Games for Moms: Cooking Mama!

What better way to de-stress than to slide, slide, slide and tap, tap, tap furiously on your touchscreen to peel and chop potatoes?  Dexterity and speed aren't all that matters, though!  Good timing is also required to create that perfect bowl of stew.

Cooking Mama is a cooking simulation game that helps you make savory (albeit, purely digital) dishes through the directions of "Mama".  Each dish is typically created through a series of minigames encompassing the preparation, cooking, and presentation stages of a meal. 

While utterly simple and somewhat repetative, the mouth-watering, cutesy, anime-like images of  food flittering across the screen manages to keep you engrossed.  Well, at least long enough to go through most of the meals and variations available! 

I do have it on good authority - from friends who know how to cook - that the process (from the ingredients to the timing) can be more than a little unrealistic.  But hey, to someone like me who burns something as mundane as hotdogs, this game is a gem that puts me at the level of an actual chef - of 2D meals, that is! :)

Games for Moms: Ace Attorney, NDS

OBJECTION!!! 

Experience courtroom drama with this zany, addictive series from CAPCOM as you follow the adventures of Phoenix Wright, Defense Attorney.

Have you ever gone through a particularly mind numbing, level grinding, button pushing RPG and wished for a similar game with an awesome story and less action?  Perhaps one that would still allow you to explore different territories, talk to people, and make decisions in order to unfold a tale; much like thumbing through pages of a book? 

The Ace Attorney series will give you exactly that - a point-and-click adventure where you search for clues and eventually defend your client in court.  Each clue and court session will unfold the story behind the mysterious case, often leading to a surprise, dramatic conclusion. 

Each game has around 5 cases, giving you 5 full, entertaining adventures per purchase.  There will be at least 1 case revolving around the personal life and history of one of the main characters, giving each one more depth and increasing their likeability factor.  A wacky cast of recurring, supporting characters (or should I say - as I lovingly reminisce about the likes of "Windy Old Bag" and "Larry Butz" - creatures?) add to the mix, creating a world that you will come to know and love.  It is for this reason I didn't take to Apollo Justice as I did the first 3 Phoenix Wright games in the series.  I missed the interaction and familiarity with the original cast; something akin to the reluctance of letting go of a terribly worn, but undeniably comfortable, old shoe.

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is a spin-off featuring one of the main prosecutors in the Phoenix Wright series.  This game enables you to take on a role from the other side of the courtroom.  The gameplay is relatively the same as in Phoenix Wright, with investigation and rebuttal phases that give you game time in the crime scenes and courtroom, respectively.  The key difference is that you can now control the character's movement as you search for evidence.  The game has enough cameos and recurring characters from the original to appease die-hard fans, but really, a whole new game starring Miles Edgeworth?  It's a no-brainer given his large fanbase!

Haven't had enough of our lovable defense attorney and his best friend (?), the prosecutor?  Nab a copy of their manga at the local comic bookstore (also available at Fully Booked) for their further, wackier adventures!

Games for Moms: PSP and DS

NES, SNES, 3DO, Sega Saturn, Neo Geo, Playstation 1, Playstation 2 - consoles I've known, loved, and tucked away in favor of handheld DS and PSP as soon as my little bundle of joy came out.  Spending hours in front of the TV just won't cut it anymore!  Thankfully, modern technology has evolved the simple Game & Watch into more sophisticated machines with more memory, better graphics, and less accessories (anyone else remember the bulky magnifying glass you can hook up to your Gameboy to create a bigger screen?) such that I can still enjoy my gaming experience without ignoring my child.

With the advent of handheld devices such as PSP and DS, I can still explore and conquer 3D worlds!  And when my baby starts to holler - a menu here, a click there, and my journey is saved, ready to be resumed at the next nap time!  PSP gains extra points for me for being able to remember where you left off even after you power down.  This is something I take for granted when I pick up a DS.  I sometimes turn it off thinking I'm holding my PSP - a true disaster after an hour of level grinding.

As a multitasking mom, I tend to look for "casual" games that are simple and straightforward, but unique and entertaining nonetheless.  DS games often top the list in this category, simply because developers tend to inject more creative aspects to the games to make up for lower graphics and memory.  Controls such as a touchscreen and a microphone leave plenty of room for innovative, ground breaking game concepts (Scribblenauts, anyone?).  Still, PSP should not be dismissed - for where else can we enjoy our classic RPGs with graphics that are at least at par with PS2 games?  Games like Patapon prove that you don't need to deviate from standard control buttons to develop something new and fresh.

This series of blogs will tackle my favorite handheld games and is dedicated to all gamer moms who have had the audacity to face the curious toddler who innocently picked up the bubblegum pink PSP and say,

"Sweetie, this is not a toy!"