Cooking Mama

 DS
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 36 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 36
  3. Negative: 2 out of 36
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. TJM.
    Oct 3, 2006
    7
    The replay value of this game lies in achieving gold medals for every last dish. Beyond that, Cooking Mama is best played in bite-sized morsels, and one should not pick it up at $20 expecting a full course meal.
  2. HannahR.
    May 10, 2007
    7
    This game is fun for all ages. Anyone can play it. i think it has affected by psyche in real life though. I find my self chopping, slicing, stewing, saute-ing furiously in my real kitchen to get that mental gold medal. Help!! I have clocked this game over the duration of about 3 days and found that the only way to get a gold is to get 100%. This can be frustrating if you make something This game is fun for all ages. Anyone can play it. i think it has affected by psyche in real life though. I find my self chopping, slicing, stewing, saute-ing furiously in my real kitchen to get that mental gold medal. Help!! I have clocked this game over the duration of about 3 days and found that the only way to get a gold is to get 100%. This can be frustrating if you make something with about 7 stages and you get one minor thing wrong. Somethings seem almost impossible but you can do it if you don't mind getting repetitive stress syndrome in your hand. The game utilizes the touch screen very well AND you can blow into the microphone. How cool is that?!… Expand
  3. Rumblebeelove
    Nov 26, 2010
    7
    Adorable graphics and a slew of mini games, heck the whole game is mini games. It's amusing and for that $20 price tag. It's not the best out there, but definitely the best for that price.
  4. IrishChai
    Sep 26, 2011
    7
    There have actually been a couple 'cooking' games on the market before but I think they were always limited to obscure Japanese imports that never saw an English or American release. This game does a pretty good job of doing the same thing those did; introducing some fun minigames based entirely around cooking. I don't know exactly what it is that makes these games so addictive, but I canThere have actually been a couple 'cooking' games on the market before but I think they were always limited to obscure Japanese imports that never saw an English or American release. This game does a pretty good job of doing the same thing those did; introducing some fun minigames based entirely around cooking. I don't know exactly what it is that makes these games so addictive, but I can highly recommend giving this series a try when you have a few extra dollars. At it's current price, it's a great deal for some casual fun when you are in the mood for it. I only rated it a 7 because honestly the premise is extremely basic, and it's almost a direct copy of the earlier import cooking games I had played, but it's still a fun experience for the price.… Expand
  5. funkydoodycool
    May 9, 2015
    6
    I'm not sure why this is so entertaining, but it is. And it's given me ideas for making fun lunches at home.

    Shallow and repetitive, but somehow compelling.
  6. vivianholeslut
    May 25, 2021
    7
    Cooking Mama is a cooking simulator in the form a various mini games. I like
  7. wagyumascara
    May 25, 2021
    7
    Cooking Mama is a fun casual game for any age group. Though some of the Minigames are unforgiving with it's judging, I still overall enjoyed getting all the gold medals. It doesn't have the classic asian mama voice acting that I grew to love so It gets a 7 :)

Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Best DS Game of 2006
25
#25 Most Discussed DS Game of 2006
36
#36 Most Shared DS Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 35
  3. Negative: 2 out of 35
  1. NintendoWorldReport
    65
    Cooking Mama was fun for a while, but after the novelty wore off, the repetition of the mini-games and the janky stylus controls just became a bigger and more noticeable defect, and while I’d love to praise the game for trying something different, I have to fault it for not having much depth. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
  2. GameBrink
    78
    The dishes and ingredients are all very detailed and look just like they should and Mama comes across as the tough extremist she is. She exudes her “Cook or die” mentality in every scene she graces. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
  3. NTSC-uk
    40
    Although there are a few clever mini-game ideas worth seeing, overall it will not hold your interest for long, which is disappointing since the whole concept of using the DS touch screen to control your way around the kitchen seems so natural. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »