In 2006, Xbox teamed up with Burger King to release three of the most unusual video games ever made: Sneak King, Big Bumpin’, and Pocketbike Racer. Since the original Xbox launched back in 2001, the brand has had a number of unique promotions with restaurant chains. The company even had a tie-in with IHOP in 2024 to promote Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, complete with collectible glasses featuring multiple video games published by Xbox.
Xbox’s unusual promotions don’t just stop at food chains, however. From refrigerators shaped like the Xbox Series X, to a 2021 collaboration with the American Girl toy line, the company often chooses unusual partners. Xbox even unveiled a collaboration with Ikea earlier this year, with unique furniture items inspired by the Series X/S controller.
Xbox’s Burger King Collaboration Remains a Fan Favorite
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Image via Burger King, Xbox -
Image via Burger King, Xbox -
Image via Burger King, Xbox
While Xbox has had plenty of unusual collaborations over the last two decades, none have been on the same level as the 2006 promotion at Burger King. The collaboration saw three video games exclusively sold at Burger King restaurants, all at a very low price point. The games each featured a unique theme and gameplay hook, typically centered around BK’s mascots. Sneak King emphasized stealth gameplay, Big Bumpin’ was themed around bumper cars, and Pocketbike Racer was a racing game featuring characters riding tiny vehicles. The games came out a year after the Xbox 360 launch, and were made to be playable on the new system as well as the original Xbox.
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Critical reception to the games was mostly mixed upon release, but Burger King’s Xbox games managed to collectively sell more than 3 million copies. Burger King has had other video game promotions since, and the Xbox games are held in much higher regard. Unfortunately, the original three games were never released on another platform, which means the only way to play them is through a physical copy of the game, and an original Xbox or Xbox 360 console. In a thread on Reddit, fans have shared their hopes that this will one day change, and Microsoft will prioritize preserving these unusual games through its backwards compatibility program.
The ability to play older video games has been a big focus throughout the current generation. Xbox has put a lot of focus on backwards compatibility, making sure that its older games remain playable on current hardware. This includes first-party releases like Blinx the Time Sweeper and Crimson Skies, alongside third-party favorites like Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and Sonic Unleashed. It’s possible the Burger King games could eventually receive a similar treatment, though nothing has been announced at this time.
Xbox’s Burger King games represent a very different era for the video game company. At a time when gaming is becoming prohibitively expensive, and the future of physical media is a looming question, it’s easy to see why fans are nostalgic for a time when they could get a cheap physical Xbox game alongside a Whopper. It was unusual at the time, but that kind of thing is basically unthinkable in today’s video game industry. The games themselves might not hold up, but it was a simpler time for Xbox, and it’s an era that a lot of fans wouldn’t mind revisiting.
