Pretty Derby – Party Dash Review – Exciting races and mini-games for anime fans

Introduction to Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash

As if we didn’t have enough waifus already, Cygames is bringing Umamusume to the West. While the anime and mobile game are winning the hearts of horse girl lovers around the world, there’s probably a small subset of fans who need a little more substance in their pre-workout before opening their minds, no, their hearts, to what many of them have already discovered: Tokai is the best girl. But I digress; I’m playing Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dasha video game adaptation of the Umamusme series for consoles. Don’t worry, there are no microtransactions here, but Cygames will still make you get everything out of this game that it has to offer.

Story campaigns and character dynamics

Umamusume: Nice Derby Party Sprint features four story campaigns told from the perspective of the chosen team. Players can choose between Team Cosmos, Freesia, Rose, or Lily. While each narrative is different, the core theme of each campaign is for the team to take first place in the Slapdash Grand Prix. I wouldn’t call any of the story scenes significant, as they are humorous skits between the characters. Still, the developers put effort into animating the scenes and highlighting each girl’s personality.

With its unforgettable characters and exciting multiplayer modes, Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash is a must-have for racing game fans.

I was surprised to see that much of the campaign is voiced by the respective actors of this large cast. After the campaign, you get access to even more characters with their own lines, which adds quality to the low-stakes narrative. This statement rings even truer when you realize that you can skip the story scenes and the events themselves. You will miss out on the rewards, but the developers haven’t put up any barriers, so players of all skill levels can get what they want out of this game. The only requirement is to admit that Tokai is the best girl. I’m only kidding, you really just have to have fun Umamusume to enjoy this game.

Varied mini-games and game mechanics

As for the actual gameplay, there are four minigames: Hurtling Hurdles, Blazing Baskets, Dodgeball Demolition, and Gourmet Gauntlet. While this lineup seems sparse, there is variety within the levels that adds a bit of variety. Still, I think the bazaar exception was that the Hurtling Hurdles levels were not randomly generated. This is arguably the minigame with the most potential, but with every game, the layout and levels are the same. As you start to memorize the little shortcuts and routes, it gets less chaotic over time until you’re playing with someone who has never played before.

The pixel art is stunning and the in-game rewards in the form of new characters show that there are many ways to enjoy this chaotic party game.

Hurtling Hurdles is a race across four areas. Racers can move between rows on the track to avoid obstacles, pick up items, or gain points. However, the goal is to be first at the end of each stage and then the points are tallied up. It’s fun and hectic, but like I said, it gets boring after a few games. Then there’s Blazing Baskets, where you fight for a ball and throw it into the basket. This mini-game gets chaotic as the game progresses as more and more hazards appear. It eventually became one of my favorite mini-games to play with friends.

Dodgeball Demolition is nothing special, and while there is a bit of strategy, it’s a game that didn’t really excite me. Gourmet Gauntlet is also a pretty weak minigame, as it just gets a bit boring once you figure out the nuances of the minigame. This reminds me that the tutorials aren’t very helpful, and while they explain what you’re supposed to do, they don’t tell you which buttons to use, which just leads to initial frustration while you’re trying to learn the games.

Progression, unlockable content and clubhouse customization

Regardless, each minigame consists of two or three actions at most. While this keeps the learning curve low, it also gives players of all skill levels an equal opportunity. Additionally, like many other Cygames titles, Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash offers a fair amount of content locked behind progression. Whether it’s a new character or a special ability, everything you do yields rewards. Once you’ve completed a few story chapters, you can spend money in the shop to buy furniture for your clubhouse and Scout Tickets, which you can exchange for Scout characters and build your team.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash offers plenty of fun moments with its limited number of mini-games.

Interestingly, one item hides a fun mini-game. If you buy the game console and add it to your room, you can play a roguelike adventure as Gold Ship. It’s a straightforward game, but I was hooked. I just loved the constant rewards and gradually increasing challenges. I was more addicted to the single-player content of this mini-game than the story chapters. Still, the cooperative nature of the experience makes playing the mini-games with real people more fun than playing alone.

Visual and acoustic excellence

Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash features great pixel art for the 25 characters. The levels and overall style of the game are reflected in the clubhouse feature, where you can design rooms for your teams and watch them interact with the various furniture. The music is also decent and, in my opinion, gives fans a well-rounded and quality experience.

Multiplayer features and additional content

As for the cons, I think you could have gotten more for the price. The base price of the game is almost the same as the price of the latest Demon Slayer party game. However, the Demon Slayer game has a lot more content. Party Dash is mainly aimed at fans and the experience will vary depending on your attachment to the characters. Still, there are plenty of ways to get your money’s worth considering the additional content and online multiplayer systems where you can create your own Grand Prix with other players. However, I would say this isn’t a bad game if you have friends over for a local multiplayer game.

Final Thoughts on Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash

Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash packs fun moments into its limited number of minigames. While I wish there was more content, what is here has enough quality to justify a few hours with Tokai, I mean the Horse Girls. The pixel art is beautiful and the in-game rewards with new characters along the way show that it many ways to enjoy this chaotic party game.