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Diner Dash

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Developer: gameLab
Publisher: PlayFirst
Genre: Puzzle & Casual > General
Released: Dec 02, 2003
Players: 1

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- Diner Dash Review

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As video games have evolved, it�€™s become increasingly more common to see games based around a variety of jobs or other events in life that are considered to be somewhat mundane. It�€™s always been amazing to me how a good video game design can turn a boring and repetitive job into something exciting and addictive. From the old game Taps, where you throw beer to your customers, to Sim City where you�€™re a city planner and you spend your time deciding what each square in your plot of land should be devoted to, to The Sims where gameplay is devoted to getting your character to eat, watch TV, to change clothes and go to work, come back from work and eat�€�, there�€™s a lot of real-life to be found in games of late.

As an alternative to shoot'em ups, these work and life simulators have done very well for themselves; they are some of the most popular and best selling games on the market. Follow suite: Diner Dash. In this charming game, you are a hopelessly overworked table server and restaurant owner. You buy an old shack and customers come pouring in through the doors looking for a great meal and excellent service. It�€™s your job to wait on them and keep them happy. How do you do this you may ask? Why, it�€™s as easy as doing the things a good server would do in real life: in a timely fashion take your customers order, deliver the food, drop the check and eventually clear the dishes.

Each level has a non-random set of customers that come in groups of 1 or more people. You first play host as you place each group of people at a table that is most fitting (depending on which restaurant you�€™re at you may have more 2 seat tables or 4 seat tables etc. available). So if you put a group of 2 on a table for 4, the next group that comes in may be a 3 or 4 person group with no where to sit. Each group of people has a heart icon attached to them that symbolize how happy they are. Every time they�€™re forced to wait for very long the number of hearts they have decreases, and when they have zero, well, that customer is out of there (and you take a big negative penalty to boot!). The idea is to serve as many customers as you can during each level, and keep them happy enough to hit a point goal.

While the gameplay is rather addictive at this point with just getting people seated and served, it takes an interesting and challenging turn in the form of two different multipliers available. One multiplier is activated when you repeat tasks; for example taking several orders in a row. This gives you a multiplier times each time you do the same task without doing something else (like not delivering food). The other multiplier available is incremented when people of the same color are sat in the same seats over and over. Every person you serve has color like yellow or green or blue, and each time a person of the same color sits in the same seat a multiplier is incremented that seat.

Graphics: +
The graphics in this game are simple sprite based animations for the most part. They are basic but they do the job. Almost every level you get something new added to your restaurant, like a new bar or a new doorway. These little graphical details keep the game interesting. There are four different restaurants that you will end up owning when you go through the game, each with a unique theme. They are all done in such a way that is consistent and clean looking. Attention is paid to detail and all the cute little pop-ups add to the game�€™s personality.

Sound: +

The sounds, like the graphics, seem to fit perfectly. While the sound options are limited, the sound effect volume seems to match the music volume, and they never get annoyingly loud or mismatched requiring independent volume tuners.

The music in this game is fun and upbeat. I listened to it throughout my entire time playing the game and it never felt repetitive or old. The sound effects work great as mental queues as to when an event occurred (like when you forget to take someone�€™s order!).

Gameplay: +
This is the strongpoint of Diner Dash. The gameplay is very unique, very well done and very addictive. The added bonus multipliers give an already interesting game a puzzle element that makes it even more exciting. I love the fact you get rewards for what feels like every level that is completed. Giving the player a variety of rewards as they progress works as a great motivator. I found myself playing the game over and over just trying to pass the next level to see what I�€™d get next.

While the gameplay is solid, one complaint I had was that it�€™s hard to place customers into the correctly colored seat. You have to kind of hold the left mouse button down and move your mouse gently left or right over a table to get people to sit in different seats. It�€™s pretty tricky to do this just right so they sit exactly where you want them to, especially under pressure. I think I lost more times because I couldn�€™t get my group of customers into the correct seats then for any other reason. I would hope that if there is a part two to this game, that that control flaw will be fixed.

My only other complaint about the game is that it gets very difficult. I gave up near the end of the second restaurant because it felt like no matter how many times I played the same level I wasn�€™t getting any better or earning any more points. I think there needs to be more of a difficulty curve so that players don�€™t run into a wall and get frustrated with the game.

Those things being said, the gameplay will keep you interested, and even when you hit those roadblocks, you�€™ll still enjoy going back and playing previous levels.

Value: +

Diner Dash has 50 unique levels, and, as I said earlier, it seems like with every level you pass your restaurant is updated and looks different. There are 4 different restaurants with a unique theme. In addition to the variety of looks and feels Diner Dash gives you, it is a challenging game and you have the option to replay levels to get the �€œExpert�€? score. I�€™m a big fan of incentives that keep you coming back, and Diner Dash is chock full of them.

Diner Dash also features an �€œEndless Shift�€? mode where you try and max out your high score. This is a great addition for times when you want to jump in and play but you don�€™t have a lot of time.

Concept: +
The concept is unique, and I haven�€™t played anything that makes this game feel like a repeat. The addition of puzzle elements only enhances the concept in this one. Diner Dash is a breath of fresh air and you�€™ll be surprised how fun table waiting can be�€�in a video game at least!

Fun: +
Diner Dash is easy to pick up and start enjoying right off the bat. The story mode does a great job of tutoring you as you play through the game. As I said earlier, I would really like to see different difficulties as I was frustrated in the later levels, but I�€™d rather a game challenge me then leave me wanting. Diner Dash is aimed for the casual gamer crowd, but most audiences will find Diner Dash engrossing.

Overall: +
If you haven�€™t played Diner Dash, you need to. This game is a gem. Overall it�€™s a great package and will not leave you disappointed!

By: Bryce Carroll
Posted: Thursday January 19, 2006