"Darn! I blew up the pot of soup again! Oh well..."

Wow! I must say that I was very impressed with the game play in this game. The whole entire "cooking" idea was very original, and really got me hooked. I really loved the way the stylus was incorporated into the game so well, and that there was a variety of things to do when cooking.

Graphics: 7/10
What can I say about the graphics? They really weren't too bad, but not excellent on the other hand. I enjoyed the way some of the foods were detailed and I liked the way the end picture of the foods you created were made. However, some things seemed a bit bland I guess. Overall, however, I rated the graphics decent.

Re-play value: 9/10
The re-play value in this game may be one of it's high points. After you beat the main part of the game (cooking and unlocking new recipes) you can go to the next mode, "Combining recipes." This allows you to choose between two recipes you've already made, and combine them to make one dish. This is a great, fun add on to the game and if that doesn't entertain you, just stick with the regular recipe cooking, or go to the "Use Skill" section and put your chopping, slicing, peeling, stewing, and deep-frying to the test.

Toughness: 10/10
I think the makers of Cooking Mama landed SPOT ON with the toughness of this game. 10/10 is a perfect score here. I gave this game a ten because it really did challenge you. Things did not just come by easily to you. Some aspects took a lot of time, and some were nice and easy. This game takes some time to beat. It is not just the one hour of play time and you beat it. Also, it is not so hard that you find yourself up against impossible tasks. I beat the whole game, and I am not the greatest gamer who ever lived. It just takes time and patience.

Game play: 9/10
The gameplay in this game was superb. It used the stylus throughout the whole game, and used it very smart. Things like cutting were fun with the stylus. You could deep fry using the stylus. You could decorate the food using the stylus. Well come to think of it... you could do almost ANYTHING with the stylus. The main mode had many different "steps" in cooking that made it really fun. Also, combining the recipes was pretty fun. Overall, the game play was spectacular, and deserved a nine out of ten.

Music: 8/10
The music and sound in this game were pretty realistic. Whether it is boiling oil, cutting noises, or mixing batter noises, it really came together well. When you would drop food in oil to deep fry, you would here bubbling and boiling. When you turned the stove on high, the noise changed. The sounds and music were well done and got a pretty good eight out of ten.

In conclusion, the game was very fun, and well created. You will not be bored with this game too quickly for there is a whole cooking world out there. Whether you are blowing up stew, or creating magnificent fried fish , it just is a blast.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/13/06