Bistro Blast- Diner Dash 5: Boom Review

Few game characters exhibit a work ethic as fervent as Flo. The former stock-broker turned restaurant magnate has been serving a perpetual stream of obstinate customers over the last seven years in the ubiquitous Dinner Dash franchise. Even a fleeting vacation aboard a cruise ship (Flo on the Go) culminated in the heroine reverting to her typical duties. Auspiciously, Flo’s bane has been a gamer’s benefit, as players have been able to enjoy a protracted succession of time management titles based around the perseverant protagonist. Diner Dash 5: Boom indicates that restaurateur’s tribulations are far from completed.

At the beginning of Boom, a saboteur erases the “fat” from Flo’s “fat free breakfast” banner, instigating a horde of miserly patrons. Unable to accommodate the crowd, Flo’s restaurant crumbles into a pile of rubble. The vandal appears to be Mr. Big, a handlebar-mustached opportunist, who reveals that unless the diner in rebuilt in seven days, he will be taking control of the property.   To circumvent this nefarious scheme, Flo is forced to take her waitressing and management skills to the streets- managing a series of outdoor eateries as she rebuilds her celebrated café. The title’s story is told through bold colorful cutscenes that complement our hero’s endeavors with a surprising amount of charm.

Flo’s new entrepreneurial efforts come with a handful of new complications. Customers come in a handful of fussy varieties- lawyers can’t intermingle, lest they’ll create a ruckus which will draw the ire of other patrons. Businesswomen have an abbreviated lunch time and librarians prefer a noiseless eating environment. Since Flo is managing outdoor bistros, she’s at the mercy of the elements- requiring her to open umbrellas, or tie down tablecloths when the weather turns inhospitable. Even when the skies are clear, chaos can strike- typically in the form of gushing fire hydrant. 

A few complications allow for a spontaneous reversal of fortune. Townies are single diners, which congregate on borders of the playfield. A simple drag and drop can add the solitary meal-seekers to an existing party, thereby maximizing seating space and potential profits. Most seats in each venue are color coded, inviting players to say, seat red clothed-patron in similarly colored chairs. While performing this supplemental task earns players a generous bonus, actually rotating the selection of patrons is a bit finicky- one of the few control issues with the game.

Fans of the series know that the juggling of taking orders, serving food, writing up bills, and cleaning the tables can be enjoyably hectic. Like past iterations, Boom allows players to use a portion of their profits to automate duties. From adding mechanical umbrellas, salad bar attendants, and even a reassuring host at the front podium to sooth impatient patrons, many of the impediments of managing a restaurant can be delegated. For some, this means that Boom’s difficulty will be diluted.  Although earning expert-level scores can still be still be arduous, just moving to the next stage is a pushover.

Casual gamers who haven’t exhausted their appreciation for the time management simulation should give the one hour demo of Diner Dash 5: Boom a try. Like previous entries in the series, the fifth iteration displays a level of polish and proficiency that easily catapults the title to the head of the genre.  Considering the game’s incredibly reasonable $6.99 purchase price, I’d expect the attraction to the title to emulate the complimentary breakfast stampede.