Serve It Up, Interactive Style: Video Gaming for Foodies

In the early 1980’s arcade games were in full force and, believe it or not, games related to food were the hottest items on the menu. The game that started it all may not have seemed like a food game, but after taking a closer look, it is easy to see that Pac-Man was a hungry little guy. The chomping Pac-Man would run around trying to eat everything in site: ghosts, pellets and fruit. This may not be something that seems too appetizing, but still food related. Not long after Pac-Man, came the arcade game Burgertime, creating burgers with tiny creepy walking pickles and fried eggs. Burgertime may not necessarily be the most exciting and complex of video games but it was fun nonetheless. Fast forward to 2003 and Diner Dash, where the object of the game is to wait on tables, from PC satisfies the hunger for food video games that were neglected for the most part through the 1990’s. Still, nothing specifically about the process of cooking was created, until 2006 when Nintendo released a game for its DS system called Cooking Mama. With Cooking Mama, chopping, stirring, boiling and sautéing are simulated thanks to the touch screen of the DS. Yet even with the Nintendo DS there were still ingredients missing, but thanks to Nintendo another game system that has gone above and beyond was released on the market in 2006. Enter the Nintendo Wii, a system that enables the player to physically play a game by simulating movements in order to accomplish tasks. After speaking to former food critic and professional chef, Marsha Carden, I was led to question whether or not these games might be missing the most important ingredient, by which I mean taste.

Food Entertainment has become more of a need than a supplement in a number of lives across the country. People are taking pride in cooking and making the right choices when choosing foods for daily meals. According to Nielsen statistics, The Next Food Network Star was in the top ten most viewed programs in July 2008. What does this say about the market? They are hungry for something besides typical dramas or comedies when it comes to television programming. It seems to be the same for the video game market as well. Nintendo has been working diligently to get new food games to the public and so far they are succeeding. Besides the Cooking Mama series Nintendo has released Order Up, a game about buying a diner and winning the title of a competition that will put the it on the map. This seems to be what gamers are calling “charming and fun” but lack the components of a two or more player competition many find to be necessary. Another interesting addition to the cooking video game market is Nintendo’s Cooking Guide: Can’t Decide What To Eat? This is more of an instructional interactive cookbook that gives you the ability to search from about two hundred recipes through different search techniques such as by time, main ingredient and difficulty.

In October 2008, Nintendo along with Black Lantern Studios will be releasing the video game version of the highly rated television show, Iron Chef America, to be called Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine. This game will feature real voices and movements from Masaharu Morimoto, Cat Cora, Mario Batali, Alton Brown and the Chairman (Mark Dacasco). Not only will players be able to compete with the Iron Chefs, they will also be able to play as an Iron Chef, which is something many foodies dream of while they are sitting at work. From the screenshots shown on the Iron Chef America game site, it looks as though the player will be able to perform many cooking techniques that are very necessary in the preparation of food in Iron Chef America’s Kitchen Stadium. Not only are the choices in foods and secret ingredients going to impress the player but the graphics are phenomenal. As far as cooking video games go, it looks as though Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine is going to “reign supreme.”


The introduction of interactive cooking is revolutionary in the video game market. People of all ages who wish to cook are now able to get in a virtual kitchen without the worry of handling real kitchen utensils and equipment. Virtual cooking games are a way of reaching a whole new generation by creating an appreciation that may have been overlooked in the past. Culinary gaming is definitely a step forward in the world of cooking. When preparing a meal, the cook’s main concern usually is not whether they have the proper chop or the most creative plating technique but rather if their guests will like what they are eating or not. Obviously taste and smell are still the two senses that the video game designers have not been able to incorporate into games. Even without these two key ingredients, the majority of the reviews are still positive. Reviews, however, come from amateur cooks or gamers who simply enjoy the novelty. A certified chef might argue that without the two key ingredients of taste and smell, these games are an incomplete reflection of the true art of cooking.

Although cooking style games are spicing up the video game market this is still a relatively new technology, so this means there aren’t yet a lot of documented opinions. My thought is that while the general public will most likely adore the games, foodies, chefs and food connoisseurs will be left with a bad taste in their mouths. Coming from the perspective of a foodie, I tend to agree with the chefs and food connoisseurs. The best part of cooking is the taste and the smell of the food. However, I do see how this is a great step forward for the gaming community and will hopefully inspire a new generation of cooks and chefs.