"Hot Dog King" Review (PC)

Developer: Fuzzyeyes Studio
Publisher: Meridian4
Genre: Business
ESRB Rating: T for Teen for Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence

Pros:

• Help from the mob
• 4-Part Tutorials
• Mini-games
• Player personality traits

Cons:

• Cannot customize restaurants
• Focuses too much on the girls (staff), not business

"Hot Dog King" Review

Pizza. Hot Dogs. Girls. New York. Soda. Bikinis. All things that you'll find in "Hot Dog King." The combination makes for a different kind of business sim by putting in interactions between the boss and staff members.

You have a few choices when starting "Hot Dog King." I always read the directions first, so I started with the tutorial. A four part tutorial, non of which were mandatory. The humor just didn't work and the explanations were long winded. That aside, it did the job of making sure I knew how to find my way around.

Before you get knee deep in fast food, the decision on your playing personality has to be made. Fashion, Commercial, and Personnel are the choices. Advantages come in the form of cheaper prices and increased reputation.

You have your choice of 3 cities to start your franchise - Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles. The cities are further divided into sections, such as residential, the harbor, industrial, and commercial. Each of the divisions has different needs. Some customers just want good food. Others don't need a gourmet quality hot dog as long as they have eye candy (read as: barely dressed girls in string bikinis) serving their lunch.

The staff is a big part of the game. The girls need to be happy and well liked by the customers. If you don't have this going for you, you're doomed. Recruiting the right staff member is not difficult. "Hot Dog King" gives you a good number of choices. Some girls have a good work ethic. Others have the body. Some are dressed conservatively compared to the girls in bathing suits. The right combo (skills and appearance) is available if you have the cash to pay.

Staff members are assigned to specific areas of work. Four positions need to be filled (not all available right away). Two counter stations, a food station, and a maintenance station.

Once you get the customers in the door, they'll want their favorite foods and quickly. Snack foods, main meal items, and drinks are on the menu. Figuring out what to buy depends on the equipment you have to prepare food and what customers bought the day before. Selling out of an item is a sure sign you need to make sure you lots on hand. Give the customers what they want; it's good business sense. The price of all the items you sell can be lowered or raised.

New equipment can be purchased after you buy shop upgrades. Each level will open up new equipment, decor, and allow you to buy better food to serve. Prepackaged food (only thing available with no upgrades) will not keep all customers happy for every long. Pizza and other specialty food is key for some areas of the city.

Between the campaign modes (your goal is to dominate all 3 cities) and quick start modes (free mode or choose a city with a specific mission), you should find that the replay value is there; especially when you combine the difficulty levels and the personalities.

Life sim fans (who don't get into business games) will like the focus on the human aspect of taking care of the staff. You won't find a deep business simulation here. The play is lopsided towards the girls, not what is best for the business. It's difficult to send a girl on vacation, when there are shop upgrades to purchase. Besides when was the last time your boss sent you on vacation to a tropical island with no business agenda to handle. Never? Yeah, me too.