Cooking Mama 2 for the Nintendo DS: Cook Up Some Fun!

I finished the first Cooking Mama for my Nintendo DS last year. I felt pretty disappointed with it. You beat all the recipes, and there you were, with nothing. Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends, should definitely quell this disappointment!

The first thing in the sequel is that obviously, you get new recipes. There are new challenges, like cutting pasta, re-arranging items in the fridge, and more. All your previously mastered talents will still come into play in this version. You just have more options.

The second cool thing about this sequel is that you get to cook for Mama's friends and relatives. You get scores (like the regular cooking), but you also receive bonuses for beating Mama's time at tasks (which is usually the halfway point on the clock). The bonuses will be explained more later on. As you successfully cook for Mama's friends and relatives (and even Mama herself), you will unlock new characters to cook for, and new recipes.

Now, on to the third and most fun extra feature of the game! You can accessorize Mama, and the kitchen you are cooking in. From pots and pans, to your top screen backdrop, it's all up to you. There are everything from holiday window scenes to different colored clocks and timers. And you can accessorize Mama herself! When you get your bonus stars, and you pick gifts, you can earn outfits, decorations, and more. You can also earn these by successfully cooking for Mama's friends and relatives if your score is good enough! Currently, my kitchen in my top screen has a blue timer bar, a blue clock, and a beach sunset view. Mama is also decked out in lots of jewelry, glasses, and a new cooking outfit.

I think the creators really stepped it up with this version of the game. You can battle your friends over wifi, and all the custom bonuses really make a difference. I've been playing this a couple weeks, and I'm still not bored of it. When I got the first one, I was done with it in a couple days and felt a bit ripped off.

So, if you know someone who loves the Wii version, loved the first Nintendo DS version, or was expecting more out of the first Nintendo DS version, surprise them with this one. It got kicked up a notch and it's worth the price of the game!