A smorgasbord of cuisine-based games is just hitting stores. They let you slice and dice like a pro — with no cleanup afterward — and include celebrity chefs as well as the latest in a line of popular Cooking Mama games.
"I wish I could make all these things," says Gui Karyo of Majesco, which publishes Cooking Mama and Cake Mania games. "I love seeing what goes into making these foods, and I love to see myself as a cook."
Cooking games, which range from those that have you chop against the clock to others that show you how to prepare specific recipes, are still an hors d'oeuvre compared with main courses such as action, sports and shooting games.
But sales have risen from about $5 million in 2006, when Majesco served up the first Cooking Mama, to $40 million last year, says Jeremy Miller of DFC Intelligence. "It is growing considerably, (and) December should be its biggest month in 2008 despite the downturn."
The game is "basically about being fast. That relates to the reality of cooking, so that is not a bad thing," Oliver says. "But you also can put (the DS) in your pocket and have your own shopping list. It's like publishing a book digitally."
Other recent additions to the cooking game menu:
•Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine (Destineer, $40 for Nintendo Wii, $30 for Nintendo DS). You can challenge Mario Batali, Cat Cora and other Iron Chefs in Kitchen Stadium.
• Personal Trainer Cooking (Nintendo, $20 for Nintendo DS). Not really a game, but a cooking coach with more than 240 dishes from around the world. Also creates a shopping list.