Diner Dash 2: Restaurant Rescue

aka: Обеденный переполох 2
Moby ID: 22396
Windows Specs
Buy on Windows
$10.00 used on eBay
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Description official descriptions

The news is dire. Mr. Big has tripled the rent on the local restaurants in an effort to push them out of business so that he can build his Mega Multiplex Foodplaza.

Flo, with 5 of her own restaurants already up and running, has returned to help her friends make enough to pay the rent so they won't lose their restaurants.

Help Flo as she takes orders and delivers food to the customers in different kinds of restaurants including a roadside diner and a Mexican cantina. Seat the customers, take their orders and deliver their food before they get upset and leave. Then, clean their tables off and seat the next customers.

Diner Dash 2: Restaurant Rescue brings in some new customers, such as the cellphone addict and the bookworm as well as introducing families with crying babies. Some new objects include highchairs, a mop, and a phone to call for assistance.

You can play Diner Dash 2 in story mode or in endless shift mode. After each level of the story mode, you can upgrade your restaurant. If you got expert on that level, you will have 3 choices instead of 2. Save the four restaurants in story mode to unlock a secret restaurant.

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Credits (Windows version)

26 People (19 developers, 7 thanks) · View all

Executive Producer
Producer
Associate Producer
Art Director
Original Diner Dash Design and Development
  • Gamelab
Software Engineering
Artists
Quality Assurance
Additional Art Work and Animation
Audio
  • SomaTone Productions
Level Design
Technology
Website Support
Special Thanks
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 77% (based on 8 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.8 out of 5 (based on 15 ratings with 2 reviews)

It's like a really good flash game

The Good
Diner Dash 2 spells the return of Flo, the waitress on a mission to serve up food and keep customers happy to generate revenue for failing restaurants.

While the gameplay is pretty much identical to the original Diner Dash, the story (if nothing more than a distant backdrop) is halfway plausible. "Mr. Big" (how unimaginative) is set to foreclose on the property of 4 different restaurants which he will then demolish to build his restaurant megaplex. The only thing stopping him is Flo, and that's if she can come in to rescue these restaurants by providing such outstanding service as to increase their revenue and provide the needed capital to pay their mortgages to Mr. Big.

One does not need to have experience with this franchise to jump right in. The tutorial level covers the basics in about 3 minutes time, and although you learn only the very basic mechanics of the game, this is enough to take you to the end should you decide to stick around that long.

The gameplay consists solely of the mouse and the left click button. No other buttons are used or needed. Your duties involve seating customers, taking their orders, bringing them their food, providing for refreshments in between at times, desert if applicable, taking payment, and then clearing tables of dirty dishes. Where things get hectic is when you have several tables all at different stages in their meal, and you're trying to juggle various tasks back and forth. If you take too long to deliver on a request, the customer happiness decreases thereby lowering the amount they will tip, and eventually if you neglect them long enough, they will run out leaving you a deficit for the benefit of having them enter your restaurant.

Once you gain a higher level of skill, you can more or less do each task for each table all at once. For example, you may have 5 tables and you have arranged it so that you can take all of the customers' orders at once, serve all of their food at once, clean off dirty dishes in one shot, etc. When you perform the same task over and over, you get a point multiplier which in the later stages of the game is absolutely required in order to advance. If you aren't "chaining" as it is called, no matter how happy your customers are you may not pass the level.

But this is not as easy as it sounds, because there are different customer types that operate differently. Business women tip the best, but order and eat fast and are not patient. Seniors on the other hand will wait for a very long time before becoming unhappy, but take long periods of time to eat and tip very little. Because different types of customers progress at different speeds, chaining can become a real challenge and timing is everything.

To further complicate matters, some customers will be unhappy if they are sitting next to another that makes them unhappy. For example, guys talking on cell phones will make people reading books angry. Babies crying annoys everyone but the cell phone guys and families, etc. So not only is chaining the key to high scores and completion of the game, but strategic seating is also. To add another strategic element into the fray, there is also the issue of colored seating. If you consistently seat people wearing certain color clothes into a matching colored seat, you'll receive another point multiplier. The later stages of the game demand seating people away from one another, while matching colors consistently, all the while timing it so that you can chain for enough points to go to the next level. Thankfully, the difficulty in the game progresses slowly enough so that once you reach this point, it's not as daunting as it might sound.

The Bad
This game is surprisingly fun for what it is, but it's barely a commercial product. This plays like a really well done flash game, but has enough quality and content to pass into commercial status by the skin of its teeth.

Diner Dash 2 is also very short. Having never played in the series before, I went from level 1 to level 50 (the final level) in about 6 hours worth of play time. That is hardly enough product to warrant a retail purchase. At the same time however, by the time it's over you'll likely have had enough. I know I couldn't have played it much longer than I did, so the story and fun factor end at the same time. This could be good depending on your disposition.

