Cooking Mama! Not only is it a fun thing to say, but it’s also a great game to play! And when I can write an opening paragraph to a review that has rhyming in it, you know the game has got to be worth it.
Cooking Mama is a simple DS game where you (surprise coming) cook. You simply pick a food you would like to cook, and then complete the various steps to complete it. Some are simple, (e.g. scooping ice-cream and putting it into a bowl) while others have a number of fiddly steps to complete before you can serve anybody an edible meal.
It’s nothing special in the way of graphics or innovation, but for a Nintendo DS game, it holds up really well in the ‘fun’ and ‘entertaining’ departments.
What I like:
Educational: Cooking Mama has taught me more about food than my food tech course at high school ever did. And the stuff this game teaches you actually applies to real life sometimes. The other night I was at a restaurant and I got to explain what a panacotta was to my friend. Granted my explanation consisted of repeating the words ‘upside down gelatinous custard thing’ a couple of times, but the point was that it made sense in my head. But more than that, I actually have a much more sound idea on how certain dishes are cooked. And yes, I know this is a game, and isn’t meant to be used as a recipe guide, and it does have a very Asian influence… but I’m learning. And knowledge is power!
Fun: It might just be because I’m slightly food obsessed, but I really enjoy playing this game. I find a great satisfaction in chopping stuff up, and nothing brings me more glee than being able to decorate my plate at the end. Each dish you cook has a bunch of different activities (e.g chopping, peeling, frying etc), and while some of them aren’t as fun as others, the overall experience is enjoyable. You’re also awarded either a bronze, silver or gold medal for your efforts after successfully cooking a dish, which means those perfectionists who are happy with nothing but gold are going to be devoting hours to this game.
Makes me hungry: I am always hungry, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For one, I’d rather be hungry constantly than sad or angry and secondly, it’s nice to actually have a reason to be hungry other than ‘I’m awake’. Plus being hungry all the time inspires me to cook some of the new meals I’ve seen on this game, which means I can add another thing to the list of ‘Seemingly Useless Stuff Jenn Can Do’.
What I don’t like:
Her voice:Cooking Mama is annoying. Whether she’s some magnificent cook or not, that doesn’t change the fact that she should never open her mouth and let words fall out, ever ever ever. The only thing she ever says to you is stuff like ‘good luck’ or ‘excellent’ but all the same, it grates on my sanity. And what the hell is her accent anyway? I don’t know what’s going on there, but I don’t like it one bit.
Frustrating: In each activity you use the stylus to do things like pour liquid into a jug, or boil stuff in a pot. And while some activities require very little skill to complete, there are some that are going to take a lot of practice before you can get that gold medal you’re craving. While most activities consist of simply moving the stylus in the direction the arrows tell you, others require precision use of the touch screen controls. These activities will annoy you insanely, especially because doing the action in real life isn’t even half this hard.
Gross food is still gross: While I applaudCooking Mama for trying to incorporate foods from all sorts of cultures, there are some foods that are included in this game that simply shouldn’t. My own personal pet peeve is squid and octopus. Even when the foods are so washed in colour and happiness it’s completely removed from what it would actually look like, I can’t stand it. Knowing that I am cooking things that have tentacles with (and this is more frightening still) sucker things on them, really doesn’t sit well with me. At all. Not even a little bit.
There is a high possibility that this game appeals to me for no other reason than the simple fact that I really like food. However, there’s also a possibility that it appeals to me because of how much fun I have while playing it. The game is both educational (in a way) as well as entertaining, and a great thing to pick up in those few short moments of boredom I find throughout my day. And really… the title is just fun to say. Cooking Mama! COOKING MAMA!
COOKING MAAAMMAAAAAAAAAA!!!
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