| Kirby's Dream Buffet | |
|---|---|
 Cover art | |
| Developer | HAL Laboratory |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Director | Shinya Kumazaki |
| Producers |
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| Designers |
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| Programmer | Hiroshi Ohnishi |
| Artist | Riki Fuhrmann |
| Composers |
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| Series | Kirby |
| Platform | Nintendo Switch |
| Release |
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| Genres | Racing,party,battle royale,action |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Kirby's Dream Buffet is a 2022action,racing, andparty video game developed byHAL Laboratory and published byNintendo for theNintendo Switch as aspinoff title in theKirby series. The game was announced viasocial media in July 2022 and was digitally released worldwide for theNintendo eShop the following month. The game supports bothlocal andonline multiplayer.
Kirby's Dream Buffet revolves around fourplayer characters known asKirbys, each controlled by either a human player orartificial intelligence, competing in variousdessert-themedrace courses andminigames with the objective of collecting the moststrawberries, growing larger in the process. Strawberries can be obtained through various means, including finishing races quickly, defeating enemies, and knocking out other racers, all of which can be achieved with food-themedpower-ups that replace the series' traditionalCopy Abilities.
Kirby's Dream Buffet received mixed reviews, with general praise for its visuals, divided opinions on itsgameplay, and criticism for its online mode. Many reviewers compared the game toFall Guys both before and after its release.Kirby's Dream Buffet was released just a few months after the release ofKirby and the Forgotten Land, a mainlineKirby game.
Kirby's Dream Buffet is amultiplayer video game in which theplayer characters—four ball-shapedKirbys—roll throughdessert-themedlevels and compete to collect the moststrawberries.[1][2] In the game'sframe story, Kirby is suddenly shrunken down by the Dream Fork,[3] causing him to land in the cake he was about to eat.[4]
Each Kirby can be controlled by either a human player orartificial intelligence (AI), with the latter having fourdifficulty levels.[5] Multiplenon-player characters known as Waddle Dees are also controlled by AI.[6] As characters consume strawberries, they increase in size and speed, though hovering becomes more difficult.[7] Players can defeat enemies and use foodpower-ups on each level to attack one another or expand their lead.[8][9] For instance,chili peppers give characters a speed boost, whiledoughnuts temporarily turn them into wheels.[2][5] The game can be playedlocally with up to two human players (four if more than one console is used) andonline with up to four players,[2][5][9] with the lattermost option requiring aNintendo Switch Online account.[10] Matches can be randomized or played in private lobbies.[2][5]
There are three types of rounds, each with several different levels:
Rounds can be played separately or in the maingame mode,Gourmet Grand Prix, in which players compete in a race, a minigame, another race, and then a Battle Royale.[2][9][13] Afterwards, 40-strawberry bonuses are given out based on random statistical conditions, such as collecting the most strawberries, knocking down the most barriers, hovering for the longest amount of time,[2][8][11] or defeating the most players.[10] The player with the highest strawberry count wins the game.[1][9] Another game mode, Free Rolling, allows players to test out Kirby's abilities and customize their character.[2][5]
After completing individual rounds or a Gourmet Grand Prix, players are awarded points to raise their "Gourmet Rank". There are 135 ranks in total, and each time the player's rank increases, they unlock a newcostume, color, level, or music track that can be used for customization.[2][7][9][10] In online matches, every player can customize their character, while in local matches, only one player can customize their character.[12] Players can also unlock "Character Treats", cookies based on characters from theKirby series, which can be displayed on a cake in thehub world.[14]
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Kirby's Dream Buffet was developed byHAL Laboratory[1] and directed byShinya Kumazaki,[15] with Riki Fuhrmann serving as art director.[16] The game was revealed byNintendo with an announcement trailer viasocial media on July 12, 2022, set to be released in the summer of that year as aspinoff installment in theKirby series.[17][18] Upon reveal, the game was widely likened toFall Guys,[17][19][20] with similarities being noted between the games'obstacle courses.[21] Moreover, theparty game atmosphere was compared to that of theMario Party series.[21][22] Along withKirby and the Forgotten Land,Kirby's Dream Buffet was believed to be part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Kirby's debut.[17][19]
The game's official release date was announced in a new trailer shown during the Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Festival on August 11, 2022,[23][24] which also revealed that standardCopy Abilities would be replaced with food power-ups.[25][26]Kirby's Dream Buffet was digitally released worldwide for theNintendo eShop on August 17, 2022, priced at $15 or£13.49.[23][25] On the same date of the game's release, therestaurant chainKirby Café announced viaTwitter that both itsTokyo andHakata-ku branches would begin selling a dessert inspired byKirby's Dream Buffet on September 1, 2022.[27]
