"Is real-life cooking ever this good..?"

A cooking game? Are you serious? If there was anyone who had high hopes of a game about preparing dishes through various cooking methods via the use of a touch-screen, it wasn't me. With an apparent lack of plot or definitive appeal, I wasn't convinced that I'd be forking out $40 for this. But a month (and few weeks) on, I'm glad that I did because this is a game that you won't be putting down for awhile.

There are about 70+ recipes you can use in total, many of them unlocked after you successfully prepare certain dishes. Your stylus becomes a multi-purpose cooking utensil of sorts; ladle, blender, measuring cup - you name it. Take for instance a sushi roll recipe. You go through each step of the cooking process, from boiling the rice right up until the final procedure of rolling it up. Fumble along the way and you miss your chance at securing a gold medal (which comes in silver and bronze too and are awarded depending on how well a dish came out). Many of the recipes are pretty flexible as well, giving you the option of preparing a similar dish as you branch out during a certain step. This keeps the replayability up as you go back and try to unlock many other recipes at your disposal.

There. I just summed the whole game up in a single paragraph. While this game might appear linear and dry, it's no doubt deceptively simple. As repetitive as Cooking Mama gets, I can assure you that it's twice as addictive. Start mixing those ingredients up in one recipe and you'd be hooked the next second. The game is ingenious in utilizing the stylus and microphone in any and every way possible. How hard you swing your stylus in cracking an egg can affect how well the egg is eventually cracked; when you blow in the microphone results in how well your stew will come out; and the result of mixed ingredients depends on how much and well you stir them in the mixing bowl. While there's quite a variety of cooking methods available, the usage of different ingredients even for the same cooking procedure makes the game hard to get old. More often than not, you'd get so addicted to the game you don't even mind preparing the same dish all over so that you can get yourself a better medal at the end.

Tired of the main game? Although that could be in a long, long while, the game gives you the option of practising those mini-games (the cooking steps) individually. They're sort of like time trials where the stages get increasingly tougher and adds a lot of challenge to what you'd usually get in the main game. The "practice mode" also allows you to master a particular step of a dish in case you keep fumbling it, saving you the time of repeating the whole recipe. While the concept of the game seems rather rigid, it does display a surprising large array of flexibility when it comes down to the actual playing. If you're a fan of games of yesteryear like Tetris, Cooking Mama is similar in displaying simple yet addictive and fun gameplay.

One gripe of this otherwise nifty game is the lack of rewarding sound and background effects. Audio-wise, the game falls flat as the most you'll get is cheery and "bouncy" music during the cooking processes. The sound effects get the job done, but are way too simple. The game also looks like it's clearly aimed towards certain demographics with all the bright colors and flashy graphics, limiting its potential audience and could be a great turn-off for people who don't appreciate such feminine gimmickry.

There is a silver lining in its poor graphical lineup though. Little details like how your food slowly changes its appearance according to the duration it's been cooked is greatly appreciated, and adds a sense of realism. What got me really impressed is how your mixed ingredients gradually take a more realistic form as your stir them in the mixing bowl. What's more, the outcome of your dish is reflected in the final splash page. This means that if you've overcooked a bunch of fish, you get to see your burnt handiwork on the last page, or the score-sheet. An interesting touch, I must say.

Closing comments? While Cooking Mama scores for innovation and endless hours of gameplay (I'm not ashamed to admit that I once played this game until my DS battery went flat!), the developers could've beefed its technical capabilities up a tad. Repetition is something you'll get used to and love in this game, but it'd wear thin sooner or later. Meanwhile, enjoy the countless of hours this game promises you as you're seemingly unable to put your stylus now.

Gamers, let's cook off!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/28/07