Fans of Kirby were recently treated to the surprising announcement of Kirby's Dream Buffet. The title currently has a release window of this summer, and is a vibrant elimination-based platformer with an online PvP focus.
While excitement around the title is high, and has only grown with the relative immediacy of the game's release, many fans have noticed a striking similarity between the upcoming game and another popular title. Social media users have made it clear that the intense color scheme and core gameplay loop makes this upcoming Kirby spin-off title looks strikingly similar to Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.
The Basics of Kirby's Dream Buffet
Kirby's Dream Buffet is a party game set to release exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Dream Buffet offers four-player local co-op, as well as online multiplayer to enjoy with friends. By rolling around a variety of sugary food-based maps, players can gain size and momentum by eating as much as possible, giving them the edge in the races against their multicolored Kirby adversaries.
From the short trailer for Kirby's Dream Buffet that was recently released on Twitter, it appears that all Kirby contestants will be weighed at the end of certain stages to crown a winner. According to Nintendo's official website, players will also have "Food Boxes" at their disposal which unlock Copy Abilities that can be used against others, bringing the chaotic PvP elements of titles like Mario Party to the game.
Kirby fans have been busy so far this year with March's well-received Kirby and the Forgotten Land providing a more outwardly mysterious tone to the whacky franchise. Kirby's Dream Buffet is set to be a return to the more comedic and care-free nature that the character is known for. While excitement surrounding this title is growing, many have pointed out the similarities that it seems to share with popular battle royale platformer Fall Guys.
The Similarities Between Kirby's Dream Buffet and Fall Guys
Fall Guys is a platformer in which up to 60 players compete in a series of elimination-based rounds to eventually crown a winner. Developed by Mediatonic and initially released in 2020, Fall Guys has proven to be extremely successful, breaking down the battle royale genre into more relaxed bite-sized segments with a cheery tone.
The timing of Kirby's Dream Buffet's announcement coincides with Fall Guys rising in popularity once again in recent weeks. Last month Fall Guys went free-to-play, while being brought over to Xbox and Nintendo Switch consoles. As a result of this massively expanded accessibility, Fall Guys saw 20 million players within 48 hours.
Perhaps the most overt similarity between Kirby's Dream Buffet and Fall Guys is the aesthetic design that the two games appear to share. Fall Guys is known for being vibrant, with the moving courses that the title boasts often being a sensory overload of colors and hyper music. It can also be argued that the "bean" characters of Fall Guys are somewhat reminiscent of Kirby, with the two being cutesy, small, and cartoonish.
Of course, the core gameplay of the two games are also similar, with both being platform-based PvP races in which one player is crowned victorious at tne end of a challenging obstacle course. While these elements of the two titles have predictably started a social media discourse, Dream Buffet is still surely a unique experience. Historically, Kirby has been no stranger to vibrant aesthetics, while also having several multiplayer-focused titles across the franchise. Regardless of the similarities, fans seem eager to play Kirby's Dream Buffet this summer.
Kirby's Dream Buffet releases on Nintendo Switch in summer 2022.
