What's Cooking with Jamie Oliver for Nintendo DS may seem like a promising and entertaining cooking game at first glance, but unfortunately, it falls short in several areas. Developed by Keen Games and published by Atari, this title attempts to bring the world of cooking to your handheld console. However, with a rating of just 2.5/10, it's clear that this game doesn't live up to its potential.
One of the game's key features is the inclusion of a whole book's worth of Jamie Oliver's recipes, accompanied by the beautiful photography of David Loftus. This aspect gives a nostalgic feel, reminiscent of classic cooking books that many of us grew up with. The inclusion of these recipes is a nice touch and offers players the opportunity to try their hand at cooking in both virtual kitchens and with real ingredients at home.
However, despite this promising premise, the execution of What's Cooking with Jamie Oliver leaves much to be desired. One of the game's touted features is its voice-recognition capability, which is meant to allow players to focus on cooking while their hands are free. Unfortunately, this feature is plagued with numerous issues, making it frustrating to use. The game often fails to recognize commands correctly, leading to moments of confusion and annoyance.
Furthermore, the gameplay itself lacks depth and variety. Tasks such as chopping, stirring, and seasoning become repetitive and monotonous after a short while. The game fails to engage players and keep them entertained for extended periods. Additionally, the graphics and overall presentation feel lackluster, failing to capture the vibrant and immersive experience that one would expect from a cooking game.
In terms of controls, What's Cooking with Jamie Oliver suffers from imprecise and clunky input. The DS's touch screen interface, which should have been a natural fit for a cooking game, feels sluggish and unresponsive. This further detracts from the overall enjoyment and immersion of the gameplay experience.
While What's Cooking with Jamie Oliver attempts to tap into the nostalgic excitement of classic cooking games, it ultimately falls short in delivering an enjoyable gaming experience. Despite its inclusion of Jamie Oliver's recipes and beautiful photography, the game's flaws in areas such as voice recognition, gameplay depth, graphics, and controls overshadow any potential positives. As a result, it's difficult to recommend this game to retro gaming enthusiasts looking for a genuinely engaging and nostalgic experience.
