Cooking Mama: Cookstar
{{Short description|2020 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Cooking Mama: Cookstar
| image = Cooking Mama Cookstar cover art.jpg
| caption =
| developer = 1st Playable Productions
| publisher = Planet Entertainment (first North American release)
Ravenscourt (European, Australian, and second North American releases)
| series = Cooking Mama
| director =
| composer = Sara Sakurai
Satoshi Okubo
Masayoshi Ishi
| engine = Unity
| released = Nintendo Switch{{vgrelease|AU|March 30, 2020{{cite web|url=https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/nintendo-switch-cooking-mama-cookstar|title=Cooking Mama: Cookstar | JB Hi-Fi|publisher=JB Hi-Fi|accessdate=2021-07-23}}|NA|March 31, 2020{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Alex|url=https://www.androidcentral.com/where-buy-elusive-new-cooking-mama-cookstar-game-nintendo-switch|title=Where to buy the elusive new Cooking Mama: Cookstar game for Nintendo Switch|publisher=Android Central|date=2020-04-13|accessdate=2020-04-28}}|EU|April 28, 2020{{cite web|author=NinFan|url=https://www.igamesnews.com/nintendo/cooking-mama-cookstar-could-have-been-delayed-until-april-igamesnews/|title=Cooking Mama: Cookstar could have been delayed until April|publisher=iGamesNewsl|date=2020-02-24|accessdate=2020-04-28}}{{cite web|url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/switch/284107-cooking-mama-cookstar/data/|title=Cooking Mama: Cookstar – Release Details|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2020-04-29}}}} PlayStation 4 {{vgrelease|NA|March 25, 2021|AU|July 23, 2021{{cite web|author=EB Games Australia [@EBGamesAus]|url=https://twitter.com/EBGamesAus/status/1418418634364444672|title=Get ready to cook up a storm, Cooking Mama: Cookstar is OUT NOW on PlayStation 4!|via=Twitter|date=2021-07-23|accessdate=2021-07-23}}}}
| genre = Simulation, minigame
| modes = Single-player only
| platforms = Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
}}
Cooking Mama: Cookstar is a cookery simulation-styled minigame compilation video game, and the unofficial sixth installment in the Cooking Mama series of video games. The game was the first entry in the Cooking Mama series since Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appétit! (2014), and the first Cooking Mama game to release on a home console since Cooking Mama: World Kitchen (2008) or Babysitting Mama (2010).
The game was briefly released before its official release date on the Nintendo Switch eShop on March 26, 2020,{{cite web|author=rawmeatcowboy|url=https://gonintendo.com/stories/357960-cooking-mama-cookstar-was-available-to-download-for-a-short-time|title=Cooking Mama: Cookstar was available to download for a short time today, but has since mysteriously vanished|website=GoNintendo|date=2020-03-26|accessdate=2020-04-29}} but was taken down just a few hours later due to legal issues between the publisher, Planet Entertainment, and the owner of the Cooking Mama intellectual property (IP), Office Create. Office Create publicly issued a statement condemning the breach of contract on April 15, 2020. The game was eventually re-released by the publisher Ravenscourt in March 2021, who also published it in Europe and Australia in 2020. Cooking Mama: Cookstar is no longer available for purchase as of November 2022, when the International Court of Arbitration ruled that Office Create's IP rights had been infringed by the game and granted their request to have it removed from sale.{{Cite web |first=Justin |last=Carter |date=2022-11-17 |title=Arbitration ruling declares Cooking Mama: Cookstar must be delisted |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-cooking-mama-cookstar-i-to-be-delisted-following-court-ruling |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=Game Developer |language=en}} After its removal, it was revamped into another game called Yum Yum Cookstar.
Gameplay
Cooking Mama: Cookstar plays similarly to previous entries in the series. New in Cookstar is the ability to share photos of completed recipes on social media.
Development
Cookstar was initially revealed as Cooking Mama: Coming Home to Mama in August 2019, with an estimated release date for Q3 of that year. Its publisher claimed that it was the first implementation of blockchain technology on a major video game console, using the technology to implement a form of digital rights management; however, the details of this proposal were never expanded upon publicly, and blockchain support is not present in the final game in any form.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cooking-mama-cookstar-brings-both-vegetarian-meals/1100-6469011/|title=Cooking Mama: Cookstar Brings Both Vegetarian Meals And Blockchain Technology To Nintendo Switch|last=O'Connor|first=James|date=11 Aug 2019|website=GameSpot|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812053143/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cooking-mama-cookstar-brings-both-vegetarian-meals/1100-6469011/ |archive-date=August 12, 2019 |access-date=17 Apr 2020}} The game was developed by American{{cite web |url=http://www.1stplayable.com/contact-us/ |title=Contact Us|accessdate=April 11, 2020 |website=1st Playable}} studio 1st Playable Productions, but the company later removed all mentions of the game from its website.{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-cooking-mama-game-for-switch-that-came-out-and-then-disappeared |title=The Cooking Mama Game for Switch That Came Out, and Then Disappeared |last=Skrebels |first=Joe |date=3 Apr 2020 |accessdate=5 Apr 2020 |website=IGN}}
Release
Cookstar ostensibly released on March 31, 2020. The game was briefly made available on the Nintendo Switch eShop, but pulled shortly after its release.{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/04/cooking_mamas_new_game_has_been_pulled_from_the_switch_eshop_and_nobody_knows_why |title=Cooking Mama's New Game Has Been Pulled From The Switch eShop And Nobody Knows Why |last=Doolan |first=Liam |date=4 Apr 2020 |accessdate=5 Apr 2020 |website=Nintendo Life}} Additionally, an announced PlayStation 4 version was not released at the time despite being listed on several storefronts. IP rights holder Office Create later stated that Planet Entertainment was not authorized to release Cooking Mama games on the platform.{{Cite web |first=Chris |last=Kerr |date=2020-04-15 |title=Cooking Mama license holder threatens legal action against |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-cooking-mama-i-license-holder-threatens-legal-action-against-i-cookstar-i-publisher |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=Game Developer |language=en}}
