Nintendo Wii Fanboy

It's been awhile since we had a chance to discuss Cooking Mama: World Kitchen. In fact, it's been months, as our time with the title back at E3 was the last we've heard. Well, thankfully, that changes today.

We've got some fresh screens for the game, as well as boxart. The boxart is, well, quite pleasing to us. We have Mama looking over the shoulder of our new wouldbe chef, smiling happily and ... wait, what is that? Mama, how could you? The first rule of the kitchen is to turn off all unused burners on the stove! Are you trying to get someone killed?!

Tsk tsk, Mama. We guess we can still love you. And play your game.

We spent some time playing Cooking Mama: Cook Off this weekend, and generally had fun. We enjoy the varied and novel waggle found throughout the game, and for the most part we find Mama's Engrish endearing and cute.

But we can't figure out what she says when we screw up. We don't even want to color your impressions by guessing. What is she saying? It haunts us like a word-ghost. Please, help us exorcise our haunty word-ghost!

Here's the audio file. Good luck!

We tried everything to convince our parents into driving us to the Cooking Mama: Cook Off launch event at New York City next Saturday -- temper tantrums and crocodile tears -- none of those would move their cruel hearts. We desperately want one of the limited edition aprons that the Nintendo World Store will be giving away as door prizes, and if we have to spend a week pouting with crossed arms at the dinner table to get one, well then that's just what we're going to do.

You might not have to go through the same childish lengths to score some custom kitchen-wear. Video game chef Becky Mueller is hosting a Nintendo-themed cooking contest at N+, offering up her own hand-crafted Cooking Mama apron to the grand prize winner. She spent over 20 hours sewing the fabric together and embroidering the logo until it looked just right. We really have to admire Becky's generosity, donating this labor of love to N+'s readers. It's a lot more than our soulless parents ever did for us...

Head past the post break for a bigger photo of the charming apron and its Cooking Mama logo.

[Via The Tanooki]

We've been waiting for the Iron Chef license to appear on the Nintendo Wii ever since the cooking-friendly controller was revealed, but the culinary game show is still woefully absent from the system's lineup of upcoming titles. Anxious gamers have had to settle for the next best thing -- Cooking Mama: Cook Off.

Playing off the battle system in Cooking Mama where you can compete with rival chefs, 1UP has a creative piece comparing the Wii and DS versions of the game in a Kitchen Stadium contest. Fans of Iron Chef will be happy to see that the dramatization follows the Japanese show's format closely with an introduction by the Chairman and constant chatter from the commentators. Cook Off's multiplayer mode and international menu are emphasized during this console-vs-handheld match-up to see which Mama knows best.

Though Cooking Mama: Cook Off's reviews have been middling at best, seeing the Wii game's strengths laid out like this has definitely renewed our interest. How else are we supposed to act out our epic Ronkonkai Chicken battle against Iron Chef Sakai that we've always envisioned in our minds?

Between the bookends of Sonic and the Secret Rings and Super Paper Mario, there lies a game of quirk. Cooking Mama: Cook-Off , the successor to the DS sleeper-hit, has arrived at your Wii's doorstep and desperately wants to entertain you. But should you give it the time of day?

Let's take a look:

• IGN (58 / 100) thinks the controls were far from spot on: "What really suffers in the game, however, are the actual cooking actions. Previously the core appeal to the game on DS, the moves needed to perform Wii cooking are a bit less defined."

• GamePro (65 / 100) feels as though the game has its moments, though: "At its best, Cook Off is an inherently fun experience; you'll probably invite your friends over, shove a Remote in their hands and say "You have to try this game." Unfortunately, for all its charm, the game is deeply flawed, and you can't help but wonder if it wasn't best served as an appetizer on the DS rather than as a main course on the Wii."

• GameBrink (63 / 100) is happy they at least added some multiplayer: "You each complete the same steps at the same time after which Hitler Mama gets pissed off and grades you. It's essentially the same thing as the normal mode but with a split screen and a score to beat. It will definitely keep those who like the game playing for many days to come."

Do y'all agree with any of this? Circle gets the square (kudos if you get the joke)!

Cooking Mama: Cook Off is already out in shops starting this week, but Majesco's official launch event for the Wii game takes place at NYC's Nintendo World Store on March 31st, the Saturday after next. There will be a variety of competitions for gamers to take part in at the store's interactive stations. We hope that doesn't mean they'll actually be cooking anything themselves, as some 13-year-old kid is bound to burn the Pokémon Center down while trying to flambé.

The Nintendo World Store will have limited edition aprons for attendees and copies of the game for contest winners. If that isn't enough to bring you in, there will also be free food! Keeping with Cooking Mama's theme, an on-site chef will be fixing snacks for the party. If you're in the area, this is definitely worth checking out!

Cooking Mama happens to be one of our favorite relatives. She taught us well in Cooking Mama DS and now she is back in the kitchen (no misogynistic undertone intended) for the Wii with Cooking Mama: Cooking With International Friends.

By the sound of it, there could be a ton of dishes to choose from all around the world. That's just us guessing but it would be nice to learn how to properly chop up meat for a big bowl of Zharkoye.

Check out the screens to get a glimpse of this Wii title. We anticipate that it will be similar to the DS version with actions like chopping, stirring, slicing and dicing. An element we are hoping for would be flipping burgers or sauteing vegetables using the Wiimote.