GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

xx Animal Crossing Calculator
xx Animal Crossing Clock
69 Art Style: AQUIA
xx Art Style: BOXLIFE
77 Art Style: CODE
xx Art Style: KUBOS
xx Art Style: NEMREM
82 Art Style: PiCTOBiTS
xx Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
70 Avalon Code
xx Big League Sports: Summer
71 Bird & Beans
60 Black Sigil
72 Boing! Docomodake DS
69 Brain Age Express: Math
xx Brave: Shaman's Challenge
78 Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars - Director's Cut
xx C.O.R.E.
xx Challenge Me: Brain Puzzles
44 Challenge Me: Maths Workout
xx Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics
69 Dark Spire, The
xx Dawn of Discovery
xx Desktop Tower Defense
60 Dokapon Journey
71 Don King Boxing
76 Dr. Mario Express
xx Emergency! Disaster Rescue Squad
75 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
66 Football Academy
xx G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
60 Gardening Mama
54 Ghostbusters: The Video Game
xx Giana Sisters DS
93 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
xx Grey's Anatomy
74 Guitar Hero On Tour - Modern Hits
xx Hannah Montana: The Movie
xx Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
xx Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming
82 Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
42 History Great Empires: Rome
xx Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
xx Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
xx Jagged Alliance
xx Jake Hunter Detective Story: Memories of the Past
xx Jake Power: Handyman
xx Jewel Quest Solitaire
xx Junior Classic Games
78 Knights in the Nightmare
77 Legendary Starfy, The
67 LEGO Battles
48 Lux-Pain
70 Magician's Quest: Mysterious Times
xx Mario Calculator
xx Mario Clock
85 Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
xx Master of Illusion Express: Deep Psyche
xx Master of Illusion Express: Funny Face
xx Master of Illusion Express: Shuffle Games
xx Mega Man Star Force 3: Black Ace
xx Mega Man Star Force 3: Red Joker
56 Miami Law
85 Mighty Flip Champs
xx Military History Commander: Europe at War
xx Mixed Messages
47 Monsters vs. Aliens
59 My Pet Shop
64 MySims Party
67 MySims Racing
50 Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Council 4
48 Naruto: Ninja Destiny II
xx Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
xx Nintendo DSi Browser
57 Overlord: Minions
51 Paper Airplane Chase
xx Pass Your Driving Theory Test
52 PDC World Championship Darts 2009
71 Personal Trainer: Walking
xx Photo Clock
82 Pokemon Platinum
xx Pop Superstar: Road to Celebrity
73 Puchi Puchi Virus
xx Puzzle City
67 Puzzle Kingdoms
75 Real Soccer 2009 (DSiWare)
83 Rhythm Heaven
xx Roogoo Attack
xx Science Papa
xx Scrabble
68 Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis
85 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
xx Shorts
xx Space Bust-A-Move
xx Space Camp
63 Steal Princess
xx Sudoku 50! For Beginners
xx Sudoku Master
76 Suikoden Tierkreis
74 Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier
57 Tokyo Beat Down
54 Touch Mechanic
xx Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Autobots
xx Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Decepticons
xx Treasure World
xx Up
74 Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume
53 WarioWare: Snapped!
xx World Championship Games: A Track & Field Event
55 X-Men Origins: Wolverine
73 Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Stardust Accelerator: World Championship Tournament 2009
75 Zubo

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends ds Game Reviews
Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends
Critic Score
Metascore: 70 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.5 out of 10
based on 39 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 7 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

In Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends, players use the stylus as the ultimate kitchen utensil in 150 different cooking mini-games across 80 new recipes that range from cultural delicacies like shark fin soup to the all-American apple pie. However, this time around players actually have hungry mouths to feed since nine finicky dinner friends will be tasting and judging each meal. A new Challenge Mode lets up to four friends compete in a wireless cook off with only one game card, while players can customize their kitchen - and even Mama! - in the fresh Decoration Mode. [Majesco]

