Admit it, deep down inside, you know you really wanted to get Cooking Mama for the DS. You felt the pull of Mama's siren song, enticing you to slice, dice, roll and chop ingredients for her approval. You knew you were always inexplicably drawn to everything cute and Japanese. You knew all this, and yet you still resisted Cooking Mama.
Well, good luck resisting Mama twice. Because this April, Cooking Mama: Cook Off will be coming to the Wii, and as you can see from the Gametrailers video above, the cuteness level is still cranked up to 11. Only the hardest of the hardcore will be able to say no to Mama this time.
But seriously, Cooking Mama's actually educational, especially if you do it right. I remember there's this article over at Kotaku where the author (I think it was Crecente?) tried the recipe in real life, and actually got edible results.
I got Cooking Mama for the DS and it`s one of the most played games on my handheld. Even my friends, once they get past the initial shyness of playing a "cute" game in front of their other male friends, gets totally hooked.
Speaking of which, I need to find out who exactly of my friends ran off with my DS and my copy of Cooking Mama...
It includes real-world recipes I've seen a movie of a guy playing it and answering questions about the game. That was one of the questions. Sure that movie is on gametrailers somewhere.
It would be an okay game if it actually included a story mode. The DS game was neat, but could never hold my interest since there was no sense of advancing. Maybe some sort of Iron Chef/Hell's Kitchen/Top Chef story mode is in order.
You mean like that Cake game (Cake Mania?)? It kind of have a story. You make cakes and have to upgrade your kitchen stuff and bakery. I've never played, it except for on Yahoo games, but the DS version seems close to what you're thinking Nick.
Cooking Mama is pure escapism. Cooking in real life and getting good food out isn't easy most times and then there is cleanup. I just consider it to be a game of "cooking-themed" mini-games in the style of Warioware. The only difference is that Warioware is all over the place and cooking mama has a definite theme.
i played it on my friend's DS a couple weeks ago. while i will admit its a cute little game that is decent, i have no desire to play it again. i worked as a cook at a bar/restaurant for 2½ years. this just felt like work to me. i would rather have gone into my kitchen and whip something up for myself that i can actually eat. i could make a plate of penne alle vodka in about 15 minutes or less. that is better to me than playing 5 games of cooking mama in the same time, cause then i actually get to eat a nice meal.
seriously, cooking isnt that hard if you try. yes cooking is an art, but when you follow a recipe down to a T then it is basically a science like baking is. the art form is when you cook like me and many others, where you never measure a damn thing and you tinker with it here and there. and yeah, this game can serve as a recipe book.... sorta. but its cheaper to buy a recipe book than this game, or just look online for free recipes. hell, the cookbook "The Naked Chef" was leaked online from the publisher as a word document. go get that. (and no, theres no nudity in the book)
I will pick this up when it drops in price. I like the concept of the game, and it looks fun, but after paying for Wario and it's $50 sting for minigames, I gotta hold off on any demo-ish games for awhile.
Wario's worth the money, but I can't drop $50 on extended tech demos all the time, hence why I'm not buying Wii Play either.
I'm glad they're making games like this, this will go a long way to demonstrate that the console is worth supporting for developers because non-game games can be as fun as platformers or FPS games.
As far as game dev goes, I'm hoping that the next Harry Potter game is going to have spell casting, and that you actually have to put some effort into remembering some motions to cast spells in the game. I would hate to think we'd get all this neat technology and to cast "repairo" or "cruciatus" requires the same wrist flick, but a different button combo or something cheap like that. I expect a more complex game, given the controls can handle it.
Cooking can be easy, or it can be tough. I consider myself a student of the science of cooking. Hell I work with fruits and vegetables in a lab. I did work as a fast food "chef," which isn't the same as a real chef of course, but I did a lot of the things that Cooking Mama asks you to do. Fry, cut, chop, assemble, etc.
I say bring it on for the Wii. Although, as others have said, I wouldn't pay 50$ for it. 40$ is pushing it. If it were 25-30$ I'd most likely just buy it.
Main reason for the response. Put up your Penne alle Vodka recipe. I'm in need of some quick, yet tasty, meals.
