''Cooking Mama'' (stylized as ''cookıng mama'') is a video game series and media franchise owned by Cooking Mama Limited. The series is a

cookery Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric stoves, to baking in vario ...

simulation A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of Conceptual model, models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or proc ...

-styled

minigame A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than th ...

compilation of many

video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

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 The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...

and

Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...

, two

spin-offs Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...

, two spin offs on DS, and a spin off on 3DS. It also spins off into the

Gardening Mama (stylized as ''gardening mama'') is a gardening simulation-styled minigame compilation video game for the Nintendo DS. It is a spin-off from the ''Cooking Mama'' series. The gameplay is similar to that of ''Cooking Mama'', with players using ...

series. The original Cooking Mama game was also ported to

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

. A sixth main series game, '' Cooking Mama: Cookstar'', was released for the

Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...

and

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...

in 2021.

Gameplay

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 A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is often ...

, 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

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 Rhythm game or rhythm action is a genre of music-themed action video game that challenges a player's sense of rhythm. Games in the genre typically focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments, and require players to pres ...

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

''Cooking Mama'' (2006)

''Cooking Mama'' is the first game in the franchise. It was first released for the

in March 2006, and it was later ported to

as ''Cooking Mama: Let’s Cook!'' in 2015.

''Cooking Mama: Cook Off'' (2007)

'' Cooking Mama: Cook Off'', a spin off made for Wii, was released for the

in Japan on February 8, 2007, replacing the original's

touchscreen A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is often ...

control with use of the

Wii Remote The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with ...

to guide the cooking activities. It was later released in North America on March 20, 2007 and on May 11, 2007 in Europe.

''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.

''Cooking Mama: World Kitchen'' (2008)

'' Cooking Mama: World Kitchen'' for the

was released on November 18, 2008, and was the second Wii spin off title.

''Gardening Mama'' (2009)

''Gardening Mama'' is a spin off released for

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.

''Crafting Mama'' (2010)

''Crafting Mama'' is a spin off released for

on October 26, 2010 that focuses on crafting. Babysitting Mama Logo

''Babysitting Mama'' (2010)

''Babysitting Mama'' is a spin off released for

Nintendo Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...

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

, was first released in November 2011.

Gardening Mama 2: Forest Friends (2013)

''Gardening Mama 2: Forest Friends'' released for

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.

''Cooking Mama Sweet Shop'' (2017)

''Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop'' is a spin off title released for

on May 18, 2017. The game focuses on

baking Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread but many other types of foods can be baked. Heat is gradually transferred " ...

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

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. A

version was also announced with the game’s initial announcement in August 2019, which was released on March 25, 2021, by Planet Entertainment. 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.

''Cooking Mama: Cuisine!'' (2022)

''Cooking Mama: Cuisine!'' was developed and published by Office Create and released for

Apple Arcade Apple Arcade is a video game subscription service offered by Apple Inc. It is available through a dedicated tab of the App Store on devices running iOS 13, tvOS 13, iPadOS 13, and macOS Catalina or later. The service launched on September 19 ...

on July 17, 2022.

Reception

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

Notes

References

External links

Official website
{{Cooking Mama series Casual games Cooking video games Video games developed in Japan Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 2006