8/10 - Very, Very Good
Simple, family-friendly fun that’s best played in split-screen
A small selection of very similar-looking tracks and maps
Release Date
August 17th, 2022
Developed By
HAL Laboratory
Available On
Nintendo Switch
Reviewed On
Review disclaimer: A review code was provided by the publisher for this review.
My introduction to Kirby has come very late in my gaming career. So late, in fact, I only really know the podgy eat-em-all fella from Smash Bros and the more recentKirby and the Forgotten Land, and that’s only because I’ve had my arse handed to me by my son in the former, and been annoyed with the co-op in the latter. Notoncedid he let me play as Kirby…
So, going into Kirby’s Dream Buffet, I was left wondering “why is Kirby racing down a food hill?” Well, there’s no good answer there, at least none that makes any canonical sense (I demand everything have a place in its universe, damn it!) but it’s good fun all the same, so long as my player two is up for a few rounds.
The gist of it is that you take control of a Kirby character and send them rolling down a food-laden hill, smashing barriers, avoiding obstacles, collecting berries (the game’s points) as well as power-ups to give you the edge. Think Mario Kart’s ability boxes and you’ll have a fair idea, though there’s nothing quite as annoying as that bloody blue shell.
Each game is split into four rounds, with the first and third being races through tracks covered in bacon, sausages, eggs, and all sorts of lovely foodstuffs. The second and fourth rounds are the mini-games where you’ll have the chance to turn the tide and claw back some points if you performed poorly during the downhill runs.
These rounds were where I usually made up for my lack of skill, though, as I’m reminded daily, I’m still the loser most of the time. I just can’t seem to get a good run together and I often end up trailing far behind while my boy gobbles up the strawberry dish at the end of a race where there are three dishes with different values. Being first to the end of the race means you can slap 50 points to your total, while the others are worth 20 and 10, respectively. I normally end up munching through the 10-point dish, but I have managed to get a few 20 dishes, so I am improving. Slowly.
The races are quite straightforward and very simple with no real loss state. There is the risk of falling off the map, but in typical Kirby fashion, you’re able to float your way back to the track by tapping the A button. This actually plays into the end results, too. Collecting as many strawberries as possible is the best way to get the win as at the end of the four rounds, each player is weighed up by how many strawberries they’ve munched through. Bonus points are awarded for in-game feats, such as floating the most, collecting the most power-up boxes, and so on. It’s a way for the game to give the final weigh-in at the end one last twist. I’ve had a few rounds where I thought I was definitely going to lose, only to pip the kid to the post with some bonus points at the end. That’s what he gets for smashing me off of the battle royale map. Little git.
I really do love it when games manage to reach beyond the screen and into the living room, and that’s something Kirby’s Dream Buffet does really well.
Kirby’s Dream Buffet definitely takes some inspiration from the ever-popular Fall Guys, though in typical Nintendo fashion, it keeps things very simple for its younger intended audience. And make no mistake, this is definitely one for the smaller hands, and that’s OK. It’s still fun for older players like myself, though I definitely got the most out of it when I was playing in split-screen with Charlie.
I had a go of the single-player mode, but playing against the A.I isn’t anywhere near as fun - I can’t poke the A.I in the ribs when they beat me. Playing online against others is a fair option, though again, I’d argue that to get the most out of Kirby’s Dream Buffet, you really do need some local players. The back-and-forth I had with my mini-me was really fun. The smack-talk between rounds, the sly shoving as I tried to land a power-up attack, and the absolute temper-tantrum when the kid finally dropped a round to his old man - it’s all good fun and I really do love it when games manage to reach beyond the screen and into the living room, and that’s something Kirby’s Dream Buffet does really well.
If I had to have a moan about anything, I’d have liked a bit more distinction between tracks. As it stands, most of the tracks all seem very, very similar given that they’re all made up of the same munchy mixture of breakfast foods and sweet treats. I’d also point at the at-times iffy performance. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means and this is a complaint that will mostly sit with the more experienced players instead of the younglings.
With a large number of collectibles, endlessly fun gameplay across various modes and a very friendly and approachable aesthetic, Kirby’s Dream Buffet is the perfect couch party game for younger players.
