If you played the first Cooking Mama, then you know what to expect with Cooking Mama 2: Dinner With Friends. Apparently, Majesco thought that the recipe was already perfect, so instead of creating a new entree for us to devour, it rested on its laurels and baked a cookie-cutter sequel.

The core game has not changed at all since the first iteration. You, as a budding chef under the supervision of Mama, work your way through a score of recipes (around 80 new ones) to create masterful dishes covering all manner of foods. The culinary creations might introduce some slightly new stylus movements, but you will frequently reuse techniques many times over the course of the game. That being said, these stylus maneuvers are generally intuitive and fun to use. Occasionally, though, you'll run into one that feels bizarre, causing you to completely botch that portion of the game until you play it enough times.

This time around, however, you're not just trying to please Mama; her friends have come along to participate in the kitchen wizardry. This comes in the form of competitions, in which her friends (additional ones get unlocked as you progress), so making food specific to each is crucial. It's a new play mode, but it ends up playing exactly like the standard mode, only with a different person looming in the top screen. In addition, there's a new multiplayer mode you can play locally via download, but it's ridiculously simple. Each recipe usually involves multiple steps, but when playing against a friend, you can only compete in a single step, being judged by your accuracy and speed. There's really nothing to it, and it adds virtually nothing to the replay value.

The only other major incentive is the ability to unlock various decorations you can apply to the kitchen or to Mama herself. These cosmetic alterations, however, are generally little more than color palette swaps or simple item changes that don't enhance the game play.

In all other aspects, especially with the visuals and audio, Cooking Mama 2 pans out much like its predecessor. There have been no significant upgrades, but if you find the presentation to be as adorably cute as the developers intended, then you'll enjoy your stay in Mama's kitchen. For those that already own the first Cooking Mama, there is little to warrant purchasing this sequel unless you crave more recipes. For newcomers however, this game still possesses undeniable charm and some of the most unique uses of the DS stylus we've seen yet.