I have no desire to get tangled up in the brouhaha that accompanies weddings. All of that complaining, planning to ensure the day is “perfect,” and spoiled-brattery exhibited by the parties involved is simply repulsive to me. However, I love a good challenge. Thanks to the gentle prodding of my mother, a longtime fan of the Diner Dash series of casual games, I’ve played more than my fair share of the series, the many spin-offs, the “Supermarket Dash”es, you name it. The most recent addition to the growing series, Wedding Dash, chronicles what goes into planning a wedding reception and keeping it hoppin’ amidst chaos and disorder. It follows the tried-and-true formula of the series to the letter, yet still manages to entertain fans of the fast-food variety.

Wedding Dash introduces you to Quinn, an aspiring wedding planner, who just happens to attend the same yoga class as Diner Dash’s Flo. Through a humorous chain of events, Quinn is responsible for putting together many a reception for hopeful couples about to revel in marital bliss. And that’s where you come in. If you’re familiar with the Dash series, then this DS iteration should be cake. It’s your responsibility to plan and manage each reception, making sure that guests are seated within their preferences, served the right meals, and that the bride and groom receive the gifts brought for them. You’ll also need to curb catfighting bridesmaids and other miniature disasters that might threaten the success of the happy couple’s big day.

Guests will line up at the side of the touch screen much like customers in the diner, and you must first drag them to the appropriate table judging by the thought bubbles appearing over their head. After they’ve had time to look over the menu, you must serve them the appropriate dishes by heading over to the cook and selecting from a variety of meat, seafood, poultry, and desserts. You needn’t concentrate on one task alone, as you can chain them together by carrying more than one plate or gift at a time in order to please everyone. Unfortunately, the difficulty ramps up by nearly the third or fourth stage, and it becomes harder and harder to seat guests by their preferences, keep them from fighting, and choosing the correct food to serve them with. You must meet a money goal to pass each stage and failing ensures that you’ll repeat the same session until you can meet the goal set for that level. It seems as though it would be simple, but if you’re not skilled in multitasking you’ll most certainly find yourself struggling as I did, since the DS’s small screen makes it a bit hard to see exactly what you’re serving or what the though bubbles are trying to convey.

While it didn’t inspire me to don the white dress and get hitched anytime soon,  Wedding Dash for the DS is still a worthy entry into the series and one that fans will likely eat up, looking for a new challenge to conquer.  It never feels gimmicky, and the graphics are endearing sprites complete with colorful and lush locations, even though most stages will end up looking exactly the same. Of course, you won’t be playing for the graphics or even the catchy tunes. It’s all about the ridiculously addictive nature of the gameplay that will reel you in and ensure you see the game through to the end or even match up with other players via wireless play on the DS.  Still, I hope in the future that the Dash series receives some much-needed revamping, as new gameplay mechanics would be much appreciated