Peter Pepper
The chef controlled by the player. He assembles the hamburgers and uses pepper to briefly stop enemies.
Documented for this version
Arrow Up | Climb a ladder upward |
|---|---|
Arrow Down | Climb a ladder downward |
Arrow Left | Move left |
Arrow Right | Move right |
A | Sprinkle pepper Pepper temporarily stuns an enemy. |
Directional controls are used for movement and ladders.
Button labels reflect the NES controller.
How it plays
Each stage is viewed from a fixed side-on perspective. Peter Pepper moves across platforms, climbs ladders, and walks over burger ingredients to make them fall one level at a time. A complete burger requires all of its layers to reach the serving area.
Mr. Egg, Mr. Pickle, and Mr. Hot Dog patrol the structure and can cost a life on contact. Pepper temporarily stuns an enemy, but the supply is limited. Progress comes from completing successive burger layouts, while careful timing, ladder selection, and ingredient drops are more important than simply moving quickly.
Plan your run
Plan a safe route before stepping onto an ingredient. Dropping a layer can change which ladders remain accessible, so avoid trapping Peter Pepper on an isolated platform.
Save pepper for situations where an enemy blocks a narrow route or reaches the same ladder. Use falling ingredients to crush enemies when possible, then finish the remaining layers while the path is clear.
Meet the cast
The chef controlled by the player. He assembles the hamburgers and uses pepper to briefly stop enemies.
A food-shaped enemy that patrols the platforms and ladders.
A pursuing enemy that interferes with Peter Pepper’s routes.
A food-shaped enemy that chases the player through the stages.
Before you begin
Use completed or falling ingredients to eliminate enemies whenever possible.
Do not spend pepper merely to save a few steps; it is most valuable near ladders and dead ends.
BurgerTime is an arcade-action platform game developed and published by Data East for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The player controls chef Peter Pepper, who must assemble hamburgers by walking across the ingredients and dropping them onto lower platforms. Food-shaped enemies pursue him through compact, ladder-filled stages, creating a balance between route planning and quick movement. The NES version adapts Data East’s early-1980s arcade concept for home play with multiple stages and a limited supply of pepper. Its straightforward rules, distinctive food theme, and demanding enemy timing made it a recognizable arcade conversion, although its repetition and unforgiving mistakes reflect its coin-operated origins.
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