I really like it when I can get food and something other than a miniature movie tie-in toy at the same place. Of course, such opportunities rarely happen. I have gotten all kinds of unique items from Burger King, McD's and the like, but this is a premium that's a bit higher on the "cool" scale than my ancient Nightmare Before Christmas watch collection. Like those timepieces from yesterday, these games do not come with any items, but are only available to purchase separately for $3.99-- if you have bought a combo in the same purchase. Burger King has immersed their iconic mascot into a mixed up world of motocross and cart-crashing action. 

PocketBike Racer is an odd looking game at first glance, but it's got some thrills under the mini fenders. For those that don't know, "pocket" bikes are those annoying little shrunken "toys" that are small versions of cafe style racing motorcycles. The term is a take on the bigger namesake coined as "Rocket Bikes". These mini cycles are about the right size for... an Oompa Loompa. So, having the King and his robe on this little thing is humorous to see. Or, you can choose one of the other characters available, but who'd choose a chicken or uber-babe Brooke Burke? No, when I think silly racing, I want to be the King. Oddly enough, the game is played like any of the zillion Mario Kart clones out there. I just hadn't thought too much about risking life and limb with my knees so... exposed. But, like the MK types, you buzz through one of five courses on the bike of your choice (from 50cc to 150cc) and knock your way into victory. It is essentially packed with the bare minimum of weapons and driving obstacles. No more, no less. You can go online and play for some added thrills and challenge. This is an "extra" that could have easily been omitted, but to their credit, the online multiplayer ability is a great expansion to an otherwise average offering. Note to youngsters: a crown is a poor replacement for a helmet!

The graphics look good for a low cost title. I have seen some free online games that look sharper, but have also seen some pricey games that look much worse. The playable characters look pretty sweet-- including the Whopper Jr. Hey-- it's not easy to make a sandwich on a motorcycle look good. Even the backgrounds look decent, though there isn't much detail and most areas are rather generic.

The sound effects are rather lacking, though the bikes do sound good. They had the real thing to sample, since they exist in the real world, so it works well to incorporate that into the game. Aside from that, the "noise" is rather generic and canned. 

The game is easy to play and can be a lot of fun when played with groups of people. Against the AI, it isn't bad, either. It's just a bit too much like too many other games that came before it-- adding only a new twist on the vehicles involved. It's the fun of mini-bikes with some nice weaponry to make things interesting for your opponents!  

*Though playable on the Xbox or Xbox 360, this review is for the original Xbox version.

Gameplay: 6.5
Aside from choosing your player, the only challenges lie in staying in the lead and/or winning. Just jump in and go. Thankfully, there's nothing much to learn other than strategy. It's player-friendly-- even for younger players that may not have played games like this-- for years.   

Graphics: 5.5 
The graphics lack depth, detail and interest. Aside from that, they're great-- for a $4 game. I have seen far worse games for much more money. The gameplay is decent enough that you won't miss the snazzy looks found in similar games. 

Sound: 6.5
The audio is decent, especially the sound of the mini-engines. I don't like the sound of those toy bikes, but to the game's credit, they sound (annoyingly) real enough to make you think they're coming at you. Other sound FX are not much to listen to. 

Difficulty: Easy
The game is pretty easy to learn and play well. It's got some challenge, but nothing that will strain you too much. The steering is tricky, but I don't know how well the real-life counterparts handle, either.

Concept: 4.5
This game is closely related, in its styles and objectives, to Mario Kart and the numerous clones of that classic. I have not seen this scenario on little cycles before, but that does not mean it's never been done.     

Overall: 6.5
PocketBike is more like an angry BMX game, which isn't so new to me. To be able to play something so familiar, yet give it a twist by incorporating The King, for a few bucks is pretty nice. I'm sure there are online (free) games that are as good, but probably at the cost of pop-ups and other trade-offs. This game is a great value and can be a lot of fun-- online or at home. It's hard to mess up this genre as long as the controls are decent-- which they are. Straddle the bitty-bike (I'm trade-marking that term!!) playing as Brooke Burke, or a grilled sandwich, and have a blast!