Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends
Our Rating
7.0
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Your Rating
N/A
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Screenshot Galleries
Last year Majesco treated us to Cooking Mama, a fun bundle of mini-games designed to let you be the chef. The mini-games correspond to different steps in a recipe, and you either get a nice edible dish (and a nice medal) or a mess of a failure depending on how well you does. Well, after cooking up a small success and trying her hand at the Wii, Mama is now back and she's not alone.
The idea behind Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends is basically the same as in the first. Outside of the new recipes in the game, there are also more characters, accessories, the ability to take pictures, and a multiplayer mode. They also added additional items to unlock throughout the game that can be used to decorate the pictures you took or to change the overall look of the kitchen or even Mama herself. While these unlockables add a bit of customization, the game is still basically the same as before.
There are two main modes to choose from: "Cook with Mama" and "Let's Cook". The former mode is done in the same style as the first game. You can either practice a certain step in the recipe or play through the entire thing. An explanation is given before each step, and the player is rated right after completing the mini-game. In the new "Let’s Cook" mode, you're now cooking for Mama and her friends. Of course when you're cooking for someone else, you don't want to be caught looking at the recipe, so in this mode you must go through entire recipes with each step directly linking to the next. This gives the recipe a bit more cohesiveness, but there isn't an option that lets you quit a recipe in the middle. This can be frustrating if you're trying to earn a perfect score on a recipe and make a minor mistake, because there's no quick and easy way to get out and try again.
The mini-games are all pretty simple, but it doesn’t mean the game can’t be challenging. Even though the controls for the game seem to respond better than it did in Cooking Mama, there are still some mini-games that just don't respond as well. There are others that just aren't that fun either. As a result, there were times when the game got borderline frustrating when you have to play the same recipe the 6th or 7th time in order to get that perfect score. In addition, the game isn't very long if it just played straight through. Each recipe doesn't take more than a few minutes to play, and you only need to play through it in one mode in order to unlock a new recipe. There are a decent number of things to unlock, and doing well on the different steps in recipes also earns you bonuses, which are used to unlock various items in the game.
The multiplayer aspect is one part of the game that probably could've done a bit more elaboration. Instead of playing any of the recipes with up to four friends, it is only possible to compete in specific tasks. It is amusing for a period of time, but there really isn't much of a lasting appeal. This is a bit of a shame, because it could have been a lot of fun just playing some of your favorite recipes with a friend.
The graphics are still pretty basic. It doesn't really look like it has been updated since the first game. However, there is still a nice picture of the completed dish at the end of the recipe. That is, unless things don't go too smoothly along the way. When that happens, you either get a rather disappointed guest (and a dirty kitchen), or just a poor ranking with appropriate pictures and sounds to go along with it. The music for the game is still as upbeat as in the first game. However, it also doesn't really stand out at any point in the game. The cooking noises sounds like what one would expect whether you are cutting, frying, dicing, or just messing around in the kitchen. The game did add voice acting for Mama. This heavily accented voice can be rather unintelligible at times, but it definitely adds to the feel of the game.
Cooking Mama 2 is an enjoyable little game that can be played for short periods of time, although this reviewer does admit to playing the game for 5 hours straight at one point. There is a sense of satisfaction when getting a high rating on the recipes. While the audio and visuals are nothing to write home about, they do get the job done. This is a good casual game on the DS. However, if you already own the first version, the added features probably aren't enough to warrant a purchase.
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7.0