Cooking Mama is now available on Nintendo DS for $19.99. The title arrives via publisher Majesco and developer Taito. More info can be found at the game's official website.
Cooking Mama teaches players how to cook. Players can create 76 different, real world dishes using the Nintendo DS stylus. More than 200 mini-games are available. In addition, the game features wireless DS link-up to share recipes with other gamers. Cooking Mama currently has a 64 percent average review ranking according to GameRankings.com (based on 5 reviews).
GameSpot says (6.9/10),
"It's disappointing that Cooking Mama doesn't hold up over time, as it does make an exceptionally good first impression. But once you settle into the repetitious, disjointed nature of the minigames, you'll find yourself wondering when the game is going to graduate to something more interesting, or at least challenging. Sadly, it never does, instead devolving into the sort of game that can be played in quick bursts for pure time-killing purposes, but is basically impossible to play for longer than that without becoming entirely tedious. On the plus side, Cooking Mama won't cost you more than a budget price at retail, and as a rental, it'll surely provide you with at least a few hours of solid amusement. But you can't help but feel like those few hours of amusement could have turned into a lot more with a more ambitious design."
"It's disappointing that Cooking Mama doesn't hold up over time, as it does make an exceptionally good first impression. But once you settle into the repetitious, disjointed nature of the minigames, you'll find yourself wondering when the game is going to graduate to something more interesting, or at least challenging. Sadly, it never does, instead devolving into the sort of game that can be played in quick bursts for pure time-killing purposes, but is basically impossible to play for longer than that without becoming entirely tedious. On the plus side, Cooking Mama won't cost you more than a budget price at retail, and as a rental, it'll surely provide you with at least a few hours of solid amusement. But you can't help but feel like those few hours of amusement could have turned into a lot more with a more ambitious design."
GamePro says (3.9/5),
"Cooking Mama has the same sense of simplistic charm and quirky addictiveness that made underground hits out of games such as Phoenix Wright and Trauma Center. Its smart design takes full advantage of the DS' strengths and is put together in a delicious, ready-to-eat package that's sure to delight. Just be sure to keep a towel handy: you'll need it to wipe up your drool after you get a look at the virtual vittles that you'll cook up."
"Cooking Mama has the same sense of simplistic charm and quirky addictiveness that made underground hits out of games such as Phoenix Wright and Trauma Center. Its smart design takes full advantage of the DS' strengths and is put together in a delicious, ready-to-eat package that's sure to delight. Just be sure to keep a towel handy: you'll need it to wipe up your drool after you get a look at the virtual vittles that you'll cook up."
Trailer: Cooking Mama