Super Size Wii- Fast Food Panic Review

The title’s charm undeniably stems from its Japanese origin, as players are compelled to greet each eatery patron and make a variety of wonderfully quirky foods, such as shrimp tempura burgers and curry dishes. Along the way, there are also a number of ‘help events’ which require gamers to perform a handful of thankless restaurant-themed activities, from operating a cash register (both systems), delivering food (DS), and washing dishes (Wii). Fortunately, these deeds aren’t quite as tedious as they sound, and offer a minor reprieve from the tedium of kitchen duty.

                                                                       Getting saucy  in Wii version of the game.

The Wii version tasks gamers with two responsibilities: taking orders in the dining room, and preparing meals in the kitchen. At any time players control one of the two main characters, switching positions with a press of the ‘Z’ button. Waitressing can be an unfulfilling role, as players use the control stick to move round the restaurant taking orders, grabbing meals from the kitchen, and serving plates. Sadly, the title lacks the captivating time management mechanic found in Diner Dash series, where gamers are required to seat customers and pick up tips. The DS version omits this element of the game completely, focusing on the more gratifying cooking elements.

As the game progresses, the game’s restaurant offers an ever-expanding menu of gastronomic delights.  Early levels ask the player to create simple dishes, like the two-step hamburger or slightly more complicated sushi roll. Each phase of a meal preparation plays out as a collection of mini-games. Crepes (Wii) require players to spread the batter by holding down the ‘A’ button until the radius is the same size of the pan. Next, players flip over the delicate edible with a toss of the Wiimote, before dragging and dropping specified toppings onto the creation. Generally, the waggle commands are easily recognized although some activities like slicing a spinning pizza or overturning a burger bun seemed slightly cumbersome.

                                    You get to make egg pizza in the DS version of the game. That sounds delectable!

The DS iteration substitutes controller wiggling with touch screen sweeps, in the process replacing meals like pizza and crepes with steak and curries. Generally, the portable iteration controls with increased accuracy, as players cut, stir, and cook their repasts. The version’s one foible is burger building, which uses the stylus to spin a revolving ring of condiments, instead of presenting each topping in an instinctive array.

Once players complete each stage of the game’s campaign mode, there’s a selection of ten additional mini-games for players to tackle. While each of these diversions is remarkably simple and unlikely to hold a player’s attention for successive playthroughs, they do present a brief break from the main game. A few of them are amusingly irreverent, such as the rhythm-based bolero cooking and using pigs to hunt subterranean mushrooms.

          Washing the dishes in the Wii version of the game. We expect a scrubbing glove accessory any day now.

Few could knock the game’s charming visuals; each version presents irresistibly charming, anime-inspired characters, replete with the requisite blue-haired protagonist. Stages are preceded by simple storyboard drawings, which offer a modest impetus for the proceedings. While each ingredient is delightfully drawn, the title missed an opportunity to deliver botched items with a bit of humor.