Wired’s Chris Kohler, who doubles as Infendo David’s favorite gaming journalist EVAR, examines Cooking Mama: Cook Off and finds the taste to be to his liking.
While other game developers struggle to find creative uses for the Wiimote, Majesco nails it: you use the motion control to simulate chopping onions, grinding meat, and slicing bread. The finished product is more of a light lunch than a grand feast. But tasty.
It’s best to think of Cooking Mama’s gameplay as small groups of Wario Ware-style microgames, in which you’re given a few seconds at a time to accomplish specific tasks. If you’re making spaghetti, you’ll have to roll out the dough by holding the Wiimote like a rolling pin and pushing back and forth, boil the water and drain it by gently tipping the controller over, then stir the sauce by holding the controller upright and twirling it. This is why Cook-Off is more fun than last year’s Nintendo DS version, because moving your arms around feels more real than tapping a screen with a stylus.
All in all, this game sounds like a solid rental. Going through it once appears to pay off, but replay value is next to null and void. The cutting and mincing Wiimote-controlled fun garnished garnered a 7/10 from Wired. Not too shabby. Dare I ask if any Infendo readers have indulged in this wonky title?