Despite not featuring a typical storyline,Kirby's Dream Buffet was adapted into alight novel in which a witch's magical fork grants Kirby's wish to eat even more snacks, shrinking down Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight, and other characters, thus beginning a race to the Gourmet King's throne on a snack mountain.[28] The book was released on December 14, 2022, in Japan.[29]
Tetris 99's 31st Maximus Cup event, which ran from December 15–19, 2022, featured a new theme that could be unlocked by earning a total of 100 event points. The theme included art, music, andtetromino designs inspired byKirby's Dream Buffet.[30][31]
In April 2023, Sanei, one of Nintendo's primarymerchandising partners,[32] announced that eight Kirbyplushies based onKirby's Dream Buffet would be released.[33]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 67/100[34] |
| OpenCritic | 29% recommend[35] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 7/10[9] |
| GameSpot | 6/10[5] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4/5[4] |
| Nintendo Life | 8/10[2] |
| Nintendo World Report | 6/10[12] |
| NME | 3/5[8] |
| Shacknews | 7/10[7] |
| TouchArcade | 3/5[13] |
| VG247 | 2/5[6] |
| Common Sense Media | 4/5[36] |
| The Independent | 7/10[10] |
Kirby's Dream Buffet received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to thereview aggregation websiteMetacritic.[34] Fellow review aggregatorOpenCritic assessed that the game received fair approval, being recommended by 29% of critics.[35] Thegameplay was widely compared to that ofFall Guys, as well as that ofSuper Monkey Ball.[2][37][38] In summarizing the game, Jasper Pickering ofThe Independent wrote, "While nothing groundbreaking,Kirby's Dream Buffet is like amacaron – bite-sized, sweet and colourful, but best enjoyed in small servings."[10]
The game's visuals were consistently praised by critics, many of whom referred to the food theme as "adorable",[5][8][9] with Kirstin Swalley ofHardcore Gamer praising the attention to detail. Swalley likewise complimented the "utterly fantastic" music,[4] whichGameSpot's Jessica Cogswell described as "delightful, being composed of upbeat and somewhat jazzy tunes".[5] Multiple reviewers also praised the variety of unlockable collectibles and customizations.[2][4][11][12] Kelsey Raynor ofVG247 observed that there was "no obvious skill gap between players",[6] withThe Independent's Jasper Pickering adding that the basic control scheme was easy for players of almost any age to learn.[10]
Critics were divided on the gameplay;Nintendo World Report's Neal Ronaghan andGameSpot's Jessica Cogswell both found it repetitive,[12] which the latter attributed to a lack of differences between race courses and minigames. Although Cogswell complimented the strawberry bonuses for allowing players to make comebacks while keeping the game "lighthearted and fun", she wrote that there was "a serious lack of content and incentives to keep playing".[5] Conversely, Kirstin Swalley ofHardcore Gamer believed that the "endearing and wonderful gameplay" was the game's biggest attraction.[4] Swalley,NME's Jen Allen, andThe Independent's Jasper Pickering all found the game modes appealing due to their short lengths.[4][8][10] PJ O'Reilly ofNintendo Life noted variety in the tracks and arenas,[2] Christian Donlan ofEurogamer described the tracks as "inventive and tricksy",[1] and Giovanni Colantonio ofDigital Trends highlighted the "wonderfully creative food levels".[11] However, Neal Ronaghan ofNintendo World Report opined that the minigames were "a nice way to break up the races, but they're overly simple, empty-calorie competitions",[12] while Kelsey Raynor ofVG247 found the arenas too similar and short.[6]
Numerous critics expressed disappointment with local multiplayer being restricted to two players,[7][13] with many reviewers desiring a four-playersplit-screen option.[2][6][8]GameSpot's Jessica Cogswell andDestructoid's Chris Carter agreed that this was "a missed opportunity".[5][9] The online mode was also generally criticized for its connectivity issues,[4][5][12] includinglag.[6][8][9] In a review forCommon Sense Media, Dwayne Jenkins referred to this component as "a little inconsistent", noting that it was possible to be disconnected from an online game without warning or reason.[36] Giovanni Colantonio of Digital Trends wrote that "the game finds Nintendo's shaky online system at its worst here", with constant slowdown being "a real momentum killer, especially in a racing game".[11] Miscellaneous criticism was directed at the absence of asingle-player campaign,[4] as well as a lack of enjoyment in playing against AI-controlled opponents.[8] Despite these flaws, many reviewers felt that the game's price was reasonable given the amount of content offered.[2][4][9]
The download card forKirby's Dream Buffet sold more than 7,000 units within its first week of release in Japan, making it the sixth-best-selling retail game of the week in the country.[39][40]
In 2022, theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominatedKirby's Dream Buffet forFamily Game of the Year during the26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.[15][41]
Every time you level up, you'll gain either a color, costume, or music track, on top of another cookie that you can use to decorate the cake in the hub menu.
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