"Let's get cooking, Mama! Let's get Cooking Mama!"

I've had Cooking Mama for about a day, and have been playing it non-stop to the point where I've almost beat it. This game is so addicting! It's a rather simple, fun game that keeps you going for hours on end. The only reason I stopped at all was because me fingers were cramped... >_<

[STORY - N/A]
There isn't really much of a story, but I won't give it a low score for that. All it is, is that you're cooking with your Mama. It's a nice little game, and a story isn't really necessary.

[GAME-PLAY - 9/10]
The game is easy to play and is usually responsive. I'll say it again-- this game is addicting! It can be easy or hard, depending on what you're cooking. It's really fun, though, even when some tasks are hard and can frustrate you. If you just keep practicing and listen to Mama, you should be all right! All the little cooking mini-games are very entertaining. The only problem I have is that when you're making stew or pan-frying things, it can seem to be a little slow. Like, the "rhythm" of the cooking should be faster. But it only started bothering me after playing a LOT; it's not a big problem. Overall, the game-play is very fun.

[SOUNDS - 10/10]
Sounds aren't anything special, but that's a good thing! They're kinda cute, which fits in with the overall style of the game, but they are appropriate for the task at hand. There's lots of sounds that fit the foods. When you crack an egg, it makes a cracking sound, and pressing meat on the frying pan makes a nice sizzle. Also, when you finish a cooking part, Mama tells you how you did, accompanied by a good sound, an okay sound, or a bad sound (...But don't worry, Mama will fix it!). The sounds fit well with the game, and aren't annoying at all.

[MUSIC - 8/10]
I didn't really notice the music, which is a good thing to me. I was just too focused on the game, hehe. The music is pretty catchy, but nothing too special. It's not that the music is bad, not at all, just that I'd have liked to see more of it. There's only about 3 songs used in the game, and I would've liked a few more than that.

[GRAPHICS - 10/10]
The graphics are wonderfully adorable. The foods are detailed and look great. The game overall has a bright, cute style, including Mama on the top of the screen. Everything has a cute charm to it, even the bouncy, colorful text!

[RENT OR BUY?]
I can't really answer the "Rent or Buy" question. It all depends on the person playing. The game doesn't have too much replay value when it comes to multi-player or unlocking secrets or anything like that, but you CAN have fun combining recipes to hundreds of combinations and remaking things, trying to get gold medals on each food. I bought this game because I like original, unique ideas. The game could be "finished" (all 76 recipes unlocked) in not too much time, but if you like this kind of game and like completing everything, you might want to buy it.

[OVERALL - 9/10]
Cooking Mama is a great game that is incredibly addictive! Now if only I could take my skill from cooking in this game, and transfer it to the real world... Meh, probably not going to happen. :P I'll just have to keep cooking with Mama on the DS!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/09/07