Ben bought me Cooking Mama (DS) over the weekend. I can't stop playing! I want to BE Cooking Mama. Seriously, I am thinking of being her for Halloween... and then whip out my mixing bowl right on the street and start kneading in circles and diagonals. ^_^

 

(Images from Cooking Mama's official website)

This is one of the most enjoyable video games I've played in a long time. You play as a student of Cooking Mama (who is adorable with her bandana and her non-nose), and start off with 15 basic recipes to master, including pan-fried vegetables, miso soup, and sandwiches. As you make each dish, you have the option of changing the recipe and therefore unlocking or "mastering" new dishes. You do things like chop scallions, peel potatoes, tenderize meat (one of my favorites), and fold dumplings! I love how I'm being introduced to so many foreign traditional foods, and it's reminding me of some favorites that I haven't had in a while, like curry and fried shrimp, yuuuum. What I find a little weird is that a lot of the recipes use ketchup on rice and noodles, usually on Japanese-style foods. I don't know enough about Japanese cuisine to know if this is accurate or not. Hmm... And what the heck is croquette? I had never heard of it until I played this game; it's like this fried ball-type thing that includes meat and potatoes. And of course, it sounds delicious, and I plan on finding a recipe and making it one day.

I'm happy to see a game that solely uses the touch screen, which I think a lot of DS games don't take enough advantage of. It's kind of like WarioWare with the quick little things you have to do like chop and slice, but while WarioWare can be fun if say, you're 5 minutes early to class and need to kill time, it's not as rewarding and satisfying as making a finished product like a meal. But what I think really makes this game is the awesome ragtime and blues piano music! Majesco really picked the perfect music for this game; it's relaxing but upbeat enough to keep you playing. Much better than the porn-ish music on Giada De Laurentiis's show on Food Network, which just... isn't right for food. I even tear lettuce and peel carrots to the music sometimes! I've played this game so much that when I was making (real) dinner last night, I was disappointed that I didn't have music playing in the background. If I could have a soundtrack to go with my life, Cooking Mama music will always be playing while I make food. And maybe even while I eat!

 

I'd say the only downfall to this game is that real recipes aren't included, because that's what I really want! The cooking techniques are only accurate to a certain point; I want to know exact measurements and times so I can make all these yummy dishes! Oh well, at the very least Cooking Mama has reconfirmed my love of cooking, and given me new dishes to look up and try :) I love this game, and I can't wait until Cooking Mama: Cooking with International Friends for the Wii comes out!

Rating: 9 out of 10