Culinary artists should stick to the kitchen instead of learning from Majesco's Cooking Mama: Cook Off. The sequel to the popular Nintendo DS game carries a bitter aftertaste, most likely the result of being rushed onto store shelves.
Similar to its predecessor, the game challenges players to prepare a several tasty dishes from around the world. To do this, they must complete a series of mini games, each one contributing some necessary ingredient or action, from grating cheese to cracking eggs to grinding meat. Players will delight in the variation, as well as the enhanced play, which builds on the DS game by introducing artificially controlled chefs that gamers must compete against. There's even a practice mode, which lets them hone their skills.
Unfortunately, perfecting one's craft requires much trial and error, thanks to the game's shoddy motion controls. Things work ok most of the time, but like the DS version, every once and a while the game fails to register the simplest of actions. Failing even one of these mini games proves costly, as the main character, Mama, flips out whenever someone screws up.
Lack of weight and pressure also make the game frustrating. In the original, players press down on the DS' touch screen, selecting their items and tapping it to chop onions, for example. With the Wii edition, people must go through the motions in mid air. This leads to numerous screw-ups, as the game often struggles to comprehend desired pressure. As a result, eggs get cracked too early and water spills over.
That's not to say the game sucks. Patient gamers will master the learning curve and go on to make delectable treats., The two-player split screen mode also provides enjoyment, as both chefs battle to see who can outdo the other.
Furthermore, the visuals look outstanding, with bright and cheery 2-D visuals mixed with realistic looking food. Too bad the audio fails to match the game's cheery graphics, no thanks to irritating music and Mama's awful voice.
Those willing to put up with Cooking Mama's issues may discover a somewhat enjoyable game with a fun presentation. With that being said, Majesco should be ashamed for rushing this game to market and charging $49.99 for it. Wait until it's $19.99-$29.99 before buying.
Final Score: 6 (out of 10)
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