A Wii bit of Cooking

I love video games and all, but I don't see myself spending time virtual cooking. There's a new game for the Nintendo Wii, "Cooking Mama: Cook Off" that allows a player to cook virtually rather than in their own kitchen. It's a Wii spin-up off of the celebrate (Who knew?) DS title, "Cooking Mama."

At first glance, I thought, "How nice, it's obviously to teach girls about their proper roles in the kitchen." But, the Nintendo news letter isn't pushing it that way (Yes, I get the Nintendo newsletter):

Women love a man who can cook. Even if you're not a wiz[sic] in the kitchen, you can whip up a virtual feast using the Wii Remote in Cooking Mama: Cook Off.

Damn, the more I research this, the more I'm interested in trying the game. If a virtual emergency surgery game can be cool, why not a cooking game? I didn't think the DS system would go anywhere either. What do I know?

Here are some action shots I found at IGN.

You get to practice basic techniques:


And if you do a good job: