CES 2007: Cooking Mama on Wii

via ign

Majesco is cooking up a Wii version of Cooking Mama, which was released on the DS last September. But Cook Off isn't just a port of the handheld game -- there are new foods, new modes, and multiplayer, all wrapped around the crunchy center of the Wiimote.

The single-player mode lets you practice recipes under the watchful eye of Mama, who now has a super cute Japanese girl voice. You'll use the Wiimote in a variety of ways to prepare your meals -- point it down and stir like a spoon, hold it horizontally and push forward and back like a rolling pin, or use it like a knife to slice and dice. Each meal is divided into steps, and you'll get a quick tutorial on how to use the controller before you jump into each section. Preparing lasagna essentially becomes a series of minigames.

Once you feel confident with your cooking skills, you can move onto the Challenge mode. Here you're on your own, and you'll have to beat the clock and prepare meals as fast as possible. As you play you'll unlock more recipes. In all there are 300 foods and 55 recipes, including desserts.

Then there is the Friends and Food of the World mode, where you can challenge computer-controlled friends from foreign lands on their local cuisine. You'll receive a gift just for playing, and if you win you'll get an even better prize.

Cooking Mama: Cook Off has a multiplayer mode for two players. Choose a recipe for your battlefield, then see who can complete each step in the recipe the fastest. Anything you've unlocked in the single-player game can be used in multiplayer.

The DS game had a heavy focus on Japanese cuisine, but Cook Off has a well-rounded diet. All the ethnic food groups are represented: Italian, Mexican, American, Chinese, Spanish, and more. The food is photorealistic now, as well. One of the most interesting aspects of the game is that you'll actually learn how some exotic foods are prepared. When making a dish that calls for squid, you'll have to cut the squid's head off, peel its skin back, pull the rubbery meat from the inside -- and if you mess up you'll get ink everywhere. You'll have to clean and gut your fish, too. It's all rather gruesome, actually, compared to the cartoony look of the rest of the game.

Cooking Mama: Cook Off will be served in April for $49.99. We're looking forward to spending some more quality time with our Mama.