Sneak King
Encyclopedia
Sneak King is an advergaming
title from Burger King
for the Xbox
and Xbox 360
video game console
s. On November 19, 2006, Burger King started selling it for an additional $3.99 USD ($4.99 in Canada) with any value meal. It is one of three titles
released by Burger King and developed by Blitz Games
.
, the mascot
for Burger King, attempting to sneak around and deliver Burger King meals to hungry people, whoever they may be. Gamerscore is rewarded for achieving certain goals or style on the Xbox 360 version.
The general gameplay borrows from games such as Metal Gear Solid
and Manhunt
. Other characters have a blue "cone of vision" in front of them, if the player walks into this cone or if a character approaches the player will be spotted. The King also makes noise as he runs, being too loud will alert nearby characters. Silence and stealth are the primary means of food delivery. Food may also only be delivered if a hunger icon appears above a character. Characters that are hungry for too long will eventually pass out from hunger for a few minutes, encouraging quick delivery. However, the more hungry a character gets, the more points awarded for delivery. The hunger icon will change from green to red, finally flashing prior to the character passing out. A character who spots the King may not become interested again. In addition to merely sneaking up behind a character, the King may also hide in various locations and surprise a character with food when they approach. Hiding typically awards more points. It is not possible to deliver food in sandbox mode nor will characters either see or hear the King. The types of food the King can deliver are those which are found also in the fast food restaurant itself, Burger King
. These include Whopper
s, BK Joes, French fries
, Croissan'Wiches, and several other types of fast food from Burger King
.
The bottom left-hand corner shows a circular area map, with the noise meter circling the right side. The map displays an area around the player and turns as the player moves, with an arrow pointing north. In free play mode it displays challenge markers. In challenge mode it indicates where NPCs are and their status. Each challenge marker displays a "!" when the challenge has not been accepted. A letter score will be indicated upon completion, and an "X" indicated either challenge failure or quit. Challenges may be retried at any time.
Points are awarded based on how hungry a character is, player stealth, proximity to an NPC and other style points. When presenting food, a Flourish meter appears which quickly fills and empties, requiring a timed button press. The higher the flourish meter, the more style points awarded and the more elaborate the food delivery display. Pushing nothing results in a standard delivery. The memorable catchphrase Sir Shake-A-Lot utters after each delivery is "The King - he is so sneaky!"
Fulfilling half the challenges on a level opens the way to the next level. Once all 80 challenges are completed, the Stealth Suit is unlocked. Although it makes you look more like a person who would be sneaky, it offers no immediate bonuses towards your gameplay.
stated, "Now this is a game that easily could have been sold for at least $30. The fact that it was almost free with a delicious sandwich really makes this a must-have for any Xbox 360 owner."
Common criticisms of the game include unexciting graphics and a limited amount of dances available after delivering sandwiches. A reviewer at IGN
said, "This game could have easily been run on a PS1."
X-Play
gave the game a one out of five.
Advergaming
Advergaming is the practice of using video games to advertise a product, organization or viewpoint. The term "advergames" was coined in January 2000 by Anthony Giallourakis, and later mentioned by Wireds "Jargon Watch" column in 2001...
title from Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s. On November 19, 2006, Burger King started selling it for an additional $3.99 USD ($4.99 in Canada) with any value meal. It is one of three titles
King Games
King Games was a series of three video games sold at Burger King. The games were available as part of a promotion during the holiday season from late November until December 24, 2006....
released by Burger King and developed by Blitz Games
Blitz Games
Blitz Games is a division of Blitz Games Studios and is responsible for producing its family titles, which are often licensed games based on well known IP. It is located in Warwickshire, England...
.
Overview
The player takes control of The KingThe Burger King
The Burger King was a character created as the advertising mascot for the international fast-food restaurant franchise Burger King who became famous in numerous television commercials, including the Burger King Kingdom. The first iteration of the King was part of Burger King sign at the first store...
, the mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for Burger King, attempting to sneak around and deliver Burger King meals to hungry people, whoever they may be. Gamerscore is rewarded for achieving certain goals or style on the Xbox 360 version.
Gameplay
Each level starts with The King in a "sandbox" free play mode in which the King is able to walk around and freely explore the level. It is here the player also selects the challenges: a set of specific rules for food delivery. For example, some missions may require the player to not be spotted, others may require a certain chain combo, etc. After a challenge is completed a letter score will be given. "C" is the most common award, "B" and "A" awarded for better points or faster completion times. There are four levels: Saw Mill, Cul-De-Sac, Construction Zone, and Downtown. Each features a unique map and 20 challenges apiece.The general gameplay borrows from games such as Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
and Manhunt
Manhunt (video game)
Manhunt is a stealth game developed by Rockstar Games. It was released to the public on November 18, 2003 for the PlayStation 2 console, and on April 20, 2004 for Xbox and PC. Although it was generally well-received by critics, Manhunt created a controversy due to the graphic violence the player...
. Other characters have a blue "cone of vision" in front of them, if the player walks into this cone or if a character approaches the player will be spotted. The King also makes noise as he runs, being too loud will alert nearby characters. Silence and stealth are the primary means of food delivery. Food may also only be delivered if a hunger icon appears above a character. Characters that are hungry for too long will eventually pass out from hunger for a few minutes, encouraging quick delivery. However, the more hungry a character gets, the more points awarded for delivery. The hunger icon will change from green to red, finally flashing prior to the character passing out. A character who spots the King may not become interested again. In addition to merely sneaking up behind a character, the King may also hide in various locations and surprise a character with food when they approach. Hiding typically awards more points. It is not possible to deliver food in sandbox mode nor will characters either see or hear the King. The types of food the King can deliver are those which are found also in the fast food restaurant itself, Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
. These include Whopper
Whopper
The Whopper sandwich is the signature hamburger product sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King and its Australian franchise Hungry Jacks. Introduced in 1957, it has undergone several reformulations including resizing and bread changes...
s, BK Joes, French fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
, Croissan'Wiches, and several other types of fast food from Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
.
The bottom left-hand corner shows a circular area map, with the noise meter circling the right side. The map displays an area around the player and turns as the player moves, with an arrow pointing north. In free play mode it displays challenge markers. In challenge mode it indicates where NPCs are and their status. Each challenge marker displays a "!" when the challenge has not been accepted. A letter score will be indicated upon completion, and an "X" indicated either challenge failure or quit. Challenges may be retried at any time.
Points are awarded based on how hungry a character is, player stealth, proximity to an NPC and other style points. When presenting food, a Flourish meter appears which quickly fills and empties, requiring a timed button press. The higher the flourish meter, the more style points awarded and the more elaborate the food delivery display. Pushing nothing results in a standard delivery. The memorable catchphrase Sir Shake-A-Lot utters after each delivery is "The King - he is so sneaky!"
Fulfilling half the challenges on a level opens the way to the next level. Once all 80 challenges are completed, the Stealth Suit is unlocked. Although it makes you look more like a person who would be sneaky, it offers no immediate bonuses towards your gameplay.
Reception
Sneak King has a Metacritic score of 54. Robert Townslend of Game InformerGame Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
stated, "Now this is a game that easily could have been sold for at least $30. The fact that it was almost free with a delicious sandwich really makes this a must-have for any Xbox 360 owner."
Common criticisms of the game include unexciting graphics and a limited amount of dances available after delivering sandwiches. A reviewer at IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
said, "This game could have easily been run on a PS1."
X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
gave the game a one out of five.