TGS hands-on: Cooking Mama 2
by Jem Alexander 
{ Sep 30th 2007 at 12:00PM }
Scouring the show floor at TGS is hungry work, but when all the eateries are full of the Dreaded Public where can you get the sustenance you require? We tried our luck at the Cooking Mama 2 booth, just in case they had some tasty swag to give away. Sadly, there was none. While we were there, however, we did get embroiled (which kind of sounds like boiled) in the game. The first thing we noticed about the game, once we'd finally worked our way through the main menu to some actual gameplay, was that the touch controls are much more responsive than in Cooking Mama 1. Whereas previously success in the game relied as much on the DS being your friend as it did on your skill, now the game plays with much less frustration.
The game itself is more of the same. More of an upgrade than a sequel, Cooking Mama 2 has extra recipes to produce as well as more diverse methods of cooking. During our play session we were challenged to scale a fish, open a sea urchin and empty an oyster. All without getting our hands covered in sea ming (that is, ming from the sea).
Cooking Mama 2 includes a new reward system with mini chefs that grade your meal. Performing well results in you obtaining pieces of clothing. We're not entirely sure what these are for, but no doubt it will be hilariously Japanese. And cute. Speaking of cute, Cooking Daughta (our name for her, not theirs) seems to be "playable". We're not entirely sure this impacts much on the gameplay, but choice is always nice, right?
The biggest new addition to the game is the multiplayer mode, which allows four people to play together with one copy of the game. This "cook off" mode will pit you against your friends in an attempt to produce the tastiest dish. Sadly there's no sign of any online mode.
Overall, it's pretty much the same game as before. If you enjoyed Cooking Mama 1 then the sequel will be as, if not more, enjoyable.
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mabui @ Sep 30th 2007 12:12PM
Kinda cool, if only they would have actual recipes in it, as result of doing this correctly.
JodyAnthony (FDF - Hedonism Bot) @ Sep 30th 2007 12:15PM
i liked the first one a lot, so i'm excited. i hope this is another $20 title
phattie @ Sep 30th 2007 12:30PM
$20 on DS and $50 on Wii
James @ Sep 30th 2007 3:14PM
I didn't think the price tag would bother a pirate?
Nomi @ Sep 30th 2007 12:41PM
Stupid...much more fun cooking in real life, specially since you can eat it after.
Shade @ Sep 30th 2007 1:29PM
Ignorant comment of the day.
That's like saying we shouldn't play FPS games because it's "more fun to shoot real people, especially since they actually die!"
Chaotic @ Sep 30th 2007 1:15PM
Haven't we had this argument enough times already?
About Guitar Hero:
'Stupid...much more fun playing guitar in real life, specially since you can pick up chicks more easily.'
About Halo:
'Stupid...much more fun fighting aliens in real life, specially since you can be known as a hero.'
About Soul Calibur 4:
'Stupid...much more fun fighting in real life, specially since you can become a better fighter.'
About any racing game:
'Stupid...much more fun street racing in real life, specially since you can show off to real people.'
About Sim City:
'Stupid...much more fun being mayor in real life, specially since you can step up to more important political offices.'
The point is, it's a game. If you want to cook in real life, and you're willing to invest the time to become a skilled cook, and spend money on ingredients, more power to you. But don't complain because someone else finds enjoyment from a simulation.
Nomi @ Sep 30th 2007 1:40PM
About Guitar Hero:
Harder to play a real guitar...(cooking isnt hard mind you)
About Halo:
No aliens...
About Soul Calibur 4:
Jail...
About any racing game:
Illegal in most places...
About Sim City:
Takes a very long time...
Hate to be a prick, but my comment was based on me wasting my time and money on this game, which I could have used to cook myself a real meal. 60 bux gets me enough ingredients for a weeks worth of food. :D
Ludwig Kietzmann @ Sep 30th 2007 1:58PM
Except nobody buys Cooking Mama to cook themselves a meal -- the game's technology is unfortunately incapable of rendering actual sustenance. People play games to have fun. :)
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Sep 30th 2007 2:04PM
Ludwig is my Joystiq Hero =)
(really)
Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Sep 30th 2007 5:37PM
And there's people like me, the culinarily challenged. I need to play Cooking Mama to practice, so some day I can stop living off TV dinners and trash.
Mr. P @ Sep 30th 2007 1:44PM
Games like this one make it embarrassing to own a DS.
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Sep 30th 2007 1:53PM
Games like New Super Mario, Metroid Prime Hunter, Viewtiful Joe, Monke Ball DS, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Resident Evil, Kirby Canvas Course, Yoshis Island, Mario Kart DS, Tetris DS, Elite Beat Agents, Sonic Rush Adventure, Worms, Picross, Castlevania, Advance Wars, Ace Attorney Mario & Luigi, Animal Crossing, WarioWare, Megaman ZX, Big Brain, Brain Age, Jam Sessions, Heroes of Mana, Children of Mana, Trauma Center, Star Fox and many many more makes me proud to own a DS.
Zelda in two days.
Brandon @ Sep 30th 2007 2:09PM
Tetris? Viewtiful Joe (hasnt been good in a WHILE)? Jam Sessions? Someones resorting to paragraph filler.
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Sep 30th 2007 2:12PM
Brandon
Viewtiful Joe DS is a very good game.... is almost identical to the console version.
Teris: Excellent and adicte game, plus it have plentys of game modes, and the WiFi mode is great.
Jam Session: I play real guitar, what more can I say? I enjoy this aplication.
Brandon @ Sep 30th 2007 2:28PM
In regards to tetris, welcome to 1990. Every flash site on earth has it and so does every console, its not exactly much of a killer app to have a game that can easily be obtained on everything else, including for free on my cellphone.