Lastly, this game isn't for everyone. For many it will feel like work. A waitressing simulation might have been a good idea, but I find it to certainly be a niche market. What's next, a mechanic game where you manage a lube shop doing oil changes? Hmm...

The Bottom Line
Diner Dash 2 is decent and enjoyable to an extent. It's simple but can require complicated strategies to play successfully (kind of like Tetris). If someone gives you this for free (was a second hand gift for me), give it a go. If you are chomping at the bit to play Diner Dash and think you'll love it with all of your heart, don't spend more than five bucks or so.

Windows · by D Michael (222) · 2008

Story of Flo II: Attack of the Customers

The Good
The weird thing about reviewing Diner Dash is the fact that I've begun by DD: Hometown Hero, the fourth game in the series, despite DD: Flo on the Go, the third one, having the title of "first DD game played".

But you can ask me why I'm reviewing now the second game when I should have done it a long time ago. I'll tell you. DD: Seasonal Snack Pack is finally free on iWin (with ads of course). And well, it gave me the thirst of writing about casual games (I've played a lot but it seems that I'm having lack of will for writing about them).

So, what is Diner Dash? Basically, it's one of the main franchises in the casual gaming world with Luxor, Jewel Quest, Mahjong Quest and Mystery Case Files, at least for me. Diner Dash is a waitress simulator where you're taking in your hands the destiny of Flo, a ex-business woman turned into a waitress in her own restaurants with a great business. Flo is known in Dinertown and well, she's also a friend for all the heroes of the Dash series (last entry at the time of writing is Diaper Dash!). DD 2: Restaurant Rescue is just a typical Flo's game: rescuing restaurants.

A typical Flo's game? Well, DD 2 did set Flo's new job: rescuer. All of the following games will have the same storyline: Flo saving restaurants with her friends (it can be Grandma Florence, Darla, Toshiro or Cookie).

So, let me set the story.

Mr Big, Flo's ex-employer, wants to build a mega complex by erasing four restaurants: Darla's cafe, Toni's pizzeria, Toshiro's Japanese and Marguerita's Mexican. Flo, seeing that, decides to help her friends to pay their fees (as Big did rise them) and by doing so, to save the place.

In short, Flo isn't working for her, she's willing to help and as you may know, every restaurant where Flo has worked is a serious business now.

If the plot is smelling deja-vu for me, I can blame myself for having played first Flo on the Go. Indeed, as I've pointed, the following games will have the same storyline. And beginning by any other game than Diner Dash 2 is leading necessarily to that feeling.

If I wasn't prepared to the end, I can honestly say that the storyline, even if repetitive, is just what Diner Dash needs. Helping Flo in her own business can be exciting. But knowing that Flo is helping friends in their business is more exciting because if you failed, it's not you that will be affected... even if in Diner Dash, you don't get that kind of ending. Even knowing it, you'll be into the game.

Now, it's time for a long ride about the gameplay.

The gameplay of DD 2 is slightly different from Hometown Hero, I mean by that that some elements that I reviewed in the fourth game didn't appear in the second game, like the Hungry Man or the Teenagers or the flowers. But basically, every customer is already here from the Bookworm to the Cellphone Addict.

So what is the gameplay about? It's easy to copy/paste what I've written for Hometown Hero, it's not my fault if Diner Dash is having the same gameplay since 2005. Seat customers, take their orders, serve their meals and collect the money, that's a typical level. It would be boring if the developers didn't include some specific demands. Your clients can also for a snack (even during their meal) or a dessert. Sometimes Flo will have to use the mop for cleaning the mess kids and babies made or bring a high chair for families. She can also phone for asking help (for speaking to the customers waiting when a podium is available, for playing some music, for bringing cocktails or for bringing plates).

Each customer has five hearts. The more they are red, the more higher the tip will be. If a customer loses all his hearts, he'll leave the restaurant. And you'll pay cash this with dollars in less in your pocket. Note that the last restaurant is different from others, as you get four hands: yours and well, the one you'll be helping to set a restaurant where tuxedos and dresses are required. I'm not giving the name, it's the surprise. But that means that you can carry four things at once, instead of the usual two.

The customers are also carrying colored clothes and seating them on seats with the same color brings bonus points. There are still the usual customers met in the previous games: Cellphone Addict, Business Woman, Bookworm, Family (including mothers with babies and Father with Son), Normal Girl, etc., each with specific features. For example, some customers like Business Woman or Bookworm don't like noises, so seating them near Cellphone Addict is a wrong idea. In the contrary, the noise doesn't bother Family, so you can put the Cellphone Addict near them. It's always something hard to do when you're getting into a level where all seats are colored and that people will only seat in their color. That level in the last restaurant was something that gave me grey hair, that's why I was telling you that some levels required patience. I did beat the game however, even if some levels are still waiting for an expert score.

When beating a level, you'll be giving the choice to redecorate the restaurant. Yes, you can customize the place: choosing new tables, new counters, adding something in the background or just changing the ground. You'll be given a third choice if you reached the expert level.

