If there’s one thing I’ve always appreciated about the Kirby series, it’s that they’re never afraid to try new things. The next game may be a platform game where you have to draw a picture to make Kirby move. The trend continues with Kirby’s latest game, Kirby’s Dream Buffet.
Kirby’s Dream Buffet is part Mario Party, part Fall Guys, and a bit of multiplayer chaos. Competitive multiple obstacle course challenges with dozens of mini-games to defy other players or take it all with your luck. It’s an unexpected combo that doesn’t look like Kirby, but it works really well. Even if the game is ultimately an experience that isn’t for everyone, there’s a lot to enjoy.
What immediately pops out with Kirby’s Dream Buffet is how colorful and fun the world is. Lots of colorful sweets that you can see at a glance. Every stage takes place in his one of a variety of sweets, from cakes and cookies to jelly-like creations. All of them look great, with lots of detail and color popping out. rice field. To my surprise, the new course stood out and was visually pleasing. The developers clearly know that dessert works. They didn’t miss any detail.
The main part of Kirby’s Dream Buffet is gameplay besides the dessert stage. So your goal is to complete a mini-game, stage, or full competition as the greatest Kirby. To become the biggest Kirby, you have to eat the most strawberries in each part of the game. Finding strawberries is easy. Maintaining them is a whole other story. Strawberries are lost when falling off a stage, being thrown by competing players (using special abilities found on the stage), or encountering danger. It’s an easy concept to understand, but every match is a different beast. This depends on who your competitors are.
Kirby’s Dream Buffet can be played alone against 3 CPUs, against 3 friends locally, or against anyone online. Playing yourself against the computer is surprisingly fun. The computer is no slouch, even in the simplest settings. They absolutely chase you and have no problem throwing you off stage. Playing with friends or playing online is where the game really shines. Most matches are over within five minutes of him, and you can easily get used to the fun rhythm of playing against friends or strangers. People online have learned how to play this game well enough, so be prepared for a much tougher challenge if you’re playing against random people online. It’s an absolute blast that raises and occasionally swarms one person in the lead. I wouldn’t do that…
Another great thing about Kirby’s Dream Buffet is the rewards. At the end of each match, you’ll be rewarded based on how many strawberries you’ve managed to retain throughout the experience. Bonus points are awarded for finishing in 1st place, all of which increase the player’s level. Each level unlocks something new. This can be anything from new songs that play on stages, new customizations for Kirby, to all-new mini-games and courses to play. That’s the main reason I keep going. I’ve been playing Kirby’s Dream Buffet for hours and haven’t touched some of the unlocks. Never worry about running out of new stuff. Plus, if you’ve played previous Kirby games on Switch, you’ll get bonus rewards right from the start. A little something to keep up with Kirby.
That said, some people may not like Kirby’s Dream Buffet because of the multiplayer. As mentioned earlier, even CPUs with the easiest difficulty settings can have stiff competition. Let’s say I tried playing the CPU on max difficulty and it was completely destroyed. The same applies to online matches against random people. Some people immediately clearly learned how to play the game and completely dominated the match. Other online matches can get a little frustrating when other random players team up with you. If you’re looking for a super easy Kirby game or something to relax, unwind and play alone, Kirby’s Dream Buffet isn’t for you. It’s not that hard, but it’s surprisingly harder than you might think.
My only big problem with Kirby’s Dream Buffet is the minigames. Much like Mario Party, not all minigames hit the mark. Some are great, some are great, some are terrible. What I didn’t particularly like was Battle Royale. The point is to provide a last chance to steal strawberries from other players. Land on a small stage and collect power-ups that are used to push the player off the stage. At the same time, we are trying to avoid being pushed away. Not only does this feel too long, it’s also uninteresting. No one (you, the computer, or another player) can actually win this minigame. Everyone loses strawberries. In the end, it feels like pure luck that I didn’t lose most of my previously legitimately earned strawberries.
So, would you like to play Kirby’s Dream Buffet? Absolutely. Whether you play solo or against friends and family, you do just enough to make it a great experience. Super colorful and charming desert levels are fun to play and the main gameplay concept is easy to understand but hard to master. There are plenty of rewards to unlock, so you don’t have to worry about running out of things to get. Not the easiest Kirby game to play, and while some mini-games fall short of it entirely, Kirby’s Dream He Buffet is an absolute delight. At $15, you can’t afford to miss it. Excuse me, but I have to play a few more games before Kirby wears his cheeseburger hat.
