Cooking Mama

Okay, so one simulation that I did not have great luck with is called "Cooking Mama" for Wii. I like silly games better than any sort of sports or (sorry Dr. Miller) comic-related game. So I begged my husband to rent "Cooking Mama." I agreed to let him choose a "manly" game while I indulged in a guilty pleasure, silly game. Well, it was pretty disappointing. The game took you through the processes of cooking recipes. The Wii remote became whatever tool you needed from a spoon to stir to a potato peeler and so on. The recipes took the player through each step to prepare, fix and serve the food. The food covered a plethora of cultures and styles. I felt like the game was packed with some great ideas for a simulation. (Cooking is a great life skill for my students with special needs). However, it just wasn't executed well. The narrator was annoying, the graphics were not impressive and the dexterity required with the Wii remote became frustrating (required ridiculous accuracy). It was frustrating and annoying. Someone needs to take this game/simulation and develop it. I think the creators are on to something but fell a little short. Do we learn how to create games in this class? (haha! I wish!)