must fill the order exactly as it appears in the window. 
It can be difficult to fill these orders especially when there are a
lot of food items on the board.  One thing you should remember
about the rush orders is that the food items must match those in the
order window and the orientation of the items must coincide with the
way they are displayed.  A benefit to completing a rush order is
that you will be tipped extra money.  This helps to fill the cash
register quicker.  You also receive a bonus when you complete a
special order.  Bonuses include an egg, bomb, cash, and a timer. 
In order to receive a bonus you will have to complete an order within
20 seconds after receiving it in the order window.  Depending on
which bonus is displayed you will receive different rewards.  My
personal favorites are the bomb and the wad of cash.  The bomb
will remove any items in the area of a completed order.  The cash
will remove all similar food items that correspond with the completed
order.

    Remember
to think outside the box when filling orders and try to complete them
in the fewest moves possible because the more moves you make the more
food items are placed in the grid.  The game ends once all the
squares in the grid fill up with food.

HELP
SUPPORT

    The tutorial can be accessed from the main
screen.  It covers the basics so I suggest giving it a quick glance
before playing.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

    Burgerama will install
on Pocket PC 2000 (ARM-, MIPS- and SH3-based), Pocket PC 2002, Pocket
PC 2003 and Windows Mobile devices.  The game requires almost 2
mb of memory.

BUGS AND WISHES

    I encountered one noticeable bug while reviewing
Burgerama.  Occasionally while playing the game the Pocket PC would
shut itself down.  At first I thought that it might be my power
saver settings, but I found that it was set to maximum level (five minutes
of inactivity before shutting down).  The worst thing about the
problem was that when I restarted my Pocket PC there was no sound.  I had to quit the game and then restart it to get the sound back. 

    As for wishes …I
would like to see a save game feature added.  The game already
has a resume feature, but that is only good for getting back to the
spot where you were when you finished playing last.  I would like
to be able to start where I left off after I lost rather than having
to go through the tedious process of completing the easy levels over
and over again. 

    In addition I would
like to see more lives added to the game.  This would allow the
player to get to higher levels and have a better chance at seeing the
more than 50 unique levels. 

PURCHASING

    Burgerama can be purchased directly from
the Ballshooter website for $9.95.  They also offer a trial
version of the game.

PROS

• 
  

  50 Unique Levels

• 
  

  Three Soundtracks

• 
  

  Colorful Graphics

CONS

• 
  

  Can’t skip levels

• 
  

  Eggs should be able to be
  placed anywhere

• 
  

  Available moves highlight
  should be darker

OVERALL IMPRESSION

   Burgerama is an easy game to get the hang of and
I think that is what makes it so alluring and fun to play.  It
challenges you to get that higher score and complete an extra level
each time you play.  Give the demo a try if you are unsure whether
to commit, but I think it is worth the $9.95 that Ballshooter is charging. 
I give the game a 9 out of 10.  Discuss this review and let us
know what you think of the game…