Item: Cooking Mama: Cuisine!
Rating: 78
Author: Dinsun

Our Site Score

78/100

Cooking Mama: Cuisine! is a wonderful hit of nostalgia for anyone who grew up playing the series on the Nintendo DS. The tactile nature of swiping to chop onions or vigorously rubbing the screen to grate cheese translates perfectly to modern smartphones. The visuals are bright, the food looks delicious, and Mama is as encouraging as ever. The new mechanic of selecting ingredients to 'discover' a recipe is a fun twist that adds a bit of mystery to the daily gameplay loop.

However, the game's greatest strength—its approachability—is also its main weakness. The mini-games are incredibly simple, and because there is no real penalty for failing a step, older players might find the experience lacking in challenge. You can practically mash the screen and still end up with a beautifully cooked meal. It’s definitely designed more as a relaxing, stress-free toy than a demanding arcade game.

My only major gripe is the content pacing. The ingredients rotate daily, which means you can hit a wall where you've cooked everything available for the day within 15 minutes. It leaves you wanting more. Despite the occasional drought of new recipes, it's a delightful, charming app that perfectly captures the spirit of the franchise.

Reviewed on: Fri Feb 09 2024

Dinsun Review

I remember when Cooking Mama was the peak of casual gaming on the DS. This Arcade version, Cuisine!, tries to modernize things with an ingredient-combination system, but it feels like it’s lost its way. The mini-games are as simple as ever—maybe too simple. I found myself going through the motions, flicking my screen and tapping icons without any real sense of accomplishment. It’s 'fun' in a mindless sort of way, but for a 40-year-old gamer, it’s a bit too juvenile.

The daily limit on recipes is a baffling design choice for an Arcade game. Why restrict my play when I’m already paying for the service? It feels like a holdover from a free-to-play model that they forgot to remove. The graphics are clean and Mama is as cheerful (and slightly terrifying) as ever, but the gameplay loop doesn't have the legs to keep me coming back for more than a few days. It’s fine for kids, but seasoned gamers will find it half-baked.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Charming, high-quality production
Interesting new recipe discovery mechanic
Perfectly tuned for touch controls

Gameplay is repetitive and overly simplistic
Arbitrary daily recipe limits
Mama's hints can be incredibly annoying

Technical Report

Performance: No technical issues; very polished experience.

Accessibility:

Large UI buttons
Visual feedback for all actions

Audience Fit

Buy if: You have young children or a deep nostalgia for the DS originals.

Skip if: You want a challenging simulation or hate repetitive mini-games.

Similar Games:

Star Chef
Cooking City

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun, 40, Hardcore Conservative Gamer
Hardware: iPad Pro (M2)
Playtime: 8 hours
Status: Mastered 20 recipes

Cooking Mama: Cuisine! brings the beloved cooking franchise to Apple Arcade with a fresh twist. Instead of selecting from a strict recipe list, players choose ingredients and cooking tools, and Mama helps combine them to discover what dish will be made. The game is packed with fast-paced, intuitive mini-games that simulate the actions of slicing, dicing, flipping, and garnishing. Designed to be relaxing and accessible for all ages, the game features colorful graphics, satisfying sound effects, and a stress-free environment where cooking fails simply lead to a fun 'Mama will fix it!' moment.