Go-Go Gourmet: A New Downloadable PC Game Review

Go- Go Gourmet is a downloadable computer game that is considered a time management and hidden object game in one. If you like games like Diner Dash, Cake Mania, or Snowy Lunch Rush, you will really enjoy this game that actually requires that you cook according to the recipes that are provided and earned. The ingredients to the recipes are all over the kitchen and you will need to find them, cook them, and deliver them to the customer while also swapping between other recipes to fulfill orders before the time runs out.

The story begins with Ginger who wants to become a master chef. She has acquired a restaurant through her Grandpa Henry who is going to be traveling the world to find the hottest chili recipe ever. He leaves Ginger with a blank cookbook and tells her to contact his old friend Chuck who will begin her training.

The first stop is at the restaurant that Ginger acquired and it is a wreck. However, she has no money to repair or upgrade yet so it is time to give Chuck a call who gives Ginger a Jr. Cook position in his restaurant Chuck's Wagon.

Now it is time to play. You, as Ginger, will search the kitchen for ingredients to cook while swapping recipes simultaneously. When a recipe is done, Ginger needs to click on the tray to deliver the meal. Earn enough money to complete the goal but make sure you keep an eye on your time. The faster the order gets out, the more orders you will make; hence more money.

During game play you will be using an oven, microwave, food processor, 2 frying pans, and 2 pots. In the oven you will bake, broil, and roast. The microwave is used to warm certain items while the food processor will grate, mix, slice, mince, dice, shred, mash, puree, whip, and juice. On the stove top, there are two pots and two pans that can be used. The pots are used to boil, steam, simmer, melt, deep fry, and heat while the frying pans will fry, sauté, braise, grill, caramelize, reduce, ignite, or brown food.

Seem like a little much? Don't worry. If the recipe states that you need to fry, it has a little frying pan icon to remind you of what item you need to use. At Chucks Wagon you will start with the following ingredients; hot dog, hot dog bun, mustard, ground beef, hamburger bun, lettuce, and cheese. The first goal is $50.00.

The first recipe is for a hot dog and it will look like this:

Step 1: Find Hot Dog, Boil, and Step 2: Hot dog Bun, Mustard, and Deliver. Other recipes that will be made in level one are a Hamburger and Cheeseburger. If you get stuck on finding an item there is a no penalty hint on the bottom left hand side of the screen. However, they are free so, be patient while waiting for the meter to fill back up.

If you make the goal, you will move onto the next level in Chuck's Kitchen and you gain three new recipes too. The game will then take you back to Ginger's restaurant where you will be given the option to upgrade depending upon the amount of money you have. Upgrades and repairs include: repairing the floors and windows, painting the walls, buying more tables, upgrading the floor, buying chairs, buying table arrangements, buying drinks, buying light-up beverages, buying curtains and wall lamps, buying carpet, buying superior tables and chairs, opening the terrace, buying a fountain for the terrace, buying a cake display, glass rack, coffee machine, matching superior chairs and buying Grand-Opening decorations.

After the first level it is most likely you will repair the floor and then move on to the other levels in Chuck's Wagon and the other restaurants to achieve Master Chef while preparing her restaurant for the Grand Opening. Each level will bring different recipes from different origins which keeps the game really interesting and if you listen closely, at the end of the levels you will hear a tune that sounds very much like the one played in Snowy Lunch Rush.

There are a few characters that you will be meeting in each stage. The first one is Chuck Burgerman who is the owner of Chuck's Wagon which offers Levels 1-5. During your time with Chuck Burgerman you will learn and make hot dogs, cheeseburgers, hamburgers, egg salad sandwiches, Bunless Burgers, Ice Cream Sundaes, Sloppy Deluxe Hot Dog, Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Hawaiian Sandwiches, House Salads, Nachos, Southwest Burgers, Veggie Sandwiches, and Deluxe Bacon Cheeseburger.

The next stage will take place at Monty Chapman's restaurant called Monty's Full English which consists of levels 6- 11. As you will have gotten a hang of cooking by now, this will be a welcomed change in atmosphere. By the end of the restaurant you will have learned how to cook Deluxe Nachos, Breakfast Specials, Dinner Salad, Meatloaf, Chefs salad, Baked Potato, Beef Stroganoff, Spaghetti with Meatballs, Mac and Cheese, Mom's Potato Salad, Apple Crisp, Stuffed Shells, Chocolate Layer Cake, Cold Green Bean Salad, Pork Chops and Applesauce, Cinnamon Rolls, Fruit Salad, Chicken Noodle Soup, Buttermilk Pancakes, Honey Glazed Ham, and Fried Chicken and Mashed Potatoes.

