Video games like Diner Bros Inc, protagonist of today’s review, they are seen less and less, but every time they appear to the public they tend to be always very popular. After all, the genre of the party game, especially if in arcade sauce like in this case, it is a evergreen between us gamers. The question is: Diner Bros Inc is it noteworthy as an exponent of the genus? Let’s see it together.
An indie version of WarioWare
Often indie video games tend to reinterpret existing and working formulas, adding something of their own or simply proposing them in a different way. Diner Bros Inc probably has the much better known as its main inspiration WarioWare, Nintendo party game with minigames of any kind and often crazy or goliardic. During our test for the review we can say that this Diner Bros Inc, did not convey to us the same goliardia of the aforementioned title, but it is undoubtedly a really good party game. Also in this case, the only fulcrum of the title is made up of the minigames that immediately strike for a very good variety.
There is everything from cutting a character’s hair to satisfying a grocery list, from composing a knight’s equipment to lowering a bridge to let cars pass. The development mood probably was insert any kind of idea that you had in mind, creating one dedicated minigame with also dedicated graphics (speech that we will resume shortly talking about the technical side).
Initially, the total absence of a logical connection between the various minigames could leave us confused, also thanks to the aforementioned differentiation, even graphics, but once you get into the right mood you have fun and not a little! The enjoyment of the title is also increased by some simple but functional design ideas, which make the gaming experience less mundane. But let’s go in order and let’s start talking about the structure of the game.
In the beginning, the first thing to do is to enter the game by pressing the A key on the controller or by pressing Enter, even if only one player can use the keyboard while the others must use a controller, which we advise you to use regardless because it is much more comfortable to play the various minigames.
Once this is done, you need to choose a game avatar, whose only function is that of differentiate the logo near the players to differentiate and distinguish them. Speaking of the name, as the last thing before starting you have to enter one consisting of three letters, in full arcade cabinet style. This union of logo and name will serve for the game leaderboard, which saves the best results.
What kind of results? Simple, in Diner Bros Inc need face in sequence the minigames, in random order and with the possibility of recurrence. They are all timed mini-games, the only way to lose is often not having time to complete them (with some exceptions). The actions to be performed are different from minigame to minigame, therefore it is a sensible choice to make the type of input required appear in the overlay when loading the various minigames. Fail in a minigame will make you lose one of the 3 lives available, e the more you go on in their own streak of completed challenges, the more these become difficult.
The increase in difficulty is of two types: either it is trivial less time to complete the level, or it becomes more difficult carry it out. For example, one of the first mini-games involves the to memorize in a few seconds a key sequence and repeat it, and the more you progress the more in that minigame the sequence number. Every 12 times you pass a minigame, there will be one special, represented with the arrival of a boss in the loading screen, which is a much more challenging version of one of the minigames at that level.
Another variation is it speed up, which is a normal minigame which, however, gives us much less seconds available to complete it. When the 3 lives run out it is game over, with the possibility of retrying the same level or returning to the main menu.
Each time a challenge is completed they also earn gems, which can be spent in the shop menu to unlock new minigames for each level, thus increasing both the variety and the longevity of the game experience. It goes without saying that the best, as usual, is achieved when playing with friends.
In multiplayer everyone plays on a portion of the screen, and this mode is divided into Normal, where it is sufficient for at least one player to complete the minigame, and in Hard where, on the other hand, those who do not complete it lose a life and can be eliminated.
Undoubtedly the most tantalizing is the second, while the first is a full-fledged co-op. Despite with more people Diner Bros Inc you bring out its maximum potential, for this review we also tried it alone, and it is still very enjoyable. Although it is a video game only available for PC, we hope that one day it will land on the Nintendo Switch, for example, because there it would be really ideal in all respects.
One game, many graphic sectors
The technical aspect of Diner Bros Inc it is perhaps the greatest peculiarity. and also one of the best merit notes in this review. The developers of this party game, the guys from JAYFL Games, they weren’t just limited to alternate 2D minigames with 3D minigames. The graphic style and artistic above all varies continuously, with some exceptions such as Super Nintendo-like pixel art minigames. In some ways a kind of manifestation of eclecticism for their part, it is not at all obvious to know how to juggle so many different styles. The sound, on the other hand, to use an English term, is very chill, relaxed. The mini-games are sometimes hectic, but you always get the feeling that something a lot is being played light and carefree, which makes it Diner Bros Inc perfect for unplugging for a few minutes between one engagement and another (also for this a port on Switch would be perfect).
definitely Diner Bros Inc passes this review passed with full marks, because it fully centers what should be the goal of an indie game, that is, to offer a gaming experience that is not very visible, functional and above all enjoyable. For real a great party game, which we advise you to play if you can, you will not regret it!
#Diner #Bros #Review #indie #version #WarioWare