Addicting Video Game That Came Out Of Nowhere: Cooking Mama

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Finding a $20 game for the Wii is like digging through the $1 movie bin at Wal-Mart; the chance that you get anything you have ever heard of or anything that you will like is virtually null. Over the weekend I bought such a game, Cooking Mama: Cook Off, thinking it was worth a shot. Since I like the free Wii Sports games that came with the console a cheapy game couldn't be that terrible, right? To my surprise and delight the game is awesome and completely addicting.

The concept behind the game is that you have a book of recipes that you virtually chop, slice, stir-fry, and bake your way through. You have to get the recipe right within a certain amount of time or this little Manga style character pop up and scolds you. When you do get it right and beat the buzzer you get a gold medal, a new recipe to try for your cookbook, and the little character pops up and says, "Wonderful. Better than Mama!" I have to be honest with you all, this little animated lady with the kerchief in her hair scares the crap out of me: when she says I need to try harder her eyeballs turn into flames and when you do really, really well she turns into a dragon.

Cooking Mama turned out to be a good gamble as far as games go; I have been playing it non-stop since I picked it up. Perhaps it is because virtual cooking plays into the same psychological drive for order that made games like Tetris, Dr. Mario, and Rubix Cubes so addicting, or maybe I am driven by fear of the crazy fire eyes. Either way, Cooking Mama is completely addicting and a steal as far as Wii games are concerned. Not everything can be a Halo or a Guitar Hero, but for a light and fun game Cooking Mama is a double win.

Melody + video games + food + a good deal = love.