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Wii | Action | Cooking Mama: Cook Off

Boxart for Cooking Mama: Cook Off
Cooking Mama: Cook Off 14 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 3.50
  • SOUND: 2.50
  • CONTROL: 3.00
  • FUN FACTOR 3.25
  • AVG USER SCORE 3.2
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 2.9

Review: Cooking Mama: Cook Off

Review by Tae Kim | 03/20/2007 | 14:52:51 PM PST

When it debuted on the DS, Cooking Mama was an instant sensation that took great advantage of the system's unique control scheme and delivered a quirky gameplay experience. I personally loved the game and raved about it whenever I could.

When the Wii version landed in the office, I quickly shoved aside the other editors and claimed it for my own, ready to devour it single-handedly. But after having had my fill, I found that my gaming appetite hadn't been fully satiated.

Allez Cuisine!

If you've played the DS version, then you've essentially played Cook Off. You still pick from a list of recipes and cook dishes according to a series of timed mini-games. Instead of tapping and sliding a stylus around, you wave and gesture with the Wii Remote, turning it into the ultimate virtual all-purpose kitchen tool, acting as a vegetable peeler, a wooden spoon, and a knife, among other things.

At its best, Cook Off is an inherently fun experience; you'll probably invite your friends over, shove a Remote in their hands and say "You have to try this game." Unfortunately, for all its charm, the game is deeply flawed, and you can't help but wonder if it wasn't best served as an appetizer on the DS rather than as a main course on the Wii.

Surprisingly, it's the game's controls that act as the biggest impediment to your enjoyment. Sensitivity issues abound, and sometimes, your vegetable peeler just won't get that last shred of peel off no matter how much you wave it around. Also, the lack of tactile feedback is strange given the Remote's built-in rumble; feeling the chop of your knife would have gone a long way towards making the game enjoyable.

I also hate the fact that, no matter how inept you are as a chef, your dishes always come out looking great. It would be better if the end results actually reflected your performance, especially in the two-player split screen Cook Off mode where you and a friend can compete to see who performs each culinary task with more skill.

It's not that Cook Off is a bad game--all Wii owners should at least rent it for a weekend, and some will fall in love enough to buy it outright--but it isn't a particularly great game either. It's the gaming equivalent of a local neighborhood eatery: the food's good and service is decent, but it certainly won't be the best meal you've ever had. Watch the trailer here.

Looking for more reviews to read? Check out our Reviews Index!


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