Cooking Mama 4 Kitchen Magic
SCORE: 96
The Mama franchise has been huge. Families
have embraced Mama whether it is crafting, cooking, babysitting, or
gardening. One of the highlights of E3 2011 for me was seeing Cooking
Mama 4 Kitchen Magic on the 3DS. Yes Mama has made it to the 3DS. So how
does she do? Does it live up to the Mama name? Does it surpass
everything else before it?
Cooking Mama 4 Kitchen Magic does a plethora of things right. In fact at
the time of writing this review Cooking Mama 4 Kitchen Magic is the
highest scoring Nintendo 3DS game. And it earns the rarely given Family
Friendly Gaming seal of approval. Even though Cooking Mama 4 Kitchen
Magic is 'E' for Everyone please remember the 3D mode is for ages 7+.
The 3D effects on the upper screen on the Nintendo 3DS look pretty good.
There is not a lot happening though. Mama will come running up from the
back to freak out or congratulate you. It all depends on how you did in
the mini game. The two thumbs up for doing something right is a nice
reward. The various items like pots and pans will be at different
depths.
I have to admit that the 3D effects are not what is going to draw
families to Cooking Mama 4 Kitchen Magic. The bright and colorful
graphics all over the place will be one of the selling points. Plus Mama
will get a sparkle in her eye. If your mistakes are too bad Mama will
pay the price. Burnt ingredients or too much of an ingredient will
splash on her and the screen. Players usually are required to clean up
the mess. The nice thing is Mama does not hold a grudge, or whack you
upside your head.
We have loved the Mama franchise for how encouraging she is. If you are
a dismal failure at something, she will encourage you to try harder next
time. She will also help you out. The voice used in Cooking Mama 4
Kitchen Magic continues the magic of the franchise. I like to hear her
accent. The music is upbeat, energetic, and happy.
There are sixty recipes in Cooking Mama 4 Kitchen Magic. This may seem
light at first. In fact after playing Cooking Mama 4 Kitchen Magic for
quite a few hours I was surprised that was all there was. However each
recipe contains more than one mini game. There are also helping mini
games, and combining food mini games. In total there are just over two
hundred unique mini games.
What fun is it to play all alone though? Cooking Mama 4 Kitchen Magic
contains download play for up to four family members, and local play for
up to four family members. Please note that you will need one Nintendo
3DS per player. The local play requires one game cartridge per player as
well. The download play can be done from one game cartridge.
I am very used to the Mama hand held video games. I understand how to
play the mini games and what is expected of me. If you are a newcomer
you can expect on screen instructions to show you what actions to
perform. Each recipe can be practiced if you want to learn how to do it
before actually being graded. They can be replay so players can earn a
better score.
Cooking Mama 4 Kitchen Magic is one of the huge Christmas video game
releases. I am very blessed to work for such a prominent media outlet to
be able to play and review this Nintendo 3DS game. Families can have a
lot of fun with this game. I hope to see a Cooking Mama 5 in the future.
Service is one of the main lessons in Cooking Mama 4 Kitchen Magic. I
love the concept of the helping out mini game.
- Paul
Graphics: 92%
Sound: 98%
Replay/Extras: 95%
Gameplay: 97%
Family Friendly Factor: 96%
System: Nintendo 3DS
Publisher: Majesco Entertainment
Rating: ‘E’ - Everyone
{Alcohol Reference, Comic Mischief}
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