Cooking-themed games have become so widespread that they've become their own genre. And the most popular character? "Mama", of course!
Many experts say that gaming should not just be considered a purely passive pastime, but can be also be an edifying experience, useful in teaching various skills – from problem solving to your tennis swing. And many of them will even teach you how to cook.
Cooking games have become real genre of their own, with a large number of fans. This is above all due to the arrival of the both the Nintendo DS, which, due to its dual-screen layout (one of which is a touch-screen), allows you to ‘touch’ icons representing elements which make up real dishes, and the Wii home console, which allows you to mimic the movements of a chef.
The most popular series of games in this genre is Cooking Mama, which was first released in 2006. The aim of the game is to ‘cook’ ever more complicated dishes while listening to Mama’s advice. The better you get at making the dishes, the more points you earn, and, above all, the more delicious dishes you can unlock. It’s a lot of fun to play in multiplayer mode, but, in the end, what it really does is make you want to try out your cooking skills on a real stove, with real pans and ingredients. And that’s the best reward you get from playing Cooking Mama.
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