Bluey's Happy Snaps - Switch 2 Trailer

Welcome to the world of Bluey as you join Bluey and Bingo, where they've found their dad's (Bandit) old Polaroid camera. Bluey's Happy Snaps is Gameloft Brisbane’s entry to Bluey's venture into video games and I'm happy to say they've done an incredible job. You run around several different areas of Brisbane that are highlighted in episodes of the show, and the game looks just like it's been lifted from the animation studio directly. Grab the Bluey fans for this one, because there are so many details to uncover.

The Good

Think back to your earliest memories of gaming. What was the first game you played? For me it was Super Mario Bros. 3 with my great nan. The reason I bring this up is because for a lot of young Bluey fans, this will be their first experience with video games and I wholeheartedly believe it's the perfect experience for them. Giving the option to play as either Bluey or Bingo and having multiplayer where the second player plays as the other Heeler and gets to run around, pose for photos, and play with the environment. The second player option is perfect for that 3-5-year-old range, with the first player in control of the camera better suited for six and up.

Gameloft Brisbane has done an impeccable job capturing not only the art of the show but also the love of the entire world of Bluey and not just focusing on the Heelers. Visually Bluey's Happy Snaps looks like it was pulled straight from the show itself, with the locations and characters being all pulled from episodes. Like the fact you can find Chippie and Cherry, characters from only one episode, it speaks to the level of detail and love put into the game.

Bluey's Happy Snaps is one of the few games where I would say multiplayer is a necessary requirement as an option; I'm thankful Gameloft Brisbane put in the effort and kept the fun there. While it's only limited to two players, it's genuinely just so much fun to play in multiplayer. My son and I had some laughs as we were wandering through Hammer Barn and playing Grannies mode, which is exclusive to the deluxe edition and sees you causing a whole mess of chaos. 

My personal favourite addition to the game is when you uncover the real life activities. You'll play a little mini-game somewhere in a level and once you finish, you'll be brought to a screen that breaks down how you can do the activity in real life and what you'll need for it. All of these can be accessed anytime in the Heeler household and are a lovely way to balance screen time and real-world play.

TL;DR

• Perfect first game
• Captures the magic of the show
• Family fun
• Pushes off screen play

The Bad

The only negative thing that I can say about Bluey’s Happy Snaps is there may be a few parents who just struggle to stay entertained while playing with their kids. Unless you're a huge Bluey fan, because, like previously mentioned, there is a plethora of connections to the show to uncover. Maybe some kind of point system for taking photos with the right poses or framing them properly would help an older audience have a bit more fun.

TL;DR

• Could struggle to hold parents’ attention

Final Score: 10/10

Bluey's Happy Snaps is the perfect love letter to the Australian phenomenon that is the animated series Bluey. Gameloft Brisbane showed a lot of care and attention to detail that this franchise deserves. A wonderful experience for the family and I will forever be recommending this game to anyone with their own little Bluey fan.

Thank you for checking out our Bluey's Happy Snaps Switch review, thank you to Gameloft Brisbane for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

• Andrew Caluzzi (Inca Studios / Camped Out)
• Bel Cubitt
• Bobby Jack
• Jack Caven
• Nintendo Maniacs
• RedHero