Burrito Bison: More fun than a bull in a candy shop

Burrito Bison gets trapped in Candy Land after an unfortunate shopping incident and he needs to launch his way out. The alarm on the tiny Mexican man’s face in the introductory comic tells me this is serious business.

By George, I need to get that bison home free to continue his shopping!

Why it’s Awesome

Instead of the basic “launch and watch it go” gameplay that some launchers have, Burrito Bison requires you to actively body slam down on fleeing gummies to keep yourself from plummeting to a halt. You only get a certain amount of body slams at the start of a launch. They can be upgraded in amount, and they can be recharged as you bounce on gummies. Body slamming is the only real strategic tool you have, as you need to determine whether you need to use your slams on special gummies or on the cops that will otherwise stop you in your tracks. It’s not the most complicated mechanic, but it keeps things interesting.

You will come across several types of special gummy bears during your flight-venture, each of which occurring more frequently as you upgrade their chances. Some specials are only boots or money, while others require you to actively control them to get more air and speed. The longer you play, the more you will find yourself riding on special gummies more than you will find yourself body slamming into them. As such, the game actually gets to be less about thinking about what you’re going to do and more about how lucky you get as time goes on.

The Downside

My one complaint about the game is how long it takes to get upgrades. Money is tight, and you will find yourself grind-launching just to get enough money for a single upgrade. As a matter of fact, you will spend the vast majority of your time grinding for money instead of trying to progress. This artificial difficulty/time wasting is my only real issue with the game. The visuals are nice and colorful, the music fits, and the launching is fun — but the grinding is a big downer, especially since some of the launches just feel like they take so long.

Despite the grinding aspect of the game, Burrito Bison still stands as one of the better launcher game options today. It might not be the newest and it might not look as good as its sequel, but it is still some good fun. Just be prepared to sink some time into grinding for upgrades, because the game really really wants you to spend as much time with it as possible.

I have a mixed relationship with launcher games. I usually don’t care for them, but a special few are fun and polished enough to make me like them. Burrito Bison is one of the better launchers out there, and is one of the best known. It’s bright, it’s colorful, and at times it’s completely and utterly enraging. It’s everything you could want from your typical launcher!