Overview

In this latest of the "Diner Dash" series of games, Flo's friends Scarlett and Walter have decided to go into the Pet Grooming business (if they don't kill each other first) and your job is to help them achieve their dreams (and realize that they were made for each other... as made for each other as two cartoon characters can be).

If you are familiar with the game Paradise Pet Salon, this game may seem somewhat familiar at first, but don't let that fool you. Familiar look aside, this game is quite the challenge!

Getting Started

As usual, I will leave the "How to play" tutorial to the game itself. It will teach you the basics of gameplay on the first board.

However, when you initially start the game, you have the choice of playing either Scarlett or Walter's character... Your choice does affect game play:

• Walter Playing Walter helps boost your pet's "heart meter" so every time, you pick up an animal it gains an extra heart.
• Scarlett Playing Scarlett allows each station to run a little faster. This is in addition to the upgrades that also make the stations run faster.

NOTE: I played the game using Scarlett but in hindsight, I'm wondering if I would have had an easier time if I had chosen Walter (more on that one later). However, I'd be interested if anyone who plays this with Walter would be willing to post their findings for playing level 3 10 on the forums.
Bonuses

Instead of chaining bonuses, this game has "flagging" bonuses... This means that if you take a cat to a particular station, a flag appears with a cat's face on it...
Then, every time you take a cat to that station, you get a multiplying bonus.

You also get a bonus by switching a cat or dog with its same species at a station. IE: You are washing a dog and trimming a dog at the same time. When the dog is done being washed, you see that it also needs a trim so you swap it with the dog that just finished getting a trim... POOF! You get a flagging bonus (for putting a dog at a dog-flagged station AND you get a swapping bonus.

NOTE: Try to keep one station for each species. If you choose the most impatient pets first, you shouldn't have to put a cat at a dog station or vice versa.

The last bonus is a "Full-Hearts" bonus. If you get a pet through all its stations and keep its heart meter at 5 hearts when it's returned to the owner, you get a special bonus.

Upgrades and Special Stations

Just like the rest, all the stations and decorations can be upgraded to earn more money but not all of the shop's special stations or helpers are available on all levels. NOTE: The only upgradable stations are the 3 main ones (Wash, Trim and Style). Everything else comes "fully upgraded"... which just means you can't upgrade them.

• Massage Station This keeps pets content "for a little while." This really comes in handy when (for example) you have a slow but patient animal (like the Persian cat) and a fast but very impatient animal (like the Siamese cat) come in. NOTE: I also found this station to be useful if I was about to lose a very impatient animal. I could plunk it down here and run to get it a treat before it left.
• Treat Station Allows you to give treats to impatient animals to boost their "heart Meter." NOTE: Unlike Paradise Pet Salon where you bring the pet to the station for the treat you need to bring the treat to the pet in this game!! It took me a little while to figure that one out... DUH!
• Energy Drink Station This gives you super speed for a short while. Great to use when there are a lot of pets at the counter or on the stations.
• Playpen This is an additional station that pets with full heart meters will request. This can earn you a LOT of extra money. The key is to get the pet's heart meter full by the time it hits its last station. Then, instead of the arrow (which indicates that it's ready to leave), you'll see a green tennis ball which means it wants to visit the playpen. NOTE: Once a pet requests the play pen, it will still go there even if it's heart meter drops back down and you'll still get the extra $$... you just won't get the full-heart bonus.
• Stage (Level 3) This adds 1 heart to everyone in line at the counter. The best way to use this is to let the line build up at the counter while you finish taking care of everyone already at different stations. Then, use the stage to increase everyone's hearts and then take them thru the stations!
• Jukebox (level 4) Like the stage, this also adds a heart but to everyone who's already at a station in the shop.
• Megaphone (Level 5) Using the megaphone makes every worker at every station move faster. This comes in handy if you save up a lot of slow animals until the end.

Meet the Pets!

Every Pet in this game has a different temperament, amount of patience and/or effect on the game. Certain Pets are introduced at certain levels to make things more difficult.