Unconfirmed rumors that the game acted as a cryptocurrency miner emerged shortly after its release.{{Cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/cooking-mama-cookstar-eshop-nintendo-crypto-currency-rumors/ |title=Cooking Mama Cookstar Rumored To Mine Cryptocurrency, Pulled From eShop |last=Teuton |first=Christopher |date=April 5, 2020 |website=Screen Rant |access-date=April 5, 2020}} 1st Playable responded that the implementation of blockchain technology was only "hypothetical" and explained that the game's removal from Nintendo eShop was due to an ongoing legal dispute between the publisher Planet Entertainment and IP rights holder Office Create.{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/04/cooking_mama_cookstar_cryptocurrency_saga_takes_yet_another_turn_as_publisher_blames_coronavirus|title=Cooking Mama: Cookstar Cryptocurrency Saga Takes Yet Another Turn As Publisher Blames Coronavirus|first=Liam|last=Doolan|website=Nintendo Life|date=April 4, 2020|accessdate=April 8, 2020}} Office Create stated it has started taking legal action against Planet as Office Create had terminated their license to use Cooking Mama on March 30, 2020, after which Planet had started selling the game.{{cite web | url = https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cooking-mama-owners-is-pursuing-legal-action-again/1100-6476054/ | title = Cooking Mama Owners Is Pursuing Legal Action Against Cookstar Developer | first= James | last = O'Conner | date = April 14, 2020 | accessdate = April 14, 2020 | work = GameSpot }}
The game received a full North American release in 2021 on both Switch and PS4 platforms. In November 2022, Office Create announced that they had won their legal battle against Planet, and that the game would be removed from sale.
After the lawsuit, 1st Playable Productions and Planet Entertainment would release a spinoff title Yum Yum Cookstar (stylized as {{proper name|yum yum cookstar}}) for the Xbox One and Xbox Series S and X consoles on September 21, 2022, the Switch on October 4, 2022,{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/yum-yum-cookstar-switch/|title=Yum Yum Cookstar|website=Nintendo eShop|access-date=8 August 2023}} Steam on November 11, 2022{{cite web|url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1827430/Yum_Yum_Cookstar/|title=Yum Yum Cookstar|website=Steam|access-date=8 August 2023}} (with most of the development for the Xbox and Steam versions by Ravenscourt{{cite web|url=https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/yum-yum-cookstar/9p6tf3ngrs3s|title=Yum Yum Cookstar|website=Microsoft Store|access-date=8 August 2023}}), and the PS4 on November 26, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10004043|title=Yum Yum Cookstar|website=PSN Store|access-date= 8 August 2023}} The game plays very similarly to the original Cookstar with the main differences being a different cast of characters being the female lead along with a roster of judges, a change in overall art style, and voice acting and some of the dialog written by staff from National Lampoon with sound and music produced by Nile Rodgers.{{cite web|url=https://www.gonintendo.com/contents/9126-cooking-mama-creators-are-bringing-yum-yum-cookstar-to-switch-on-oct-4th-2022|title=Cooking Mama creators are bringing 'Yum Yum Cookstar' to Switch on Oct. 4th, 2022|website=gonintendo|date=September 9, 2022 |access-date=8 August 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://yumyumcookstar.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308191454/https://yumyumcookstar.com/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2023-03-08|title=Yum Yum Cookstar - via the Wayback Machine|website=yumyumcookstar.com|access-date=8 August 2023}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
|NLife = 3/10{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/cooking_mama_cookstar|title=Cooking Mama: Cookstar Review|last=Vogel|first=Mitch|work=Nintendo Life|date=April 9, 2020|accessdate=April 21, 2020}}
}}
The Nintendo Switch version of Cooking Mama: Cookstar received "generally unfavorable" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.
Travis Northup of IGN gave the game 3 out of 10, praising the detailed recipes featured in the game, but criticizing the monotonous gameplay, poor motion controls, "nightmarish" voice acting, and lack of meaningful progression. He also noted that the game does not offer anything new compared to past entries, which combined with the flaws, make Cookstar a "tedious game that does almost nothing well."
Conversely, TheGamer's Bella Blondeau gave Cookstar a 4 out of 5. She praised the game's variety and amount of content, as well as the "nuance" to mastering the mechanics. In addition, she praised the game's photo mode and Yoko Nishino's "charming" performance as Mama, stating that the character felt "like a tangible, adorable dork of a mother."{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegamer.com/cooking-mama-cookstar-review/|title=Cooking Mama: Cookstar Review: Millennial Mama|last=Blondeau|first=Bella|date=2020-04-15|website=TheGamer|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427231334/https://www.thegamer.com/cooking-mama-cookstar-review/ |archive-date=April 27, 2020 |access-date=2020-04-15}}
PETA, the American animal rights organization, praised the game for including a vegetarian mode.{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/08/random_cooking_mama_cookstar_receives_award_from_peta_for_including_vegetarian_mode |title=Random: Cooking Mama: Cookstar Receives Award From PETA For Including Vegetarian Mode |last=Doolan |first=Liam |date=23 Aug 2019 |accessdate=5 Apr 2020 |website=Nintendo Life}}
{{clear}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Cooking Mama series}}
Category:1st Playable Productions games
Category:Nintendo Switch games
Category:Single-player video games