PUBLISHER: Majesco Games
DEVELOPER: Office Create
GENRE(S): Cooking, Action
PLAYERS: 4
ESRB RATING: E (Everyone)
RELEASE DATE: November 13, 2007

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

82
Official Nintendo Magazine UK
While it's not a huge step up from last time, the added modes make it a more complete experience. [Mar 2008, p.72]
81
GamingTrend
Even if you haven't played the original, this title is worth a look unless you are completely adverse to minigames and/or bright colors and cute graphics.
Read Full Review
80
Worth Playing
Mama herself is a charming guide through the apparently one-room world of cooking, and each challenge she throws your way will have you poking and prodding until you're beside yourself with glee.
Read Full Review
80
AceGamez
Cooking Mama 2: Dinner With Friends is much like its predecessor - it is perfectly tuned for non-hardcore gamers and therefore frustrating to those used to evaluating games designed with that audience in mind.
Read Full Review
80
Gameplayer
A sugar rush of mini-game madness.
Read Full Review
78
Games Master UK
Simple and more-ish, Cooking Mama 2 serves up a universally playable challenge. [Apr 2008, p.66]
77
NGamer UK
An improvement on the first. [Feb 2008, p.63]
75
Game Chronicles
A great, fun, and family friendly game.
Read Full Review
75
1UP
Even with its quirks, I find it hard to put the game down -- it's so easy and fun to hop back in and whip up a couple quick, satisfying dishes. In its silly simplicity, Cooking Mama does what many can't: keep me heading back to the kitchen for one more snack.
Read Full Review
75
Electronic Gaming Monthly
In its silly simplicity, Cooking mama does what many can't: keep me heading back to the kitchen for one more snack. [Holiday 2007, p.86]
75
Gamers' Temple
Offering tons of variety and some nifty cooking controls, Mama is ready to challenge our stylus skills once again through her cooking mini games... and this time, she has brought along her friends to test us and see if her meal guidance is paying off.
Read Full Review
75
Destructoid
As much content was added, it still feels like beneath it all, it's more or less the same game: High quality, but eventually, you're going to get over it. I'd say it's a buy it or rent it title based on your love of the series itself.
Read Full Review
74
Digital Entertainment News
It’s the best game in the series so far, but it’s not really that greatly improved over the original, and it still seems like a missed opportunity to make something that really, well, cooks. It’ll be enjoyable for young food enthusiasts, but everyone else will probably want to wait until mama gets a bit more serious about cooking.
Read Full Review
74
Cheat Code Central
There aren't a lot of major changes to the original formula. At its core, it's essentially the same game only a bit better.
Read Full Review
72
My Gamer
Cooking Mama is not a bad game. In fact, it is perfectly suited for the DS as the mini games are fun, entertaining, and short.
Read Full Review
72
Game Almighty
When it comes right down to it this game is perfect for the newbies out there that have only heard of Cooking Mama and have wanted to try it out. But for those of you that invested time in the original game, it may be best to stay with that one, as this offers nothing new for you.
Read Full Review
72
AtomicGamer
Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends feels like a second helping of the first game, rather than a new dish, but that doesn’t make it any less tasty.
Read Full Review
71
GameTrailers
Cooking Mama 2 doesn’t really bring anything new to the dinner table, but that’s not really a bad thing. It just offers a heaping helping more of the gameplay fans of the original game fell in love with, and chances are, most will find that filling enough.
Read Full Review
70
NintendoWorldReport
A pretty likeable game. The presentation and gameplay are both simple and charming, and the budget price makes the shallow premise and minor faults completely forgivable.
Read Full Review
70
GameZone
This is a cute game with a certain odd charm and players will have fun. However, there’s not a whole lot of meat to the game, and is really only good for short gaming periods.
Read Full Review
70
GameSpy
The bad multiplayer choices compromise a game that's otherwise very enjoyable: Dinner with Friends is fresh and well-made, with responsive controls and lots to do, but when it comes to sharing it with friends it lacks even the basics of fun. The best thing is to play it alone, trying to unlock all the available items.