(right click->view image to see large version)

These are what I call "Neutral Animals" - Basically, these lil' guys have no real effect on the game except to make you $$. All you need to do is get them through the station at a reasonable pace.

(right click->view image to see large version)

These animals will affect your game play and, depending on how you handle them, can help or hurt you. NOTE: If an impatient animal gets too upset, it will leave and cost you anywhere from $300 - $500!!!

Tips to keep in mind with some of these pets:

Persian Cat & Dachshund

• Leave these guys at the counter when things get hectic. They will stay content for a while, allowing you to move other pets through. This also allows you extra time to get them through in order to receive the Full Hearts Bonus.

Yorkshire Terrier & Shih Tzu

• When they get impatient, they'll start barking loudly. This will severely annoy all the other pets in the room for the most part. If this happens, try to plunk them down at a massage station ASAP. They will still bark if you simply hold on to them.

Poodle & Siamese

• Keep a close eye on these guys. They go through stations SUPER fast but they loose patience VERY quickly! However, if you can get them through fast enough (plunk em down on a massage table and fetch them a treat between stations if you have to) you'll get a playpen request AND a full heart bonus, which are really good with these types of animals because they go through so fast.

The Dreaded Level Three!

Starting on level three, you are given the opportunity to add a third station to your washing, trimming and styling stations... all I can say is DON'T DO IT! Adding the extra stations tend to mess up your flag and station-switching bonuses. Worst of all, the extra station makes level 3 10 all but impossible to complete!

The only way to beat level 3-10 (if you've added those third stations) is to have EVERYTHING upgraded and to choose your animals in the right order (by temperament) so you can maximize heart meters and get as many of them to the play pens as possible!!

Believe me... I played this level for TWO WHOLE DAYS and had to go back and get the "expert" score in all the previous levels so I could afford the upgrades. Then, I played that level over and over again until I could figure out the best pattern possible to get as many in the playpens as I could! It was a nightmare!!

This is why I'm wondering if choosing Walter at the start may affect this level differently.

Instead of trying that, I did go back and replay all of Level 3 (using Scarlett) but I did NOT add the third stations... It still took me a few tries to get through level 3 10 but I think I got through on the third or fourth try.

After that, I did not bother adding the third station on levels 4 & 5 either.

If anyone else had a similar experience, please share it on the forums! I'd love to hear how you passed level 3 10!

Other Tips, Tricks and Observations

• On one board on every level, your partner calls in sick and you have to do his/her job too. Just remember to keep an eye out for the "arrow" symbol that signifies that the pet is ready to be returned to its owner. If you forget, they'll leave and you'll lose $$!! NOTE: As soon as you know you'll be flying solo that day, make sure your character is upgraded and that you get the massage station. Both of these really help out!
• On Random levels, Flo (of Diner Dash fame) will swing by with her pet "Sprinkles" (I think that's his name). "Sprinkles" is very patient and he automatically adds 1 heart to every pet that he's near! Try to keep him around for as long as possible!
• Unlike Paradise Pet Salon, you can only handle ONE pet at a time!!
• The Treat Station, Energy Drink Station, Jukebox, Stage and Megaphone DO NOT work at the beginnings of each level!! They need to "warm up" or something. You will know when one of these bonuses is ready to use when it glows yellow. NOTE: These stations also need time to rejuvenate in between uses so choose when to use them wisely!! (For example: I can usually use the energy drinks twice during a level if I'm lucky.)
• Level 4 automatically gives you three wash stations. I upgraded only two of them and left the third one for either the very patient animals or very IMpatient animals (depending on how busy I was).
• When you get an "Expert" score on any level, you unlock an extra d cor choice for your shop. I'm not sure if the different decoration choices have different affects on game play but you can switch them out at no additional charge any time you want.
• I've noticed that if you drink an energy drink and then do something like get on the stage, the energy drink affect seems to pause so you can still zip around once you are done performing... but, it doesn't make you perform on stage any faster.