Pizza Frenzy

Infobox VG
title= Pizza Frenzy


caption= Screenshot from Pizza Frenzy
developer= PopCap Games (formerly by Sprout Games)
publisher= PopCap Games (previously by GameHouse)
distributor= Various
designer= James Gwertzman, Del Chafe and Ed Allard
series=
engine=
version= 5.8.30.1
released= February 2, 2005
genre= Action
modes= Single Player
ratings = ESRB: Everyone (E)
platforms= Windows
media= CD, Online Download
requirements= OS: Win 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista. Memory: 128 MB RAM. DirectX: 7.0. Processor: Pentium II, 350MHz or faster.
input= Keyboard, Mouse

"Pizza Frenzy" is an arcade-style pizza delivery game written by Sprout Games and published by PopCap Games. A trial Windows version of the game can be downloaded and played for an hour, with full capabilities unlockable for a fee.

Gameplay

The objective of "Pizza Frenzy" is to quickly deliver the correct pizzas to customers. The game levels take place in a number of different locations, with each location having a unique topography, including two or more pizza kitchens. Each of these kitchens is responsible for producing and delivery pizzas with a specific topping. During gameplay, customers will appear with an icon representing a specific pizza topping they are calling to order. This icon must be clicked, and the player must then click the correct pizza kitchen in order to dispatch the needed pizza to the customer. If players take too long, or try to deliver the wrong pizza, the customer hangs up the phone, causing a decrease in overall customer satisfaction. If customer satisfaction dips low enough, the game ends.

Additional game modes include:
* "Memory" mode, where waiting orders quickly turn into question marks, requiring memorization skills in order to remember what each customer requested.
* "Simon Says" mode, where orders must be delivered in the order in which they were received.

Bonuses

Bonuses can be earned by delivering a number of pizzas with the same topping in a row. When five such similar orders are collected in a row, the titular "frenzy" along with associated bonus profits are earned. In order to facilitate this, the game provides coupons which allow substituting one pizza with another by paying a certain fee. The price per coupon increases each time the coupon is used, so they must be used sparingly. Continued orders for the same pizza can lead to a "double frenzy" or higher bonus.

After earning frenzies with a pizza topping, the topping may improve in quality and price between game levels. The higher the existing "level" of the ingredient, the larger a frenzy is needed to again cause an increase. Higher level toppings not only earn more money, but allow multiple orders to be gathered at a time before having to click on the kitchen to fulfill those orders.

If every pizza order on a level is successfully fulfilled, a blimp passes out additional bonus money in the form of parachuting sacks.

Toppings

Before every level starts, the player picks which pizza toppings will be available for order on that level. The number of kitchens varies by level, but ranges from two to four. The actual topping selected for a kitchen has no impact on the game, with the caveat that higher level toppings earn more money.

After a certain number of levels are completed, the player earns or unlocks an additional topping of his or her choice. The new toppings from which the player can choose include both standard toppings (e.g. olives or mushrooms), as well as items not normally associated with pizza (e.g. donuts, chocolate or french fries).

Callers

After the initial game levels, some percentage of the callers placing orders are actually criminals intent on hurting the pizza business. These include vandals, prank callers, and thieves. If players mistakingly take an order from such an individual, profits will be lost or the player's reputation will suffer. Instead, players must click on a police station when such a caller is observed, causing the police to arrest the individual and to provide a monetary reward. Although it can be difficult to spot criminals amidst the fast-paced flurry of mouse clicks, their presence is often alerted by a specific auditory cue.

The game also includes callers who have other (not necessarily negative) effects when their orders are successfully placed. Such callers include a chatty female customer or a gossip who convinces other waiting customers to change their orders to match hers, a banker who collects tips for a brief period of time so that the player can focus on other things, a movie star who gives huge tips, and a monk who causes time to temporarily slow down. [cite web | url=http://www.grrlgamer.com/review.php?g=pizzafrenzy | title=GRRLGAMER - Reviews - Pizza Frenzy | publisher=GrrlGamer.com | accessdate=2007-06-25]

Reception

The GameSpot review of the title praised its uniqueness and sense of humor, while noting that it rarely reaches the titular frenzied level of action, instead displaying a lack of sustained difficulty. Nonetheless, the reviewer did apparently appreciate the game's music and style, leading to an overall score of 7.4 out of 10. [cite web | url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/pizzafrenzy/review.html | title=Pizza Frenzy for PC Review | publisher=GameSpot.com | date=2005-11-01]

References

External links

* [http://www.popcap.com/ PopCap Games]
* [http://www.popcap.com/games/pizzafenzy Official Homepage]