That Naked Chef 2 book isn't a real book BTW, but it is a collection of Oliver's recipes.
im sure some ppl will find this game can help them get accustomed to what they have to do in the kitchen. and i guess that can help somebody who has never even held a pan before. just that to me, its what i did as a job for awhile. i am capable of going into the kitchen and cooking something (albeit im lazy as hell and usually indecisive about what i wanna eat, lol).
Penne alle Vodka:
in a pan,
heat up olive oil
throw in half a handful of diced shallots (or onions if you dont got shallots)
let them get nice and golden
add vodka, 3 counts (up end the bottle over the pan and quickly do 3 circles around the edge of the pan. remember, gotta be quick or you put too much)
put on flame and ignite (use a lighter if the stove isnt hot enough to ignite it on its own, just be careful)
let vodka burn for a little, try to burn off a good amount and then blow it out
(WARNING, the flame can get a little high. im not responsible if you burn yourself or your house to the ground)
then add heavy cream
let the cream heat up and start bubbling
lower heat
add parsley, oregano, a pinch of crushed red peppers, and a pinch of salt
mix it up all nice
turn up heat, then
add marinara sauce (usually 1 ladle full per serving)
mix it up, it should be a nice orangish color
lower heat again
if it seems too thin, add some instant flour like Wondra to thicken it up just a bit (but not so thick you cant mix it)
add a handful of sliced sun dried tomatoes (if you dont like them you can leave them out, no prob)
keep mixing, turn up heat
and add the parmesan cheese (about a handful [also optional, i guess])
let the cheese melt in, and then either throw the pasta in the pan and toss it or pour it over the dish of pasta.
i hope this helps. like i said, i dont really measure anything aside from handfuls, pinches, and so on. thats how i was taught this recipe, and thats how ive always done it. actually, this is the first time i have ever looked at this recipe in writing, lol. hope you like it, enjoy.
Sounds nice, I've never tried flambe so I'll have to have an extingusher around, but this is a nice meal no less. The ones I've had in restaurants have been pretty good.
I'm not sure I'd say the cheese was optional though. Cheese rules!
@bhive01
well the cheese is optional because some ppl like to put it on separately after they have been served the pasta. ive also seen plenty of others actually put MORE cheese on after i already put a lot in the sauce. trust me, working in a kitchen you see the CRAZIEST requests when it comes to food. all i gotta say is "ice to go."
@Snaileb
R.I.P. Snaileb's eyebrows 19xx-2007
@Bahamut_Zero
well i hope your woman likes it. if she loves it then you can take credit. if she hates it then you can be like "well i got it from this jack ass, and i guess he sucks." its a win-win for you. altho im sure she might find it funny to hear you got tonight's recipe from a dude commenting on the game Cooking Mama.
OH NO!!!! with games like these Kids will stop stealing cars, having under age sex, and going on murderous rampages, all they'll want to do *SNIFF* is COOK!!!!
Because we all know that it's video games that influence the Kids. :)
This asian girl girl played cooking mama on her DS all the bus ride home from university, I watched her, and other than being realllyyyy asian, it looks like an addicting formula
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Contest:
6:16 AM on 01.26.2007
| 
But seriously, Cooking Mama's actually educational, especially if you do it right. I remember there's this article over at Kotaku where the author (I think it was Crecente?) tried the recipe in real life, and actually got edible results.
I thought games were meant to be escapism. What next, Peasant-ass servant cleans up after the baby has shat green tox-nox substances?
Speaking of which, I need to find out who exactly of my friends ran off with my DS and my copy of Cooking Mama...
As it stands, I already kinda want it. It looks kinda fun.
Cooking Mama is pure escapism. Cooking in real life and getting good food out isn't easy most times and then there is cleanup. I just consider it to be a game of "cooking-themed" mini-games in the style of Warioware. The only difference is that Warioware is all over the place and cooking mama has a definite theme.
seriously, cooking isnt that hard if you try. yes cooking is an art, but when you follow a recipe down to a T then it is basically a science like baking is. the art form is when you cook like me and many others, where you never measure a damn thing and you tinker with it here and there. and yeah, this game can serve as a recipe book.... sorta. but its cheaper to buy a recipe book than this game, or just look online for free recipes. hell, the cookbook "The Naked Chef" was leaked online from the publisher as a word document. go get that. (and no, theres no nudity in the book)
Wario's worth the money, but I can't drop $50 on extended tech demos all the time, hence why I'm not buying Wii Play either.
