MasterChef: Let's Cook!

This is a fun -- an sometimes frantic -- cooking simulation that gets it mostly right. While not an original concept, MasterChef: Let's Cook! manages to make all the minigames that go into making a meal fun, as you must go through each step in the correct order to whip up your meal. Rolling the dough for pizza precedes spreading the sauce around (and hopefully making it even across the pie, before laying down veggies, meat and cheese, and such. And don't under- or over-cook the 'za, or else the judges will dock some marks for you. But speed does play a big role in this game, so the key is to try and not sacrifice quality (cooking or presentation) for timing. While it's a multiplayer game, it's not clear if you're playing at the same time or if your opponents have also cooked this exact recipe before and you're judged against their data when you're done. Regardless, the competitions are fun, fast-paced, and it's a good idea to award XP points to progress, unlock new utensils, recipes and outfits (including a zany carrot-themed apron), and move onto new challenges, collect trophies, and more.

There are a couple of issues, though, besides a game formula that has been done before. One is there isn't a tutorial, which is fine for some of the basic tasks, like being instructed to cut tomatoes by following the dotted lines, but the instructions (or lack thereof) make other tasks, like baking, a challenge. It will take some trial and error, and will likely cost you some stars until you figure it out (instead of a mandatory tutorial to teach you before you compete). Also, while there are many different competitions to take part in, you'll frequently get the same recipe request, which can become very boring to play though repeatedly. At least there are daily and weekly challenges and seasonal events, too. Overall, though, MasterChef: Let's Cook! is still a fun, casual cooking simulation that combines meal making with a TV show competition.