Most Kirby titles are generally platformers, but the latest Kirby game on the Nintendo Switch is quite different. Kirby’s Dream Buffet is now available for 15 euros on Nintendo’s hybrid console and offers a combination of races, mini-games and battles, taking part in a real cooking tournament. Kirby’s Dream Buffet has a clear goal for the player to become the tallest Kirby of the four Hungry Kirbys. In this game, four Kirbys compete in separate tournaments that consist of races, mini-games, and battles. A tournament always starts with a race, where the different Kirbys race around a track to eat as many strawberries as possible and be the first to reach the finish line. At the finish line, there are three delicious pies full of strawberries, and the earlier you get there, the bigger the pie you can choose from. The bigger the cake, the more strawberries. You guessed it, to become the greatest Kirby, you must not only collect as many strawberries as possible during the race, but also reach the finish line first. Racing through the levels is surprisingly fun, thanks in part to the various power-ups (copy powers), which you can use to outrun or outmaneuver your opponents. For example, you can become a wheel, but you can also get a pepper for briefly flaming while running. The fact that the levels look particularly cute and tasty also helps. There are many courses to nurture the variation, and we discovered more than twelve of them.
Are you the first to cross the finish line and eat the most strawberries? The following mini-game can change everything. In various mini-games you can find many more strawberries. Mini-games are small levels where strawberries are falling in abundance, in total chaos you have to catch as many as possible. Soon following, the second race begins, in which you must once once more finish first and eat as many strawberries as possible. Each tournament then ends with a battle, also called “Gourmet Battle Royale”. This allows you to stun players and eat their strawberries, while defending your own stock. Copy powers can be used here to stun opponents. During races and battles, food blocks with bonuses can be found everywhere. These allow Kirby to assume forms such as a stone bar which can be used to smash enemies or a fireball pepper which can travel through obstacles. At the end of the tournament, we will know who has eaten the most strawberries and who is the winner. The end result may also depend on various bonuses that are awarded. For example, extra strawberries for those who used the most power-ups.
An entertaining concept.
So much for the basics, but the question is: is it really fun? The answer is clearly yes ! In particular, the online races are surprisingly fun to play, although the gameplay is always the same at the end, but that’s what the prize is for. The different power-ups can really make a difference and allow diversifying races and mini-games. It’s not very original or innovative, but Nintendo has managed to come up with a party game with Kirby that’s really fun to play. Also, there are so many things to collect (new costumes, music, stickers, etc.) that playing a lot is also rewarded. There are several game modes, but the most fun is really playing an online tournament or playing together locally. You can also roll freely or play alone once morest the CPU, but the fun erodes quickly although it can be good practice for your first few gaming sessions. Online play is generally very smooth, with only the occasional lag. Finding three other players is also a piece of cake. Since the games are only ten minutes long, it’s perfect for short gaming sessions. Plus, the gameplay is so simple (rolling, jumping, and using power-ups) that it’s very approachable for a board game.
If you want to get into local multiplayer, you can do so with a two-player Nintendo Switch. Both can play with a single Joy-Con. Do you have multiple Switch systems with the game? You can then play all four at the same time. Audio-visually, Kirby’s Dream Buffet may not do anything super high-end, but it does exactly what you expect it to do. Everything is colorful and too cute and the music is joyful and varied. It certainly doesn’t push the Switch to its limits, but that’s not what we expect from this cute and friendly party game. Races run smoothly and the game runs at a steady 30fps, great! Do you play in split-screen mode? So expect a stable experience as well. Despite the split screen, everything runs smoothly!
VERDICT
Yes, Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a very basic game, but that’s reflected in the price. For 15 euros you get a nice board game with lots to collect. 15 euros is a reasonable price for a game that gives you many hours of online fun or a few fun game nights.
