Couch co-op party games have come back in a big way over the past year or so with chaotically fun titles such as Mario Party, Jackbox Party Packs, Heave Ho, and Tools Up! Must Dash Amigos is just one of the latest entries into the genre. While its visuals are charming, Must Dash Amigos - which is far more suitable for younger players - doesn’t quite do enough to replicate the enjoyable experience of other successful party games.
Why You Wanna Give Me A Run-Around?
Must Dash Amigos is a top-down battle racer along the same vein as Mario Kart, pitting players against one another as they go head-to-head in races and arena battles. Races - which take place on foot - consist of running laps around hazardous courses, with power-ups and weapons available to be picked up and used along the way. Rumble-style battles occur in arenas, again with power-ups and weapons, with the goal of being the last one alive or the one with the most points when time runs out.
The art style of Must Dash Amigos is fun and cartoony, with goofy characters available to choose from, such as a crazy-eyed La Luchadora and a sasquatch. The stereotypes toe the line of offensive, but really, the game doesn’t take itself seriously in the slightest. After all, weapons include things like rocket-propelled exploding burritos and - my personal favorite - a power-up that turns opponents into giant avocados that need to be smashed into guacamole.
Unfortunately, the overall gameplay in Must Dash Amigos leaves quite a bit to be desired. There’s nothing especially engaging about the races. The responsiveness of the controls was tricky, to say the least, ranging from either too touchy or incredibly delayed, with no happy balance in between. This extended to aiming in arena battles, which was pretty much pointless. For these reasons, along with the overall simplistic nature of the game, Must Dash Amigos seems to be better for a younger crowd less concerned about gameplay mechanics and overall strategy.
Run Along
There is still some fun to be had in the game’s single-player challenge modes, including things like controlling two characters in a race at once with the two separate Joy-Cons, which is far more difficult than it sounds. Must Dash Amigos is a good enough family game for those with younger players. But ultimately, Must Dash Amigos is likely not one of the games that will fall into my regular rotation of weekend couch party games.
A Switch review copy of Must Dash Amigos was provided to TheGamer for this review. Must Dash Amigos is available now for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC.
Must Dash Amigos