Life for Chef Peter Pepper has not always been easy. Throughout the adventures in which this portly cook has starred, he’s had to combat all manner of errant food and hazards in order to satisfy his impatient customers. Join Antstream Arcade as we take a look back at the ups and downs in the career of Data East’s short-order legend.
After graduating from chef school in the late Seventies, Peter Pepper began to slowly work his way up the restaurant ladder. Peter’s speciality was burgers, and as any short-order cook worth his salt could do, he was able to juggle multiple orders at once, despatching them to the pass on time, every time, ensuring his fast food restaurant lived up to its description. Life was good, and Peter was busy – but happy.
Then, one day, something bizarre happened. Peter’s ingredients, the little extras that he added to
his burgers, suddenly grew in size and came to life. Joined by the goggle-eyed Mr. Hot Dog, the
pickles and fried eggs sprouted legs and begun to stalk the poor chef around his kitchen. Now Peter had to contend with this deadly grub while still preparing juicy burgers for the waiting customers, his only defence, somewhat appropriately, his helpful pepper spray. Throughout the maze-like corridors of the kitchen, Peter dodged and cooked throughout this manic day until every customer had received their burger, complete with a slice of bright green crispy lettuce.
It was the most testing of times for the talented Peter Pepper, and a day that gave him the
confidence to take on any challenge. Peter handed in his notice at the fast food restaurant (leaving
behind a rather chaotic mess) and started his own business, an ice cream parlour called Peter
Pepper’s Ice Cream Factory. As adept with icy cones as he was with burgers, the Factory was
successful, churning out the cool treats for children and adults alike. But then it happened again, only this time it was even worse.
Now, in addition to food such as eggs and doughnuts, Peter’s kitchen scales began to chase him
around his parlour, along with empty milk bottles and strawberries. Fortunately, the chef had
learned from his previous experience, and could now leap over his emboldened pursuers while
pushing cookies and ice cream into the waiting cones. Undeterred by this latest calamity, Peter
opened his very own diner, only to run into a familiar foe in Mr. Hot Dog, together with Mugsy, the
evil Mug o’ Root Beer. Now serving a varied breakfast, lunch and dinner to marginally-more patient customers, Peter was starting to wonder just why his kitchens always came to life. Was there something more sinister at work? Were his travails, distressing to him, merely about providing entertainment for others? Was every day destined to be a manic sundae for this courageous cook?
But alas, he knew no other trade. Returning to his fast-food roots, Peter began cooking burgers once more in another hot and frenzied environment. Realising he needed help, he enlisted the services of a fellow chef, and together they used their implements to beat down the nefarious ingredients of this new kitchen. There’s that pesky hot dog, along with eggs, pickles, beans, carrots and all manner of walking vegetables, determined to hamper the chefs’ line of lovely burgers.
After a brief world tour a few years later, where Peter showed off his culinary skills in a grand voyage across the globe, our cheffing hero returned to what he does best: making burgers swiftly and under pressure from menacing ingredients. It may be hard work, but it’s what he loves, and what he does best. Well, most of the time.
Relive the adventures of Peter Pepper on Antstream Arcade with the original BurgerTime, Peter
Pepper’s Ice Cream Factor and Super BurgerTime, all ready to stream to you compatible device!