Because well, for beating a level, you have to collect money. And the more you can collect, the more you can expect to reach the expert score who is appearing after having beaten the normal score.

Each level is unique. Not in the background but you will always have something new: the drink station for making patienting the clients, the podium for chatting with those waiting in the queue, a bench for seating a group, the mop, the highchair, the snack (each restaurant has his own) and the dessert (see the snack). You're always beginning slowly before getting a full crowd in your hand. And that's where the fun begins.

Once you got the move, you can easily play that game. If I'm writing about it, it's for sharing with you something: I was surprised by the easiness of the game. Flo on the Go was more difficult and was hard for getting expert scores. In DD2, I was really feeling that it was too easy, I was getting experts scores nearly in each level in Darla's Cafe. So, I was asking myself if it was normal but then, Flo on the Go is the third game in Diner Dash and if indeed, DD2 was too easy, perhaps that they strengthened the difficulty for the next one.

If you don't mind colorful background and simple graphics, you'll be happy with that game. Not that the graphics are what you're expecting but at least, they're efficient and well done. The restaurants are all respecting their themes (as in the unlockables as you can customize your restaurant). Darla's Cafe is just a sort of snack, so, the setting is urban and the main plate was a great hamburger. Toni's Pizzeria is reflecting Italy. Marguerita's Mexican restaurant is reflecting the country. Toshiro's Japanese is sending you to Asia. And the last restaurant is something for the high society if I may say that. So, as you can see, the respect of the restaurant isn't something new in the following DD games.

The music in Diner Dash is always respecting the restaurant you're currently trying to save. For example, you're listening to Mexican music when helping Marguerita. Like for the background, everything is set for a new journey. It's not like you have the same music for the 50 levels, so, clearly, having a neat soundtrack is something great for a casual game. Also, it's easy to hear the typical sound of a baby dirtying the ground or announcing that a new client arrived. Also, it's practical to hear the menu put on the table, meaning that you have to take an order.

As I've said, sometimes you can't beat the first time the expert score. Diner Dash 2 is providing a real challenge for it for levels where you were feeling to be at your maximum. Trust me, I'm barely reaching the normal score in some levels, so, you will have to push back your limits and your way of playing for unlocking what you can unlock.

But there is also something else in DD. You have a story mode and I've described it in gameplay. You have a Endless Shift mode. Meaning that you're choosing the restaurant you want to play and then, begin the service. Each goal reached will help you to upgrade your restaurant from a new table to a podium without forgetting the radio. Loose five customers and your endless shift is finished. It's quite a challenge to do it, as you must make crucial choices that you weren't making in the story mode.

So, yeah, DD2 has a high lifetime and replay value but be warned: the game is repetitive as it's always the same thing to do.

The Bad
Describing the gameplay is always a challenge for me. Not pointing the flaws, even if DD2 isn't a game with a good number of flaws. It's not about bugs, iit's about the level of difficulty. My main concern is about chains: if doing them is adding money, it's hard when you have a crowd, you can loose a customer because you want to do chains. Note that it's possible to do them and that for some levels, it's necessary for getting the normal/expert score. Even if the game in itself is nearly a piece of cake with a sudden change of difficulty and a last restaurant very hard to handle for getting the normal score or the expert score.

The Bottom Line
I'm somewhere surprised by DD2. It's an easy game except for some levels, it's fun to play, everything is neat in this game, apart from the usual frustration when you're not reaching the normal score or for forgetting to do a chain. Diner Dash 2 is clearly a game that is carrying the Diner Dash series to a great success. You don't have to worry about a lot of things, at least, not like in Flo on the Go or Hometown Hero, you can customize your restaurant and the challenge is quite funny to take. You don't have a great variety of customers but trust me, you'll appreciate the fact that you don't have Teenagers with their cellphone. It's sufficient to have the Cellphone Addict and the Business Woman, as these two are really important to care and difficult to seat (I mean that Teenagers are acting like Cellphone Addicts and too much cellphones aren't great for the business).

So, do I recommend the game? Yes. Try it. If you don't like it or find it too nervous, it's your opinion. I get hooked to the game even if I'm beginning to feel a sort of "boring" thing with Seasonal Snack, which is bringing nothing new to the series. But, yes, Diner Dash 2 is worthy to buy or to play as a free game (with ads).

Reviewing a game like Diner Dash isn't easy, particularly when it's an early game with less options than the recent release. It's also difficult when you're used to FPS and adventure way of writing. I do know however that someone here will be happy to see me reviewing a game which is not a FPS. The break will be short, be warned.

Windows · by vicrabb (7272) · 2009

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Riamus.

BlackBerry added by Sciere. Windows Mobile, Android added by Kabushi. Macintosh added by Jeanne.

Additional contributors: monkeyislandgirl, Klaster_1.

Game added May 14, 2006. Last modified February 22, 2023.