Out of all the profound loves of my life, there will always be a special place in my little heart for two: video games and cooking.

As for the latter, when I am not flailing a Wiimote, I am flipping veggies, grilling a steak or even throwing together a quick curry. However, the downside to my love of cooking, of course, is the cleanup. Fortunately for me, the heathen gods of gaming have answered my prayers and presented to the world the second installment of "Cooking Mama," moving the sequel from Nintendo DS to the Wii. In this zany title, Iron Chef meets anime, creating a game that is hilariously entertaining without the unfortunate smell of burnt concoctions emanating from your kitchen if you mess up.

In reality, there is no storyline to "Cooking Mama: Cook Off," just a basic premise. You start out with a recipe book containing a slew of complicated dishes to make from countries all across the globe. For instance, you can make German truffles, sushi from Japan or even a cheeseburger from the good old USA.

Variety in the types of foods keeps the game feeling fresh. There are 55 different dishes and desserts to try your hand at, and more than 200 ingredients, so each different level feels new even though the process is the same.

Each recipe is broken down into various steps such as finely chopping or peeling vegetables, rolling out dough or separating the yolk from the white of an egg. Tasks are timed, and you are scored according to speed and quality of work.

Many of the steps are fairly simple, like chopping, since it only requires a quick flick of the wrist or tracing a line. However, others like cracking eggs or separating the yolk are just frustrating. Movements have to be so precise that it is really too easy to make a mistake, even for experienced players. Aside from these few subversive elements, the controls are easy enough to pick up, and practice makes perfect.

Don't be fooled by the cartoon graphics and somewhat redundant gameplay; "Cooking Mama" is a challenge. I cannot count how many times I have wanted to strangle dear Mama for going on tirades as a result of me stirring too hard, dumping all my rice down the drain or smashing an egg.

As for the character from which "Cooking Mama" gets its name, Mama is a force to be reckoned with. She is the voice behind the scenes that will either encourage your successes or lambaste your failures. Completing part of the task well results in praises such as "Great!" or "Wonderful! Better than Mama!" Yet when you fail, they quickly change to "Oh! Not mine…" or "I will help you…."

The worst part of failing is seeing the animated representation of Mama become enraged. I have, on occasion, failed so terribly that when she appears on screen, her eyes appear as flames, and she scowls ominously. On the upside, Mama speaks with a Japanese accent that is adorable.

Besides the one-player campaign, players now have the ability to do battle with other computer players or friends. Artificial foes don't have real names but are instead called your "[Insert Country Name] friend." I suppose it is appropriate since they are basically robots and more than a little impersonal.

The friends actually speak their native language and will shout out joyous or angry sentiments. For instance, the Japanese friend's greeting is "Asobi ni itte yo!" (Come play!), and during battle, if she makes a mistake or you best her, she says "dame na … " (Not good … ). Sadly, I don't speak Russian, but hell, the Russian character still sounds cool.

After completing a battle with one out of the myriad of foreign friends, he will drop off a gift in the kitchen that you can view as a sort of trophy. It is minor and pretty meaningless. I wish they had incorporated secret recipes or something else that would contribute to replay value.

Playing with friends is entertaining. Even those who can't cook in a real kitchen find it pretty easy to pick up and show their more adept friends whose cuisine reigns supreme. Personally, I love mini-game-style games since they don't require a lot of time to be invested into them, giving everyone a chance to play.

Visually, "Cooking Mama" is far from realistic, but the simplicity only adds to its charm. The brightly colored cartoon kitchen is straight out of "Hello Kitty" with its pink wallpaper, and even the knives look like toys. Clearly, this title is designed more for fun than realism. The various food items are the most real-looking game elements, but even they appear to be Fisher Price purchases.

If nothing else, I can credit "Cooking Mama: Cook Off" for rekindling my love for food and gaming all in one convenient package. After playing for a couple of hours, I was inspired to get back in the kitchen and mix up some masterful creations in real life. Disappointed in myself afterward for making a mess of my kitchen, I cursed Mama.

I have also gotten back into the swing of watching Food Network to try and improve my culinary skill. (Thanks Rachel Ray, the Pad Thai turned out great.)

When all is said and done, not giving "Cooking Mama: Cook Off" a try would be a bigger mistake than a collapsed soufflé. Fun, simple gameplay combined with rich food (minus the calories) makes this Wii title nothing but delicious. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I left the oven on.

Justin Voss is a sophomore majoring in Japanese. Is virtual cooking the way to go? Tell Tanuki Voss what you think at [email protected].