See what Mama's got cooking in the kitchen - Cooking Mama for Wii

Author's Rating:

Pros: Cooking 55 different recipes

Cons: Audio and background music annoying, some motions hard to do

The Bottom Line: 
The music is terribly annoying, and I don't enjoy this game, but my daughter loves it. I give a very hesitant "yes" recommendation.

Author's Review
Earlier this year my husband took the recommendation of a store sales associate and bought Cooking Mama Cook Off for Wii for my now 4 year old daughter.

With Cooking Mama for Wii you will chop, slice, cook, and bake your way, start to finish, through recipes of ten different nations. 

Playing the Game
Cooking Mama for Wii can be played as a single or two-player game. 

The Let's Cook section is a single player game where you will learn about and practice up to 55 different recipes.  There are written instructions as well as a visual indicator of how to move the Wii remote. The written instructions are often detailed, so younger players may need to have the instructions read to them. Mama will take you through the steps of preparing your food.  You will use your Wii remote in motions similar to that of cooking. For instance to chop, you will quickly move the remote up and down. To stir, point the Wii remote down move the remote in a circular motion. Some motions like peeling a carrot can be quite challenging. As you practice your recipes and complete the challenges, you will unlock more recipes of different nationalities. Make pierogies, lasagna, tortillas or a good old traditional hamburger.

In the Friends and Food section you can play against the Wii or play against a friend in a challenge to see who is the better chef (or "cooker" as my daughter would say).

Controls
The controls are OK. There are times that the motions on the TV don't react quickly enough to what we are doing with the remote.  
 
Graphics and Audio
The graphics, including all food, are cartoony but acceptable.

The audio drives me crazy. Mama will often make comments about how you are doing with your cooking.  She is difficult, and sometimes even impossible, to understand.  I often cannot figure out what Mama is saying.  I also have a problem with the background music. No matter what you are doing, it is always the same music over and over.  At the very least, the tune could be changed to coincide with whatever nationality food is being cooked. If I were cooking Spanish food, the background music could maybe have some Spanish influence. But no - it is still the same tune.

Saving your Game
You can save up to three different games at a time.

Overall
Cooking Mama for Wii never appealed to me enough to play alone or against my husband. When my husband brought it home I thought it was for me. I cook enough real food - cooking virtual food just doesn't do anything for me. My initial reaction - "You seriously thought I would want to play this?"  I soon found out it was for our daughter and was pretty relieved. I have only played with my daughter when she asks me to play.  When we first started playing the game my daughter would often get frustrated. She would skip the instructions without letting us help her read them.  Some motions with the remote are challenging to master.  But once you learn them it becomes easier. Many motions are repeated in recipes which may make this game start to feel repetitive.

My daughter has fun with Cooking Mama.  She enjoys cooking and baking with me and my husband.  I get a laugh when she's helping and she says "I have done/made this on my Cooking Mama game".

There are some seafood recipes, which involve removing the legs of a crab and slicing a fish.  I thought my daughter would have a problem with this, but to my surprise she has never reacted.  Maybe it is the cartoon-like images, or maybe she doesn't really understand what it is she is really doing.

This game is rated "E" for everyone and there is a note about alcohol references. My daughter has unlocked all the recipes, and I don't recall this at all in the game, but my guess is it was adding wine to a recipe.

This game is only average, and it really does not appeal to me at all and the music is annoying.  But my daughter likes it. I can only give this a very hesitant "yes" recommendation.

Other Wii games:
Carnival Games
Disney Princess Enchanted Journey
Big Brain Academy
Active Life Outdoor Challenge
Dora Saves the Snow Princess
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ulimatum 2009
Pinball Hall of Fame
Jenga