Stage three will bring more recipes that gradually become more challenging to fulfill. However, you are becoming a very good cook by this point and when you move on to stage three you will be catering to the seafood lovers courtesy of Captain Cruz restaurant, The Captain's Quarters. The Captain's Quarters is Levels 12-18 and brings a new atmosphere and many more recipes for beer battered cod, herring baked in foil, Tuscan sole, Grilled Salmon, Baked Halibut, Fish Stew, Pilgrims' Shrimp, Crab Cakes, Banana's Foster, Creamy Sorrel Tilapia, Mussels Sauté, Roast Mussels, Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip, Bard's Fish, Fish Chowder, Savory Roast Salmon, Crab Louie, Seafood Jambalaya, Fish and Chips, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Trout with Tomatoes and Garlic, Armenian white fish, Shrimp Cocktail, Spicy Garlic Shrimp.

Stage four is owned by Kishore Kumar and is Levels 19-26. Yes, in this game, it caters to everyone's taste buds. In this restaurant called the Vegetarian's Delight, there is no meat here! But, there are a whole bunch of veggie dishes such as Cabbage Rolls, Zucchini and Cheese Bake, Stir-Fried Vegetables, Ginger-Cream Pineapple, Baked Squash, Vegetable Casserole, Curried Vegetables, Greek Salad, French Onion Soup, Eggplant Parmesan, Vegetable Soup, Broccoli Salad, Bread Pudding, Potato Latkes, Vegetarian Lasagna, Vegetarian Orzo, Baked pumpkin with Tomato, and Stuffed Tomatoes.

Stage five is for those who love Asian food. You will visit the restraint Hiro's Pan-Asian Cuisine which is owned by Hiro Matsumoto. These recipes become increasingly difficult to manage and harder to get through each level but never fear. Replay may be necessary and starts where you left off. Hiro's consists of Levels 27-34 and in these levels you will be cooking miso soup, pot stickers, tuna rolls, pork fried rice general tso's chicken, sukiyaki, Thai fish curry, garlic green beans, broccoli and beef, tempura platter, bi bim bop, vegetable egg roles, Thai sticky rice, Thai fish cakes, Vietnamese pho, Won Ton Soup, shrimp with String beans, Chicken Chow Mein, Shrimp Dumplings, Bulgogi, California Rolls, and Kim chi.

Stage six, we are really moving up in the world when we go to cook for Leon Cuisines restaurant Leon's Parisian Palace. Stage six consists of Levels 35-43 and here we will make red caviar sandwich, soup a L'Oingnon Gratinee, Ancholivade Canapés, Salmon Canapés, Escargot, Crepes Suzette, Bouillabaisse, Chateau Briand, Ragout, Gratinee De Coquilles St. Jacques, Quiche Lorraine, Filet Mignon Aux Oingnon, Ratatouille, Cassoulet, Coq Au Vin, Mousse Au Chocolat.

Just when you think the fun has ended, it hasn't because Ginger will have to perform for each Chef once more under serious time constraints with difficult recipes. She will start at Level 44 cooking for Chuck's Burgerman, Level 45 Ginger will cook for Monty Chapman, in Level 46 Ginger will cook for Captain Cruz, in level 47 Ginger will cook for Kishore Kumar, in Level 48 she will cook for Hiro Matsumoto, and in Level 49 She will cook for Leon Cuisine.

After Level 49, Grandpa Henry returns home and wants you to cook the chili- recipe that he found while traveling the globe. The recipes that are used in levels 44-50 are Mom's Apple Pie A la Mode, Hearty Chicken and Dumplings, Cajun Red Fish Court Bouillon, Indian Pakoran, Hiro's Special Hot Wok Stir Fry, Le Bon Soufflé, and Grandpa's 25-Alarm Chili.

As you can see, this game keeps one's mind and skills occupied. The graphics are awesome, the pictures make you hungry and the recipes are even correct in the ingredients that they contain. It is a great game and has now become one of my personal favorites. A 60 minute trial version of this game can be downloaded at Bigfishgames. If you would like to purchase the game, the price is $19.99. However, if you become a member of the Bigfishgame Club, like I am, than you can buy the downloadable games they offer for $6.99 each. The only requirement is to buy one per month. I have found myself buying 2 or 3 a month so if you enjoy this type of gaming, this can really save you so money!

In addition to this you get added benefits such as sneak peaks of games that are coming out. You have them one day before anyone else does! Oh and at the end of the game there is a hint that there will be a part two coming out....be on the look out for it!!

Go-Go GourmetPC Downloadable Game Review

Publisher: Oberon Games

Released: January 31, 2008

OS: Windows XP/Vista, CPU: 800 MHz, RAM: 256 MB, Direct X: 8.0, Hard Drive: 38 MB