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Cooking Mama: Reviews

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Game Score: 5/10

Keep an open mind and feast your eyes on Foodnetwork for the DS! Taito brings us Cooking Mama for the DS a simulation game about cooking, as the name implies.
To start off you are basically being taught how to cook by, who else but, Mama. The game focuses on your ability to follow the on screen directions quickly and efficiently via the top screen and executing what you're being told with the stylus on the touch screen through what is best described as mini-games. While this sounds simple enough being precise and quick is harder than it seems. At the end of the dish you are graded on your performance, 1- 100. Mama will have you doing everything from peeling potatoes to blowing on the food to cool it down. (via the mic)
The game can actually get semi hectic and present some decent challenges to any gamer. However, it doesn't get you as worked up as some other "mini-game" games such as Wario-ware or Brain age. It can get monotonous pretty fast as it's basically the same mini-game over and over again. Thus, you can really only play the game for a few hours before tiring of it. However, that is pretty much how long you'll need to play around with quite a few of the 72 dishes but it really doesn't have any replay value. There is a "combination" mode that allows you to combine two dishes you've made before and make a new dish. This just makes a really long version of two dishes you've already played, and unless you're just trying to "complete" the game, isn't really going to keep you playing beyond the initial separate versions. The game makes a good first impression but doesn't really hold up in the long run. This disappointed me as I am a fan of the Cooking Simulation Genre and I was hoping this would be somewhere along the lines of the Japanese cooking/restaurant simulation "Ore no Ryouri" for the PS but it really only does about half of what you could in that game.

-Graphics- The colors are bright and perky as one would expect from a quirky game. It's not exactly the most serious game in the simulation genre. (when you fail a dish Mama's eyes light up with fire....literally.) While the graphics could be better they fit the game and the feel. The graphics look more on the "cute" side but don't let that turn you off guys. It doesn't look any less yummy. They're pleasant.

-Sound- Again the game is cartoony, so not much to say other than it fits the game. Perky pianos, sizzling pans, clunking on the cutting boards. The music is repetitive at times and not in a catchy way. Honestly, I turned the sound off when playing.

-Controls- Bottom screen handles all the cooking executed by your stylus as it becomes a spoon, knife, fan, hands, rolling pin, etc. While the top screen is occupied by Mama and your directions to be followed. At times the controls require you to be annoyingly precise. I've failed many a dish only because I tap-tap-roll-tapped instead of tap-roll-tapped. While others are tedious circles to measure portions of meat or flip dumplings.

-Replay Value- None. Once you've cooked everything there is really no reason to do them again. There is really no reason to strive for a Gold medal (100%) on any of the dishes, other than pride issues, as it doesn't unlock any new dishes or modes.

This game is a good one timer. With it's repetitiousness it's gets tiresome uncomfortably fast and there really is no reason to play it again. It's a good idea but the game is very open-ended at best as there is really no point other than to cook the dish. This is sad as the game had potential. Perhaps the Wii version will address the down points on this game. Can't say too much for the DS version.. again a good one timer.
Play it slowly and savor the good times cause once this dish is done you won't want leftovers.