Official Website

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Genre: Simulation

Number of Players: 1 or 2

I can’t cook. Unless the instructions are on the back of the package or I can just toss it into the microwave, you can forget about it. So, why in the world would I even consider playing and reviewing a game where cooking is the objective? Well, Cooking Mama has always been something that I found rather intriguing. The general idea that I’m playing a video game where the objective is to cook has always sounded interesting, and though we missed out on giving the DS version of the series a try, that doesn’t mean that we’re going to overlook the Wii entry.

Cooking Mama Cook Off brings Mama to the Wii for her big debut. The objective if you haven’t already figured it out by now, is to cook, but in a virtual environment where the danger of setting fire to the kitchen, cutting yourself, or food poisoning is completely eliminated. The game consists of a few different modes, but even if you’ve played the game before on the Nintendo DS, the Wii brings in different gameplay thanks to Nintendo’s innovative controls and for any player, Let’s Cook, the games single player mode, is probably the first thing you’ll even want to consider trying.

The general idea is that you must prepare a certain dish, and Cooking Mama gives you quite a few from all across the globe. It’s probably best to first practice before actually trying to “cook,” and with the motion sensor controller, you’ll find yourself doing a variety to kitchen tasks. For example, you may need to open a can and this is done by holding the controller in an upright position and quickly rocking it back and forth, but be careful to not overdo it or the lid will slip into the can and Mama won’t be pleased.

Some dishes have you chopping and here you must line up the knife in certain areas, cutting away the undesired portions, before quickly moving the controller up and down, imitating chopping or mincing. You may have to stir fry or even shake pans and, that’s right, you do this by moving the controller in the same fashion you might if you were trying to do this in real life. There are eggs to crack at times and this is done by moving the controller in the same fashion as you would really break an egg, but be careful not to do this too hard otherwise you’ll break the egg and get yoke everywhere disappointing Mama in the process. Some other preparations including mixing and even peeling and these are all set up to mimic what you would really do in the kitchen, though not nearly as easy. Peeling can be a big hassle at first, but once you start to understand just how to hold the remote and position it onscreen, it becomes quite easy.

The game isn’t just about these things though, and there are some stages that require you to mix things properly. You will be given clues as to what needs to be added and then it’s a matter of just getting the ingredients into the bowl. Stewing on the other hand not only has you adding the right materials put also changing the temperature and stirring the pot, all at the necessary time of course. You may even find yourself kneading, stuffing, and there’s even a stage where you make popcorn the old fashioned way (without a microwave.)

So, what happens if you fail any of these? Remember, this is cooking, and you have Mama as your guide, so even if you do horribly, she’ll let you know that she will help you meaning that the next stage will have everything prepared exactly as it should be. Keep in mind that you have a time limit for each and every kitchen task to perform, so you can’t just dally around, but trying to do good will win you points, maybe even a bit of praise from Mama, and for those aspiring digital chefs, you may even get some new kitchen utensils as proof of your expertise. Just like in the real world though, if your cooking skills aren’t exactly the greatest, you’ll see that your masterpiece will start to burn and char, and once again, Mama is not happy with your performance. You don’t want to make Mama upset, do you? 

For every stage you complete, you will unlock a new recipe to challenge, and as always, you can first practice it before you put pan to flame and try to make it for yourself. Once you think that you’re good enough, you can try and challenge the Food and Friends of the World mode. Here, you will be competing against computer controller opponents where speed, accuracy, and ability mean everything. For those of you who own two controllers (or more) you can also try a cook off against a real friend and see just who is the best chef in the room, at least as far as digital edibles go.

As you have realized by now, Cooking Mama uses the motion abilities of the Wii controller far beyond what a number of games do. You won’t be using the analog stick for anything, and the use of the controller buttons are a part of the game, but not necessarily the main focus. Instead, the game really wants to try and recreate actual cooking and preparation techniques, and it does so quite well. There are a few things that I found to be a bit of a hassle though. Trying to use the frying pan and shake it seemed a bit too touchy at times and mixing often was a pain, at least for me. My wife on the other hand mastered the technique (and this was also the game that finally brought her into the world of the Wii.)

The game also goes for a more cartoon-style look, almost anime like actually, but it really suits what you need to do in this instance. But, seeing your creation being to sizzle or even burn is one of the highlights, and the pastel type look of the game combined with everything else makes for a good presentation. Remember, when it comes to food and cooking, presentation really is everything, and Cooking Mama has that portion down perfectly, just like it does with the controls.

Everyone once in a while when reviewing a game, there are things that occur to us that we’d like to see in future releases, and it’s apparent that Cooking Mama is on the fast track to becoming a franchise. One thing I really would like to see is the ability to create your own recipes; after all, the ones that you play through here are more or less the real things. The game could also benefit from downloadable content, though at this point, it’s not feasible with the Wii. Lastly, and this one should be very obvious, since cooking is the name of the game here, an Iron Chef type of mode would be a huge hit with fans of the game and the series. In fact, why not even have Mama show up with some guests in the future? Bring in the chefs from the Iron Chef show, maybe work out a deal with The Food Network and have some of their TV personalities make some digital guest appearances.

So, do you think you’re better than Mama? Maybe you are, maybe you aren’t, but the only way to know is to play the game and find out. And sure, you’ll probably feel a bit silly at first flipping the controller in various directions, pretending that you’re cooking and looking a bit foolish. I did, at least at first, but pretty soon, it’s all second nature and it doesn’t really matter what anyone thinks. Cooking Mama Cook Off may be a little of a repetitive side at times, but it’s still a fun game to play, and for me at least, it’s better that I cook in a controlled environment rather than risk setting the kitchen and everything else on fire or setting off the smoke detectors. The only bad thing for some is that you won’t be able to indulge in actually eating your virtual creations, but if that’s what you’re looking for, you may as well set that controller down and actually cook something for yourself.

-mike-