Heads Up! Hot Dogs Review
Developer: Emmet Butler & Diego Garcia
Publisher: [adult swim]
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPad
Graphics / Sound Rating:





Game Controls Rating:





Gameplay Rating:





Replay Value Rating:





Overall Rating:





From publisher Adult Swim and independent developers Emmet Butler and Diego Garcia, Heads Up! Hot Dogs is an absurd little gem that brings a whole new meaning to street meat. Inexplicably, everyone’s favorite tubular food is falling from the heavens the world over. Across seven different iconic locales, players must scramble to snatch the dogs out of the air and off the ground, dragging them to the only logical place possible…the heads of passers-by, of course! Every wiener walked off stage adds points to a rolling high score, but be warned: we’re dealing with some volatile ingredients here. Three seconds underfoot and it’s goodbye hot dog. Lose five, and the round’s over.
Pairing with the game’s off-the-wall premise like a fine dijon mustard with a freshly cooked smokey is more charm than you can shake a bun at. And this goes well beyond the game’s (admittedly wonderful) faux-retro pixelwork and jaunty chiptune soundtrack. Rather than rely on a trendy aesthetic, Garcia and Butler imbue every pedestrian with a sense of personality, whether it’s the perenially flustered businessman, or bemused pointdexter. Quickly, gameplay reveals an idiosynchratic cast of characters whose quirks produce genuine physical comedy, and craft a silly universe.
Ultimately, Heads Up! Hot Dogs wanes under the weight of longer play sessions, but then, it knows that. Like the franks falling from the sky, this one’s good for a few delicious bites now and then to satisfy a craving...for fun.