Read Full Review
70
IGN
Cooking Mama 2 is just as fun as the previous game. In fact, it pretty much is the previous game. The new stuff in Dinner with Friends is so arbitrary that they don't warrant the purchase for people that already whipped up meals a year ago.
Read Full Review
70
Nintendo Power
Lack of structure aside, Cooking Mama 2 is a tasty treat. [Holiday 2007, p.82]
70
GamePro
The game isn't perfect--the game still has trouble picking up your commands on the touchscreen at times and some tasks require numerous tries before you can even figure out what to do--but Cooking Mama 2 is a winner without a shadow of a doubt. Every gamer, from the hardcore to the casual, should put in some time with this one.
Read Full Review
70
Game Informer
This is worth a look for Cooking Mama noobs, but veterans might find it a little stale.
Read Full Review
70
Kombo
Cooking Mama: Dinner with Friends is not a bad game; it just doesn't expand on the franchise as much as a new sequel should.
Read Full Review
70
Armchair Empire
Overall, Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends is entirely inoffensive fun, even if it lacks in the challenge department.
Read Full Review
70
Pocket Gamer UK
More fried chicken than duck a l'orange in terms of sophistication, Cooking Mama 2 still manages to be a delicious distraction.
Read Full Review
70
GotNext
It's best to get Cooking Mama 2: Dinner With Friends for a younger relative, and then borrow it when they aren't looking.
Read Full Review
70
Maxi Consolas (Portugal)
In the line of WarioWare Touched!, here is another good casual game for DS. It’s funny and quite intuitive, especially in the competitive mode, but it’s also repetitive and sometimes frustrating. [Sept 2008]
67
Console Gameworld
If you’re a die-hard Cooking Mama fan, or are looking for a DS game for your 7-year-old daughter/niece who likes cooking, then I would heartily recommend Cooking Mama 2. Anyone else though would be better advised to save your thirty bucks for one of the many other good games that have come out in November.
Read Full Review
60
GameSpot
Dinner With Friends tastes like reheated leftovers.
Read Full Review
60
Games Radar (in-house)
In small doses, Cooking Mama 2 is perfect for players of all ages. The improvements over the first game in the series don't lead to a significantly enhanced experience, but they ensure that it's a solid package.
Read Full Review
60
GameDaily
All of what made the original great is still here, with lots of new recipes and new additions like a multiplayer mode, but it's really just the same game reheated.
Read Full Review
60
Eurogamer
It's simple, but has noodles of charm.
Read Full Review
60
PALGN
It's not without charm, and the obsessive might get some joy from unlocking everything within the game, but the fundamentally shallow gameplay will, sooner rather than later, reduce Cooking Mama 2 to a chore.
Read Full Review
59
n-Revolution Magazine UK
The perfect treat for players who are content with light snacks. [Issue#21, p.86]
58
GameShark
Those happy with the original and just looking for new recipes will find plenty to do here and may enjoy the challenge of cooking without Mama to help out. Those that weren’t impressed with Mama’s first outing won’t find anything here to change their mind.
Read Full Review
40
Modojo
But as a return player, it barely added anything of significance to improve gameplay and the multiplayer they added actually worsened the overall value.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 7.5 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Tata A. gave it a10:
Lots of fun. At first you won't believe you are addicted to this little pathetic game, and then you fall head first into it and can't stop.

Andrella L. gave it a9:
I gave it a nine because A. It. Is. SO FUNNY! B. It's a great time-passer C. Not a 10 because it isn't Animal Crossing: Wild World. Still, play Cooking Mama 2, and you wil LOVE it!

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
Excellent successor to the first game and is really fun.

Sarah P. gave it a0:
It is kinda fun but after 5 minutes it becomes BORING!

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: iPhone 3G | Fantasy Football | Moneywatch | Antivirus Software | Recipes | E3 2009

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use