Kitchen Scramble is the latest game to come out of Disney's mobile division. In the past, Disney has published some really good games, including the famous Where's My Water? and Where's my Perry? Any time there is a new Disney movie in the cinemas, you can also almost certainly bet on the fact that there will be a mobile app centered around the movie. Take for example the latest Frozen Free Fall from the movie Frozen, or Malificent Free Fall, or the not-so-subtle Monsters University. Whatever the case may be, Disney's mobile games have been more hit than miss recently, and Kitchen Scramble is a hit in my opinion.
First of all, I don't think this game is based on any movie (feel free to correct me in the comments section if I'm wrong!). Gameplay wise, Kitchen Scramble is somewhat similar to Diner Dash. Like the latter, the former has you clicking to complete tasks and serving customers. Where Diner puts you in the shoes of a waitress, Kitchen puts you in the hat of a chef! Instead of taking orders and showing customers to their tables, you have to slice onions, bake potatoes, fry eggs, etc, to satisfy the demands of your customers. Needless to say, the game can get pretty hectic when there are numerous recipes to master and many dishes to cook up simultaneously. This game is definitely NOT for people who cannot multitask.
The graphics in the game is top notch. Just as Disney's previous showings, its vibrant colours and attention to detail shines in every stage and every level. Even the items, ingredients and food have each been rendered beautifully to make you drool at the sight of your virtual masterpiece. Characters in the game are different enough to provide a nice variety of customers, and the main character is equally charming. The music is catchy enough but, honestly, you won't notice much of it because you will be SO busy clicking!
Personally, I am not a very good multi-tasker, but my girlfriend is, and even she is having trouble getting all three stars for every level. If you think that might be frustrating, just ask her. I believe she is having so much fun replaying each level to master the recipes and gather more coins to upgrade her kitchen utensils. The challenge is well appreciated because it comes from the complexity of the recipes rather than absurd limitations. Along the way, the market offers random upgrades to your equipment that can be purchased from in-game coins.
Due to the nature of its free-to-play price tag, there are unattractive timers to be had after completing a stage. In addition, the game features the same type of "Energy" bar (called Supplies here) where you can only play a certain number of times before you have to wait for your supplies to tick back up. It's annoying, but hey, it's the norm nowadays. You can pay real money to remove the timers, but there is no real need for that. There is also a premium currency which you can use to upgrade your equipment to premium level, or to buy premium ingredients which give more coins when used in a dish. All-in-all, the free-to-play elements are more of an annoyance than a crippling limitation, so have a little patience and it shouldn't bother you too much.
This game also has the honour of also being on multiple platforms. Yes, you can also play Kitchen Scramble on Facebook or iOS, and link all the accounts together! However, if you link your account to Facebook, the game instantly changes the wait timers to Requesting for Friends to help. It's a smart switch, but one that I find to be rather annoying, especially since I am not really active on Facebook, but I want the luxury of synching across all platforms.
Kitchen Scramble is an amazing game that offers tons of fun across a variety of levels and stages. Throughout your play, I am certain that you will be engrossed in your little kitchen figuring out what to do two steps ahead so that you can successfully cook and serve the customers to keep their happiness level up. If you love games like Diner Dash, I can guarantee that this game will keep you up at night trying to get that elusive third star.
