《Bluey’s Happy Snaps》评测：纯正蓝色家庭乐趣

I don’t think there’s a kid-inhabited household in Australia, albeit the world, that hasn’t fallen in love with the adorable little blue Heeler that is Bluey. Her rise in fame from a little Brisbane cartoon on the ABC to a worldwide sensation is something I feel us Australians, especially those of us in Brisbane, are super duper proud of.

Bluey’s Happy Snaps continues the legacy of what makes Bluey great in the all new gaming adventure developed by Gameloft Brisbane. It’s not just another video game in the world of Bluey, but yet both ‘another episode to enjoy’ like experience, as well as a genuine nod and homage to what has made Bluey so iconic and enjoyable.

I want to preface this review by saying, Bluey’s Happy Snaps is absolutely a game for kids and the target audience is children aged around 6-10 years old at its core. Unlike other Bluey games which have mixed together adult and child play to navigate through the adventures, Happy Snaps is a game that its kid-focused audience can 100% play, navigate and experience all on their own. Being a gamer dad to 3 ratbags (10,8 & 6), I thought I’d approach this game with them at the heart of the player experience.

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Happy Snaps kicks off the adventure with Bluey and Bingo finding Dad’s old polaroid camera. The concept and premise to the game is rather simple, at the start of each location Mum gives you a scrapbook to collect your photos in. In this scrapbook will be sticker clues, which also work as your checklist for what photos you need to take. You then simply explore the location to find the objects, characters, animals and other things your scrapbook lists and take a photo of such things to complete the level. Upon taking a photo of the right thing, you will unlock a new reward – these rewards come in the form of stickers, craft tape, new paint or glitter colours, patterns etc. and cosmetic items to play dress up.

From an adult perspective – this premise across the 7 locations you get to visit in the game does become highly repetitive. But again, this is a game for the kids and watching mine play the game meant I heard an entirely different take on the core mechanics. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the nature of the gameplay, with my eldest saying it was fun to feel like Bluey and Bingo in an episode and that taking photos was really fun. My son, who is an avid 8 year old gamer, said the concept is super fun and not only loved taking photos, but also loved all the little mini games you could do in each location. The youngest of the bunch, and probably the one who has had the least time playing video games also enjoyed herself immensely, she mentioned she loved taking photos of all the animals. To be honest, it was nice just sitting back instead of having to play game guide or “player 1” and just watching them work together as Bluey and Bingo to find their next snap, goof around, pose like silly buggers and advance the story all on their own.

Although the core mechanic of the game is like the title suggests – taking happy snaps – Gameloft has actually filled this game with some very thoughtful, fun and particular gameplay add-ons that will definitely keep kids entertained for hours – both on and off screen. For what is the equivalent of side quests in our big adult games, Happy Snaps has these little off shoot moments within each location that players can enjoy, albeit they don’t really provide too much, if any, game progression. Other moments like these include basketball, naughts and crosses, bocce, chalk drawing, bubble blowing, kite flying, as well as my kids’ personal favourites – trampolines and ballpits.

What this game does an incredibly good job of is being highly aware that it IS a video game, which means it’s screen time. And to be honest, as a parent who LOVES video games and encourages my kids to enjoy them too, I highly appreciate what Gameloft has done within Happy Snaps to make these healthy habits and suggestions feel natural, non-combative and an element that the kids can come to terms with on their own. Play For Real Life is a portion of the game that naturally blends what kids will experience in Happy Snaps, and gives them the immediate resources to replicate or continue that fun in their own homes and backyards.

For example, in the Park level we played a game with Bluey’s friends called Magic Cauldron. This is where you had to collect random objects to be ingredients for the “spell” we were brewing – leaves, twigs, rocks, and old sandwich etc – placing them all in our pretend cauldron. What we also got upon completion of Magic Cauldron was essentially the recipe to play this game in real life. The scrapbook page gave us what objects we’d need to play and the step by step instructions on how to play. Speaking to the Gameloft team during a recent preview session, they said these Play For Real Life games had been constructed specifically to not only be an extension of the game, but also in a way where families could play with things already in the home – it’s to purely encourage IRL play, not to spend more money. My kids immediately loved the idea upon seeing this pop up and were keen to take a break from the game to give one of the IRL games a try.

This mindset of healthy play runs throughout Bluey Happy Snaps with Play Healthy tips popping up at key times in place of loading screens – tips like ‘Tactical Wee’ was a fan favourite in our household, encouraging a quick break to go to the toilet, which the kids found both hilarious and also a great reminder.

The other thing Happy Snaps does beautifully is its art style. Gameloft worked with Ludo (the studio and creators behind Bluey), to nail its iconic art style in-game, but with a little flair. Happy Snaps blends together 2D elements with 3D environments, but it’s elegantly subtle. The whole game absolutely feels like you are just interacting with an episode of Bluey – from cutscenes to loading and transition slates, to level design.

Throughout our time with the game, we visited the Heeler house, Park, Lookout, Playspace, Southbank, Hammerbarn and Camping. These locations are all iconic or recognisable spots in Brisbane in the real world, and the kids LOVED experiencing these in game. Park is based off New Farm Park, Lookout is the Mt Cootha Lookout, Southbank…well is Southbank and Hammerbarn is everyone’s favourite DIY warehouse brand (sausage sizzle and all). The team at Gameloft ventured to each and every location within the game to make sure key elements and sights were included in the level designs – and you can really see this when visiting a location.

All in all, for everything the game does well there are a few things that may hinder it a little – and I believe it’s purely centred around replayability. Even upon completing the main story of the game (which we racked up about 8hrs of play), the main reason to jump back in is centred around collecting stickers we missed, secret stickers still to uncover (these are mostly centred around finding a Long Dog, and key story elements from the TV Show) and any last I Spy rewards. From an adult point of view, this feels like more of a one and done kind of game for me personally.

But replayability aside, Bluey Happy Snaps is definitely one I’d recommend for any families with Bluey fans or for families looking at easy and engaging ways to get their kids into video games. With its strong focus on easy controls and healthy play habits, Bluey Happy Snaps is sure to bring a smile to both children and adults alike – and maybe even some memorable family moments worth snapping.

Conclusion

Bluey's Happy Snaps is a family fun filled experience aimed at empowering kids to own their game time. It feels like a genuine Bluey episode that immerses players into the whacky adventures of the Heeler family, whilst providing easy controls and mechanics kids will love. Although replayability is dictated by how kids wish to tackle post game content, Happy Snaps will keep them smiling from play on and off the screen.

Positives

Simple and easy controls for kids

Fun premise and character interaction

Mini Games and Activities

Genuine Bluey Story

Stunning Art Style

Healthy Way To Play For Kids

Negatives

Potential lack in replayability

No Splitscreen - Player 1 Camera Focus

Relies on kid's sharing for photo taking in co-op play

8

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