Leave it to
the Cooking Mama series to make a game about cooking downright zany and
absolutely loads of fun to play. No one can argue the fact that the series has
found the right platform on the Nintendo DS as well as the Nintendo Wii. While
the game won’t teach you how to make squid-flavored ramen, Cooking Mama 3:
Chop & Shop for the Nintendo DS will, once again, make you glad to go back
into the kitchen with dear Mama.
Out of
the kitchen …
Like the
title suggests, you won’t only be chopping and dicing ingredients but you will
also go out to the supermarket to shop for said ingredients. Cooking is still
the game’s bread and butter, but the fact that you will be leading Mama through a
busy market is a nice touch. Just like in Gardening Mama, it’s good to see Mama
outside her kitchen setting and racing to collect all the necessary ingredients
while avoiding pitfalls.
While the
shopping mini-games aren’t plentiful or completely original, they are still good
fun. You are tasked with collecting specific ingredients such as meat and eggs
and so, with the Stylus, you tap on the place you want Mama to move while
steering clear of other shoppers or annoying supermarket employees trying to
sling free samples in your direction. Your mission is to pick up items on your
list before the timer runs out and it’s not a simple task with the hazards
zigzagging around the market. You’ll find different hazards offer different mini
games you must clear or you lose your item. For example, one mini game has you
attempting to catch all the balloons a shopper’s kid lets go of when you bumped
into them.
Of course, Cooking Mama is also about the cooking and the game features 80 new
recipes that include various deserts, familiar foods as well as some obscure
dishes. While the recipes might not be accurate down to a T, the basic steps of
making candy apples or a yummy éclair are there and once again each step in
creating your culinary masterpiece is a mini-game. Like past games in the
series, the mini-games require the touch screen and your Stylus. Nothing has
changed in the gameplay department so you’ll still be using the Stylus to slice
as well as shape the dough into a doughnut.
Into the
frying pan
For those
unfamiliar to the game, each mini-game is timed so the longer you take the less
points you get or the less successful you are in completing a mini game.
Something as simple as boiling water could turn into a disaster if you don’t
have a steady hand. Sure, Mama reassures you that she can fix your mistakes but
do you really want to disappoint Mama? Let’s Cook! mode, on the other hand, has
you cooking for your friends who are a lot more judgmental than Mama.
There’s even
Cooking Contest mode that can be played solo or against a group of friends (for
a contest with four in total) wirelessly. The good news is that a friend can
download a demo but the bad news is that the multiplayer mode runs into a number
of problems that include getting dropped out of the game for no apparent reason.
The object in this mode is to try different kinds of cooking styles and beat
your own time or the time of your opponent.
There are
even extra mini-games like Let’s Match, a game mode that has you combining two
ingredients together to make an interesting new flavor. The screen displays up
to eight different ingredients, many of which normally don’t sound like they
really would go good together but that’s the fun of this game mode. Again, you
can even redecorate your kitchen as well as give Mama a different outfit.
Unfortunately, even with the ability to shop, Cooking Mama 3 doesn’t do
anything completely new. The mini-games do get repetitive over a short period of
time and many of them do tend to repeat all over again. If anything, the
Cooking Mama games weren’t mean to be played for several hours, which is the
reason the game does automatically jump to the next recipe.
Mama is
still looking good in the kitchen
The visuals
also haven’t changed in the game and that’s a very good thing … well, at least
in my book. The graphics have always been very charming and cute and it’s still
charming and cute in this third DS Cooking Mama game. You’ll still get a
warm and fuzzy feeling from getting Mama to smile at your work. As far the
sound, the music works well and yes, we love Mama’s funny accent whenever she
speaks.
Cooking
Mama 3: Chop & Shop for the Nintendo DS brings
us more of the same with a new mini game that take you out of the kitchen but
other than that there is nothing fresh cooking in Mama’s pot. Still, for those
who have enjoyed the previous games on the DS, Cooking Mama 3 might very
well be worth savoring.
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Gameplay: 7.0
The series still
works wonderfully on the DS and thankfully the touch-screen action hasn’t
changed either. I would like to say that the food prep stays fresh throughout
the game but I would by lying and multiplayer flat out sucks. Shopping is fun
while it lasts too and the Cooking Contest adds a challenging element to the
game.
Graphics: 6.5
The visuals
haven’t really changed since the last game and that’s not such a bad thing
seeing as the graphics have always been cute and likeable. I love the old school
charm of the shopping mini-game.
Sound:
6.5
The music was a
lot more charming in the Gardening Mama series but thank the Gaming Gods
that they haven’t changed Mama’s charming voice. There’s just something
satisfying about hearing Mama say your cooking is “even better than Mama!”
Difficulty: Medium
Like past
Cooking Mama games, the more elaborate the recipe the harder the mini-game
associated with the preparations. Some games require timing while others require
you to finish before the timer runs out.
Concept: 7.0
There are more
mini-games in this one thanks to the ability to go shopping and there are even
more complex recipes to unlock. Cooking Contest is a good idea but when it comes
to the multiplayer aspect the game is broken.
Multiplayer: 6.0
Having a cooking
contest with a friend sounds awesome and even more so since a friend can download
a demo straight off your own card, but the multiplayer is nearly unplayable
thanks to some flaws in the game. If you can play against a friend, the contest
is definitely a highlight.
Overall: 7.0
Leave it to Mama
to make cooking fun again on the Nintendo DS and Cooking Mama 3
definitely has its share of really fun moments, but there is still much room for
improvement. It’s fun to see Mama out of the kitchen, though, and the numerous
recipes will give returning fans reason enough to go back into the kitchen.
