Cooking Mama is
a fun little game on the DS that is mostly a collection of mini-games played
with the stylus. Each mini-game requires players to complete parts of various
recipes. Players use the stylus to cut, chop, move ingredients and match the
rhythm of different cooking actions. If successful, the recipe is complete and
players can make another recipe. If not, then the whole process begins again.
This premise is very simple, but surprisingly fun for short game sessions.
Now, Cooking
Mama is back in Cooking Mama 2 Dinner with Friends. The game is essentially the
same as before, but now there are also new recipes, additional characters
besides Mama, and winnable accessories for Mama. It’s still a cute game, but the
new material isn’t really enough to warrant purchasing if players already have
the first one, as this new version is $30. But if not, then this game is the one
to get over the first one, as the additions do enhance the
gameplay a bit.
Players have 2
main modes to choose from. In one, players will cook for Mama while she gives
out advice on what to do. In the second mode, players can cook for either
Mama, or one of her many friends. There are no
instructions, so this mode is more challenging. If just one part of the recipe
is incorrect, players will have to redo the entire recipe. Success, however,
will earn medals from Mama and her friends, which can be used to doll up Mama.
All of the
mini-games are easy enough in concept, but not having instructions makes
everything much harder. For instance, often players will have to move items
around in a refrigerator to make room for the bowl of food. Well, it took me
awhile to figure out what to do, as the touch-screen controls for this
particular game aren’t designed well. These control issues make it hard to move
the food around, so I couldn’t figure out if moving food was the goal. After I
practiced with Mama in the other mode, I then knew that moving the items around
to make room was the goal, and figured out how to do that so the game would
recognize the stylus movements.
The graphics
are fun and cute, and there is a picture of the finished recipe after each one
is completed. If successful, then the resulting picture displays a pleasing
meal. However, if it’s not rated highly, it’s a mess. My waffles were just bowls
of dripping batter for a long time.
It’s fun when a
recipe is completed correctly and is rated high enough for a medal. This means
that players can accessorize Mama or her kitchen. This adds an incentive to
play, but even without this “store," the mini-games themselves are fun enough
for short periods of time. The style of the game is cute, and Mama has a pretty
funny accent. While I have to admit that I like Cake Mania and Diner Dash
better, Cooking Mama 2 is good fun for short gaming sessions.
A good casual game for the DS, best for players who don’t
already have the first one.
|
|
Gameplay: 7.0
Playing these types of casual games is always fun. Each mini-game is
well-crafted for the most part, although there are a few stylus control issues
in some of the games. Some are more fun than others, as in trying to guess an
ingredient from an initially blurred out picture is more fun than drawing
endless circles to grind beef. Completing a recipe is satisfying, though!
Graphics: 7.0
The
graphics are good, but not spectacular.
Sound: 6.0
The
music is average.
Difficulty: Medium
The
game isn’t hard to play, but trying to figure out the mini-games without
instructions in the friends mode is challenging.
Concept: 6.0
It’s
the same game as before, but with a few new additions. The execution is mostly
good.
Multiplayer: 6.0
The
multiplayer mode allows for competition, but only per mini-game. Players won’t
be making the entire recipe.
Overall: 7.0
This
is a cute game with a certain odd charm and players will have fun. However,
there’s not a whole lot of meat to the game, and is really only good for short
gaming periods.
