Hey everyone! Here with a cozy little review of Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash. If you love pixel art, cute characters, and lighthearted party games, you might want to stick around. I gave Party Dash a spin on its August 29, 2024 release. Here’s my friendly breakdown.
Overall Impressions
Party Dash is a bright, pixel-art minigame collection set in the world of Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Think of it as a school festival where horse-girls compete in four silly events—racing, shooting targets, an eating contest, and a wacky obstacle dash. The charming pixel style stands out, and each event captures the energy of the cast.
On the downside, you only get four minigames. Once you’ve unlocked every character and track, replaying can feel thin. Compared to cozy party games like WarioWare or the mini modes in Mario Party, Party Dash has plenty of charm but less variety.
Gameplay Mechanics
Running the Slapdash Grand Prix is simple and sweet. Each minigame has its own basic controls: tap to sprint, angle and shoot for target events, mash a button for the eating contest, and time your jumps in the obstacle dash.
Newcomers will find it easy to pick up—nothing too technical, which I appreciate after a long day. Each character’s little quirks add variety. One might sprint faster, another might get a bonus in the eating contest, so you can experiment with teams. My favorite moment was pulling off a perfect jump combo with Special Week in the obstacle dash.
The biggest drawback is the limited number of events. Once you’ve played them all, the only unlocks left are outfits and portraits. Several players I spoke to shared similar thoughts: “Only four mini games” and “A great game marred by a limited set.” I agree—two or three more events would help.
Story and Characters
Party Dash doesn’t have a deep plot—it’s more like a friendly festival day with your favorite Umamusume. Still, I loved the little voice lines between races and the playful banter before each event. Seeing Special Week, Silence Suzuka, and the rest cheer each other on felt like hanging out at a real school festival. The world-building is minimal but effective: it stays true to the main Umamusume universe, giving us just enough character flavor without slowing down the fun. If you’re a fan of the series, these callbacks feel like little treats; if you’re new, the bubbly personalities might just make you want to dive into the main game next.
Visuals and Graphics
Pixel art heaven. Each Umamusume sprite has its signature hairstyle, outfit details, and bright color palette. The festival backdrops change from a sunny track to a cozy school yard, and little sparkles or confetti pop up whenever you score big. It all comes together to create a warm, nostalgic vibe—like playing a retro game on a breezy afternoon. The animations are smooth, too; there’s no lag even when four characters zoom by in a sprint. It’s clear the devs at Cygames poured love into every frame.
Sound and Music
The soundtrack is upbeat and catchy, mixing chiptune melodies with a J-pop flair. I often found myself humming the main festival theme after shutting off my Switch. Sound effects are playful—each successful jump or perfectly timed button mash gets a little chime, and the cheering crowd audio fits right in. Voice snippets from the Umamusume cast are short but sweet; they add a dash of personality without getting repetitive. If there’s any complaint, it’s that after a few dozen rounds, you might want a playlist to switch things up—but overall, the audio keeps the mood light and fun.
Difficulty and Replayability
Party Dash sits at an easy to medium difficulty. The first few cups flew by, but on higher speed settings or with tougher AI, I had to sharpen my timing. That said, it’s never super punishing, which is great for a casual session. Replayability shines if you love chasing high scores, unlocking every team combo, and playing multiplayer with friends locally. But if you’re looking for endless variety, you might feel the bite of only having four events. Like many players said, “Pretty fun game but way too expensive at normal price. If it’s on sale for like 15-20 dollars it’s worth it.” I’d agree—wait for a deal if you can.
Trivia and Behind the Scenes
Here’s a fun nugget: Cygames developed Party Dash using a custom pixel-engine to speed up development and keep file sizes small. The dev blog mentioned they started with 8-bit style sketches, then layered on modern lighting effects to keep the pixels crisp. Also, the voice actors for Special Week and Silence Suzuka recorded all their lines in just two days to keep that spontaneous festival feel.
Final Thoughts
Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash is a cozy, colorful minigame party that’s perfect for fans of the series and casual gamers who want quick bursts of fun. It nails the charm of its horse-girl characters, but you’ll wish for a few more events to stretch that replay value. If you catch it on sale, it’s a solid pick-up for local multiplayer or solo high-score chasing. Just don’t go in expecting a deep single-player story or a ton of content.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
I’m rounding up to 4 stars for sheer cuteness and accessibility, with a small asterisk for limited variety. Ultimately, Party Dash is a cozy time—especially when enjoyed with friends or a chilled playlist on the side.
Thanks for reading, and happy gaming!
