Cooking Mama (video game)

Cooking Mama
Cooking Mama
Developer(s)	Office Create
Publisher(s)	Taito (JP); Majesco (US); 505 Games (EU)
Platform(s)	Nintendo DS
Release	Mar 23, 2006 ; Sep 12, 2006 ; Dec 8, 2006
Genre(s)	Sim, Mini-Games
Mode(s)	Single player

Cooking Mama (クッキングママ) is a video game for the Nintendo DS developed by Office Create and published by Taito in Japan, Majesco in North America and 505 Games in Europe. It was awarded IGN's "Best Of E3" Award for 2006.

Gameplay

In Cooking Mama, the player is tasked with cooking various meals using the Nintendo DS's touch screen. Following the instructions of the titular "Mama", the player uses the stylus to chop vegetables, slice meat, flip food in pans, and arrange the final items on the plate. Each of these tasks is performed by completing a mini-game which usually lasts less than 10 seconds. The gameplay structure, with the player progressing through a series of short mini-games, is similar to that of the WarioWare series. The game features a total of 76 different dishes.

The mini-game mechanics themselves range from the very basic, e.g., quickly drawing parallel lines in order to chop items, to somewhat more involved, e.g., a rhythm game where ingredients are added to a skillet or the heat is adjusted at precisely the right time. In many cases, players must look at the top screen of the DS for guidance on what to do next (e.g., what ingredient to add next to a bowl) and then perform a task on the bottom screen. If the player makes a serious blunder or time expires without sufficient progress being made, that step in the cooking process is considered a failure. When this happens, an anime-styled graphic of "Mama" with flames erupting from her eyes is displayed, along with the caption "Don't worry, Mama will fix it!".

Completing a dish can require playing as few as two mini-games, or as many as roughly a dozen. The player's performance is rated when each dish is finished, based on the average result of each of the mini-games. The game tracks the highest medal awarded for each recipe, with medals being awarded according to the following scale:

Bronze medal - For scoring 60-79 points.
Silver medal - For scoring 80-99 points.
Gold medal - For scoring a perfect 100 points.

Game Modes

Let's Cook

The main game mode where players cook dishes. Players initially start with just a few simple recipes to choose from, with additional recipes unlocked as the earlier ones are mastered. As described above, each recipe requires players to play through a short, timed mini-game for each ingredient or group of ingredients. For example, to make a sandwich, the player would first be required to chop a cucumber into slices before the time limit elapses.

When cooking a recipe which has previously been mastered, the player sometimes has the option to change the dish being made "on the fly" between two mini-games. If completed, this new recipe is then unlocked for future play.

Let's Combine

In this mode, players can take the recipes which have been unlocked and combine them to make something new (for better or for worse). This mode is purely for fun and does not unlock anything in the main game.

Use Skill

In this mode, players put their mini-game skills to the test. This mode consists of time-based challenges focused on specific tasks such as chopping, grating, wrapping, adding ingredients, peeling, stewing, tearing, and more. The player is ranked at the end of each test.

Screenshots

Cooking Mama herself Cooking Mama game footage Cooking Mama game footage

Other information

A sequel, Cooking Mama: Cook Off, is scheduled for release on the Nintendo Wii sometime in 2007. Previously titled Cooking Mama: Cooking with International Friends, the new game will utilize the Wii remote control, rather than a stylus, in order to guide the player's actions.

External links