The past console viewtiful joe game on consoles sucked, so saying its like the console version doesnt help the game much. Not to mention its a tiny pixelated version of it.
Jam Sessions is a nice application, "application". Its almost a tech demo more than purchase worthy stand-alone title.
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Sep 30th 2007 2:30PM
Brandon
What a fuck???? How can you say Viewtiful Joe 1 and 2 sucked?
Oh, I see. You dont like challenge, great gameplay, and "viewtiful" gprahics.
Noob.
Mr. P @ Sep 30th 2007 2:35PM
I meant that the games are childish and the device itself is worthless. I got a hacked PSP that can play anything from NES games to PS1 games, and I can watch movies, listen to music, whatever. The best part is that you can get all this shit online for free. With DS you can play Mario, some old Final Fantasy remake, or something gimmicky like this.
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Sep 30th 2007 2:35PM
Viewtiful Joe 1 and 2 for the Gamecube are one of the best games from past gen
(I prefer the Gamecube version because is at 60 fps and the PS2 version is at 30fps).
I will miss Clover =(
Brandon @ Sep 30th 2007 2:37PM
I said the past viewtiful joe GAME, NOT GAMES. I was talking about the last one that was on consoles "Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble" which sucked.
Reading is fundamental.
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Sep 30th 2007 2:41PM
Brandon
You writed: "Not to mention its a tiny pixelated version of it." Viewtiful Joe double troble is nothing like Red Hot Rumble.
Writing is fundamental.
Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Sep 30th 2007 5:45PM
Don't talk shit about Tetris man. That's cold.
And you can steal all your games and music for the DS just like the PSP. It's called an R4. I think every gaming system ever created has been hacked. What's your point?
"I meant that the games are childish and the device itself is worthless." Cooking Mama 2 is NOT the DS. I can use your logic too:
Go play your badass mature PSP games like Ape Escape Academy, KAZooK, Winx Club: Join the Culb, and Pocket Pool!
Anni @ Sep 30th 2007 6:36PM
Did this guy just knock Tetris DS? If you played it for even fifteen minutes, you'd know it's well worth it, and it's just a stupid Flash rip-off of it. A lot of fun new modes, and it's a cool, different spin on a classic, with the touch screen icing on the cake. A lot of fun NES game throwbacks as well.
But it wasn't a graphics upgrade, so it MUST have sucked. :(
Then again, he just argued that Viewtiful Joe sucked, so his opinion is fairly worthless by any standards.
Anni @ Sep 30th 2007 6:38PM
Not just a stupid Flash rip-off, I should say.
Proofreading, more like dumbreading.
pearljammer @ Oct 1st 2007 2:28PM
Fernando
'You writed:'
I believe that you meant 'wrote'
Grammar is fundamental
Brandon @ Sep 30th 2007 1:46PM
The last cooking Mama was way too easy. If I hear "BETTER THAN MAMA!" one more friggen time, I will stab someone.
Cephas @ Sep 30th 2007 1:54PM
Wasn't TGS like a week ago?
Chris @ Sep 30th 2007 2:21PM
nintendo stop wasting time on these god-awful games aimed at ?children to young to cook? and give us U R mr gay/brawl!
Mr Khan @ Sep 30th 2007 4:03PM
my sarcasm detector is tingling...
But if not, you must realize Taito in JP and Majesco elsewhere does this
And if Brawl names weren't limited to 3 characters, i would totally name one of mine U R MR GAY
James @ Sep 30th 2007 3:18PM
Ah right, so regardless of it being the best video games device since sliced SNES. It doesn't matter because it has games like this? WTF. My PC could run any number of Barbie or horse racing game so suddenly Orange Box should be renamed Red Box to reflect its embarrassment?
Night Elve @ Sep 30th 2007 3:28PM
Can't wait to play Shopping Mama 1, I heard you will be on a WalMart.
Gaetan @ Oct 1st 2007 11:12PM
"embroiled" also has the word "broiled" in it, which is also a cooking term. :)
gramblor @ Sep 30th 2007 4:58PM
Yeah, embroiled sounds like boiled... or even more like broiled... which is in fact the rootword for embroiled... *cough*
Lifted 0ne 4l9 (NDF - Fire!) @ Sep 30th 2007 5:09PM
uh oh picking on the writers how long till we see this comment deleted lol
gramblor @ Sep 30th 2007 5:23PM
It was a pretty benign criticism, alls I mean is that the pun was already there with embroied, it didn't need to go any further... Then again, this is Joystiq, and Jem Alexander has only been posting on Joystiq for two months or so (I know, he is/was with PS3 Fanboy), so he might have an axe to grind and murder my post... Only time will tell how benevolent this Jem is...
Lifted 0ne 4l9 (NDF - Fire!) @ Sep 30th 2007 5:32PM
yea just sayin cuz i've seen them delete some posts for some pretty stupid reasons, granted sometimes theres good reason to do so but some that I've seen and experienced are just baffeling
Inene @ Sep 30th 2007 8:03PM
man I want a DS
Jonah Falcon @ Sep 30th 2007 9:18PM
"While we were there, however, we did get embroiled (which kind of sounds like boiled) in the game."
Note to Jem: "broiling" is a cooking term. In fact, that's where the term "to be embroiled" comes from. So, you didn't have to torture a pun. Just talk about broiling something.
Boxthor @ Oct 1st 2007 2:24AM
"While we were there, however, we did get embroiled (which kind of sounds like boiled) in the game. "
It also sounds like broiled.
gramblor @ Oct 1st 2007 12:47PM
Your comment also sounds like my comment...
Boxthor @ Oct 1st 2007 2:18PM
Call me sous vide.