Who's in the Kitchen with Mama?

Welcome back! You’re just in time for my final game review of the series!

My best friend from middle school wasn't a gamer, but she did play all the "girly" DS games. Her favorite was Nintendogs. She loved telling me about all her new “pets.”

Another game she played was Cooking Mama.

I haven't reviewed any DS games yet, and Cooking Mama is unlike any other game I've written about for this series, so I decided this was a good last video game for me.

Countless toy manufacturers have attempted to make successful products that teach kids how to cook. In 1963, Hasbro introduced the Easy Bake Oven, which allows children to bake cakes and cookies without the danger of using a conventional oven. 

Majesco Entertainment tried to do something similar, but in a video game. According to Marketing Week, Cooking Mama "aims to encourage children to learn how to prepare food." Instead of making physical food to eat, players receive medals depending on how well they perform.

I tried playing this game, and let me tell you, it's harder than it looks. You must be very precise in each step in order to receive a gold medal. I suppose a silver medal is "good enough," but I am quite competitive when it comes to these kind of games. I won't feel accomplished until I have achieved a gold medal for every dish.

Anyway, the concept is simple. Players have to chop, slice, flip, and arrange food in order to prepare dishes. They either receive a "good," "very good," or "mama will fix it."

If you have enough patience to play the game for a while and master the dishes, I recommend it. If you're like me and have a short attention span when it comes to games like these, then I suggest cooking in an actual kitchen instead.

What do you think of the games I've played? I'm posting my reflection on Wednesday, so stay tuned!