EDITOR'S NOTE: This game is one of three special Xbox/Xbox 360 exclusive titles available as part of a new Burger King promotional deal. Each game is $3.99 with the purchase of a BK Value Meal and will only be available for a limited time from November 19 through December 24 at US Burger King branches nationwide. To accommodate users of both consoles, Xbox- and Xbox 360-specific versions are included on every game disc as well.

Coming in above the hilarious-yet-lackluster Sneak King and marginally below the tremendous arcadey bumper cars delightfulness of Big Bumpin', Pocketbike Racer is the third leg of the Burger King Xbox marketing scheme and once again I have come away largely impressed by what Blitz Games has been able to pull off for such a low budget title.

In no way am I comparing the quality of the two (as that would just be off-the-charts ludicrous), but Pocketbike Racer is an arcade racing game in the vein of Mario Kart, only with BK personalities like the King, Brooke Burke and Whopper Jr. mounting miniature motorbikes as their vehicular steeds - and boy do they look ridiculous (which is a big part of the fun here). Atop these motorbikes, the action is a very straightforward take on the kart-racing genre, dishing up enough power sliding, power-up gadgets (shields, projectiles, firecrackers… the usual), speed boosts, crazy course designs and solid steering controls to please any open-minded and un-spoiled fan of this type of game.

There are five tracks, set in locations such as a construction site, a Burger King parking lot (for added in-game advertising!) and a trek through the backyards of a suburban neighborhood, and they all show off a lot of bright colors, beautiful background scenery and challenging layouts, including branching paths, hidden jumps and shortcuts (yep, this game looks great for a budget game too). Five race types accompany the track count, consisting of Standard races, a sort of deathmatch-inspired Battle Royale event, a cone gate slalom in Ultimate Cone Trial mode, a Hardcore Racing mode that strips away all of the power-ups and speed boosts to strictly testing racing skill and, as should be expected, Time Trials, although there isn't a whole lot of actual diversity to differentiate each event all that much. Also, don't expect a spectacular sense of speed with this racer, nor the most exciting engine noises or music.

Pocketbike Racer's single-player component is rather loaded compared to the two other BK titles, thanks to a fairly long series of twelve tournament series to win (there's a Freeplay mode as well). By winning tournaments you can unlock fancier, more powerful bikes to race on, in addition to a portion of the Xbox 360 version's 200 achievement points. That being said, multiplayer is still where this game proves its worth, offering both two to four player split-screen play offline and up to eight players online. Hopping onto Xbox Live and finding a race is a snap, although like Big Bumpin' there aren't a whole lot of people playing online just yet, and races come and go with a satisfyingly quick pace (which makes earning the multiplayer achievements less of a hassle).

Pocketbike Racer is in no way the next coming of kart racers, but as a wallet-friendly arcade game it more than serves its role as an amusing piece of gaming software for the casual audience. It is likewise enjoyable for older gamers too, thanks to a decent roster of multiplayer options, a healthy selection of single player tournaments and some interesting achievements to strive for. I wish there was more variety to the race types, but all in all Pocketbike Racer is good clean fun, and for only a few greenbacks there's no reason not to add it to your videogame library the next time you stop by BK for some grub.

Reviewed by Matt Litten for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).