I'm glad they're making games like this, this will go a long way to demonstrate that the console is worth supporting for developers because non-game games can be as fun as platformers or FPS games.
As far as game dev goes, I'm hoping that the next Harry Potter game is going to have spell casting, and that you actually have to put some effort into remembering some motions to cast spells in the game. I would hate to think we'd get all this neat technology and to cast "repairo" or "cruciatus" requires the same wrist flick, but a different button combo or something cheap like that. I expect a more complex game, given the controls can handle it.
Cooking can be easy, or it can be tough. I consider myself a student of the science of cooking. Hell I work with fruits and vegetables in a lab. I did work as a fast food "chef," which isn't the same as a real chef of course, but I did a lot of the things that Cooking Mama asks you to do. Fry, cut, chop, assemble, etc.
I say bring it on for the Wii. Although, as others have said, I wouldn't pay 50$ for it. 40$ is pushing it. If it were 25-30$ I'd most likely just buy it.
Main reason for the response. Put up your Penne alle Vodka recipe. I'm in need of some quick, yet tasty, meals.
That Naked Chef 2 book isn't a real book BTW, but it is a collection of Oliver's recipes.
im sure some ppl will find this game can help them get accustomed to what they have to do in the kitchen. and i guess that can help somebody who has never even held a pan before. just that to me, its what i did as a job for awhile. i am capable of going into the kitchen and cooking something (albeit im lazy as hell and usually indecisive about what i wanna eat, lol).
Penne alle Vodka:
in a pan,
heat up olive oil
throw in half a handful of diced shallots (or onions if you dont got shallots)
let them get nice and golden
add vodka, 3 counts (up end the bottle over the pan and quickly do 3 circles around the edge of the pan. remember, gotta be quick or you put too much)
put on flame and ignite (use a lighter if the stove isnt hot enough to ignite it on its own, just be careful)
let vodka burn for a little, try to burn off a good amount and then blow it out
(WARNING, the flame can get a little high. im not responsible if you burn yourself or your house to the ground)
then add heavy cream
let the cream heat up and start bubbling
lower heat
add parsley, oregano, a pinch of crushed red peppers, and a pinch of salt
mix it up all nice
turn up heat, then
add marinara sauce (usually 1 ladle full per serving)
mix it up, it should be a nice orangish color
lower heat again
if it seems too thin, add some instant flour like Wondra to thicken it up just a bit (but not so thick you cant mix it)
add a handful of sliced sun dried tomatoes (if you dont like them you can leave them out, no prob)
keep mixing, turn up heat
and add the parmesan cheese (about a handful [also optional, i guess])
let the cheese melt in, and then either throw the pasta in the pan and toss it or pour it over the dish of pasta.
i hope this helps. like i said, i dont really measure anything aside from handfuls, pinches, and so on. thats how i was taught this recipe, and thats how ive always done it. actually, this is the first time i have ever looked at this recipe in writing, lol. hope you like it, enjoy.
I'm not sure I'd say the cheese was optional though. Cheese rules!
Prick
Goddam I love destructoid
well the cheese is optional because some ppl like to put it on separately after they have been served the pasta. ive also seen plenty of others actually put MORE cheese on after i already put a lot in the sauce. trust me, working in a kitchen you see the CRAZIEST requests when it comes to food. all i gotta say is "ice to go."
@Snaileb
R.I.P. Snaileb's eyebrows 19xx-2007
@Bahamut_Zero
well i hope your woman likes it. if she loves it then you can take credit. if she hates it then you can be like "well i got it from this jack ass, and i guess he sucks." its a win-win for you. altho im sure she might find it funny to hear you got tonight's recipe from a dude commenting on the game Cooking Mama.
Because we all know that it's video games that influence the Kids. :)
D:
destructoid ftw