Cooking Mama
Standard logo of the series
Genre(s)Puzzle, Strategy, Cooking
Developer(s)Cooking Mama Limited
Publisher(s)JP: Taito (2006–2009)
Square Enix (2011)
Cooking Mama Ltd. (2010–)

NA: Majesco Entertainment
PAL: 505 Games (2006–2011)
Nintendo (2011–)

KOR: Fujitsu (2007)
Cooking Mama Ltd. (2012)
Nintendo: (2014-2015)
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch, Nintendo DS, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, iOS, Android, macOS, tvOS, iPadOS
First releaseCooking Mama
March 23, 2006
Latest releaseCooking Mama: Cuisine
June 17, 2022

Cooking Mama[lower-alpha 1] (stylized as cookıng mama) is a video game series and media franchise owned by Cooking Mama Limited. The series is a cookery simulation-styled minigame compilation of many video games and adventures for Nintendo gaming platforms. Generally, the gameplay revolves around performing different kitchen tasks, through the instructions of "Mama", to cook various meals. The series so far consists of five main games on Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS, two spin-offs on Wii, two spin offs on DS, and a spin off on 3DS. It also spins off into the Gardening Mama series. The original Cooking Mama game was also ported to iOS. A sixth main series game, Cooking Mama: Cookstar, was released for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in 2021.[1]

Gameplay

A screenshot from the first game in the series for the Nintendo DS, showcasing the player slicing an octopus leg for a dish

Gameplay involves the player following the instructions of the titular "Mama" to cook various meals. This is performed by using the device's controller, typically the touch screen, to perform various kitchen tasks such as chopping vegetables, slicing meat, flipping food in pans, and arranging the final items onto a plate. Each of these tasks is accomplished by completing a minigame which usually lasts less than 10 seconds. The series' gameplay structure consists of the player progressing through a series of short minigames.

Each minigame represents a different activity in the meal preparation, such as mixing, frying, or chopping the provided ingredients. The minigame mechanics themselves range from quickly drawing parallel lines in order to chop items, to a rhythm game where ingredients are added to a skillet or the heat is adjusted at precisely the right time. If the player makes a serious blunder or time expires without sufficient progress being made, that step in the cooking process is considered a failure. When this happens, a graphic of an angry "Mama" with flames erupting from her eyes is displayed, along with the caption "Don't worry, Mama will fix it!".

Completing a dish can require playing one minigame, or as many as a dozen. The player's performance is rated when each dish is finished, based on the average result of each minigame. Depending on the final score, the game may award the player a bronze, silver or gold medal. The highest medal earned for each dish is recorded and displayed next to each item on the selection screen.

Games

Release timeline
2006Cooking Mama
2007Cooking Mama: Cook Off
Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends
2008Cooking Mama: World Kitchen
2009Gardening Mama
Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop
2010Crafting Mama
Babysitting Mama
2011Camping Mama
Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic
2012
2013Gardening Mama 2: Forest Friends
Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appétit!
2014
2015Cooking Mama: Let’s Cook
2016Cooking Mama: Let’s Cook Puzzle
2017Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop
2018
2019
2020Cooking Mama: Cookstar
2021
2022Cooking Mama: Cuisine!

Cooking Mama (2006)

Cooking Mama is the first game in the franchise. It was first released for the Nintendo DS in March 2006, and it was later ported to iOS as Cooking Mama: Let’s Cook! in 2015.[2]

Cooking Mama: Cook Off (2007)

Cooking Mama: Cook Off, a spin off made for Wii, was released for the Wii in Japan on February 8, 2007, replacing the original's touchscreen control with use of the Wii Remote to guide the cooking activities. It was later released in North America on March 20, 2007 and on May 11, 2007 in Europe.[3]

Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends (2007)

Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends, the second Nintendo DS game in the series, was first released in November 2007. Along with new recipes, this title expands the total number of different minigames and adds several new gameplay modes.[4]

Cooking Mama: World Kitchen (2008)

Cooking Mama: World Kitchen for the Wii was released on November 18, 2008, and was the second Wii spin off title.[5]

Gardening Mama (2009)

Gardening Mama is a spin off released for Nintendo DS on March 19, 2009 that focuses on fruits and vegetables.

Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop (2009)

Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop, the third Nintendo DS game in the series, had a hands-on demo available at E3 2009, and was first released in October 2009.[6]

Crafting Mama (2010)

Crafting Mama is a spin off released for Nintendo DS on October 26, 2010 that focuses on crafting.

Babysitting Mama logo

Babysitting Mama (2010)

Babysitting Mama is a spin off released for Nintendo Wii on November 5, 2010 that focuses on babysitting.

Camping Mama (2011)

Camping Mama: Outdoor Adventures, commonly known as just Camping Mama, is a spin off released for DS in 2011 that focuses on camping.

Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic (2011)

Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic, the fourth main entry in the series and the first entry to be published on the Nintendo 3DS, was first released in November 2011.[7]

Gardening Mama 2: Forest Friends (2013)

Gardening Mama 2: Forest Friends released for Nintendo 3DS on September 26, 2013, and is a sequel to the spin off title Gardening Mama.

Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appétit! (2013)

Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appétit!, the fifth main entry in the series and the second entry to be published on the Nintendo 3DS, was first released in November 2013.[8]

Cooking Mama Sweet Shop (2017)

Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop is a spin off title released for Nintendo 3DS on May 18, 2017.[9] The game focuses on baking sweet treats and managing a sweet shop to attract and satisfy customers.

Cooking Mama: Cookstar (2020)

Cooking Mama: Cookstar is the sixth main installment in the Cooking Mama series. The game was briefly released on the Nintendo Switch eShop on March 31, 2020, but was taken down just a few hours later due to legal issues between the publisher, Planet Entertainment, and the owner of the Cooking Mama IP, Office Create. The fact that the game released without a public announcement or press statement and was taken down so quickly led to speculation about the game’s development and if the game will ever be properly released.[10] A PlayStation 4 version was also announced with the game’s initial announcement in August 2019, which was released on March 25, 2021, by Planet Entertainment, but was cancelled right after. This was the first Cooking Mama game released on a platform to receive a third-party console release. In November 2022, an arbitration ruling declared Planet Entertainment was not authorized to release Cooking Mama: Cookstar, and that the rightsholders would work to remove the game from sale.[11]

Cooking Mama: Cuisine! (2022)

Cooking Mama: Cuisine! was developed and published by Office Create and released for Apple Arcade on July 17, 2022.

Reception

As of 2011, the series has sold over 12 million copies worldwide.[12]

Aggregate review scores
GameMetacriticGameRankings
Cooking Mama67/100[13]68%[14]
Cook Off61/100[15]63%[16]
Dinner with Friends70/100[17]71%[18]
World Kitchen62/100[19]68%[20]
Shop & Chop65/100[21]68%[22]
Kitchen Magic56/100[23]62%[24]
Bon Appétit!60/100[25]64%[26]
Sweet Shop56/100[27]62%[28]
Cookstar46/100[29]—

Notes

  1. ↑ Cooking Mama (クッキング ママ, Kukkingu Mama)

References

  1. ↑ "Cooking Mama: Cookstar".
  2. ↑ "Cooking Mama for Nintendo DS". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2018-12-06. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  3. ↑ "Cooking Mama: Cook Off for Wii". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2018-12-06. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  4. ↑ "Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends for Nintendo DS". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2018-12-06. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  5. ↑ "Cooking Mama: World Kitchen for Nintendo DS". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2019-01-03. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  6. ↑ "Cooking Mama 3: Shop and Chop". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2018-12-06. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  7. ↑ "Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic for Nintendo 3DS". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2018-12-06. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  8. ↑ "Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appétit! for Nintendo 3DS". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2018-12-07. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  9. ↑ "Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop". Nintendo. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  10. ↑ Blondeau, Bella (4 Apr 2020). "For Some Reason, The New Cooking Mama Is 2020's Biggest Gaming Mystery". TheGamer.com. Retrieved 5 Apr 2020.
  11. ↑ Carter, Justin (2022-11-17). "Arbitration ruling declares Cooking Mama: Cookstar must be delisted". Game Developer. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  12. ↑ "Cooking Mama franchise sales exceed 12 million worldwide". 9 June 2011.
  13. ↑ "Cooking Mama for DS Reviews". Metacritic. 2006-03-23. Archived from the original on 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  14. ↑ "Cooking Mama for DS". GameRankings. 2006-03-23. Archived from the original on 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  15. ↑ "Cooking Mama: Cook Off for Nintendo Wii Reviews". Metacritic. 2007-03-20. Archived from the original on 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  16. ↑ "Cooking Mama: Cook Off for Wii". GameRankings. 2007-02-08. Archived from the original on 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  17. ↑ "Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends for Nintendo DS Reviews". Metacritic. 2007-02-08. Archived from the original on 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  18. ↑ "Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends for DS". GameRankings. 2007-11-13. Archived from the original on 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  19. ↑ "Cooking Mama: World Kitchen for Wii Reviews". Metacritic. 2008-11-18. Archived from the original on 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  20. ↑ "Cooking Mama: World Kitchen for Wii". GameRankings. 2008-11-18. Archived from the original on 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  21. ↑ "Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop for DS Reviews". Metacritic. 2009-10-20. Archived from the original on 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  22. ↑ "Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop for ds". GameRankings. 2009-10-20. Archived from the original on 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  23. ↑ "Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic for 3DS Reviews". Metacritic. 2011-11-16. Archived from the original on 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  24. ↑ "Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic for 3DS". GameRankings. 2011-11-16. Archived from the original on 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  25. ↑ "Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appétit! for 3DS Reviews". Metacritic. 2013-11-21. Archived from the original on 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  26. ↑ "Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appétit!". GameRankings. 2013-11-21. Archived from the original on 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  27. ↑ "Cooking Mama Sweet Shop for 3DS Reviews". Metacritic. 2017-05-16. Archived from the original on 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  28. ↑ "Cooking Mama Sweet Shop". GameRankings. 2017-05-16. Archived from the original on 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  29. ↑ "Cooking Mama Cookstar for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
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