Cooking Mama 2: Cooking with Friends is, almost motion for motion, the exact same game as the original Cooking Mama. Recipes are different, but the visuals, minigames, and motions used to prepare dishes are exactly the same. There's something to be said for not fixing what isn't broken, but the new content here is so insignificant that Nintendo really should have offered new recipes via Wii download to the DS.

Cooking Mama 2 is, without a doubt, aimed at aspiring chefs that never played the original title, and for that audience it is a good game, but those that played the original would do better to save some cash and fire up the original again. Like its predecessor, Cooking Mama 2 has players chopping and sautéing vegetables, boiling water, and flipping patties.

Each meal is broken up into several steps. Some steps are simple while others are more involved. It's easy to slice things in half, but sautéing is a little more challenging, and botching one step can ruin the entire meal. New recipes are unlocked as current ones are completed, and players can return to past recipes at any time to improve their rating and earn more medals. That's really all there is to the game. Aside from using the DS's touch screen Cooking Mama feels more like a free Flash game than a full retail title.

Cooking Mama 2 is fun, but it's essentially the original Cooking Mama with different recipes. You'll cut, sauté, boil, and flip just like before; the engine is the same, and Cooking Mama 2 is just as short as its predecessor. Unless you missed the original feel free to pass on this title because odds are good that you've already played it.

Dec 28, 2007 | 6 comments
Justin Last