Just like the previous game, players are required to cook up tasty dishes in Cooking Mama 2 via a selection of fun NDS Lite mini games. But this time, you will be challenged by Mama or one of her nine dinner guests (hence the title) to cook something without being given instructions… AND obtain a near perfect score too! Besides that, there’s the usual mixing, chopping, peeling, dicing and stirring involved using the stylus. Upon completing these tasks, you will be awarded points, with the maximum score being an elusive 100% along with a shiny medal if you did a good job. Mini games give bonus stars and each time you gain five stars, an item is automatically unlocked.

I noticed that Cooking Mama 2 has a little unlockable feature not unlike the Achievement feature in XBOX 360 games. You earn an Item Trophy if you successfully obtained all items for design and diary; a Mama Trophy if you managed to unlock the 10 guests in the Let’s Cook mode and finally, you’ll get a sparkly Recipe Trophy if you get to dish up all 80 recipes in the game. How’s that for motivation!

Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon a little gem in the form of Cooking Mama, a charming DS game that allows me to dish up a tempting array of food using the DS stylus and touch screen. The game’s titular character, Mama, or Okasan in the Japanese version of the game, guides you through a series of mini games in order to cook up a grand total of 76 recipes. There are several game modes available in Cooking Mama, but generally you will be required to perform tasks such as chopping, mixing, stirring and frying to cook delicious dishes like grilled mackerel, seafood curry and chicken kabobs. My personal favorite is the squid tempura!

I simply love playing this charming game. Whenever I’m waiting for buses and trains, I’ll pull out my trusty DS Lite and load up Cooking Mama. While the game lacks depth, it’s a simple and entertaining game nonetheless. Kids will love it for its colorful and cute graphics while adults like me will enjoy passing time with the delightful game play that’s not too taxing on the mind. This isn’t Brain Age, after all!

Cooking Mama 1 Tip: Impatient players can bring up the main menu, then press B, B, B, Up, Down, Right, in order to unlock ALL recipes! Me, I prefer obtaining them one at a time. Happy cooking!