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Computer Times
Editors' Choice DS Game Crafting Mama Review by Angie Kibiloski
By now, most people are familiar with Mama, the friendly, smiley, helpful character in the Cooking Mama game series, from Majesco Entertainment. Mama is back again, with a new set of activities, in Crafting Mama (Retail $29.99), for Nintendo DS. This is a really cute and fun game, in which Mama takes you, step by step, through 40 different craft projects. After you’ve completed the projects, you can use your finished items to decorate, dress up Mama, and play mini games. You can even play with up to 3 friends, through a wireless connection, and have a Crafting Party!
You start out with only a handful of craft projects available, but more are soon unlocked as you finish each item. The items range from jewelry and clothing, to musical instruments, pottery, and more! Each item requires you to learn and complete multiple steps, using the stylus and even the microphone. These steps might include cutting wood, spreading glue, folding paper, drilling holes, or lots of other exciting tasks. You get a score after each step, depending on how well you followed directions, and a bronze, silver, or gold medal at the end of the project. Even if you didn’t do too well, Mama is still very encouraging, and gives you praise just for trying. Usually, you get to finish your piece with some kind of customization, like choosing which color to paint it, or which gems to use in a necklace or earrings. When you play the mini games, the items you play with actually have your customizations, and its extra cool to use your own completed piece.
In the main Let’s Craft area, you choose which projects you want to make, but there’s also a Mystery Crafting area, where you follow through the steps like normal, but you don’t know what craft you’re making until the end. I found this feature particularly fun, trying to guess what I was constructing as I moved through each step. From your Craft Collection, which consists of all the items you’ve finished, you can launch the mini games. There’s also Mama’s Gallery, where you can go to view all of the pictures of Mama and her friends that you’ve collected. After you finish each craft project, more and more of a picture will be revealed, until the picture is complete and is added to the gallery. In the multiplayer mode, or Crafting Party, you can create 15 projects with up to 3 friends, all using 1 game cartridge and the wireless connection feature.
With so many unique crafts to make, plus the corresponding mini games, Crafting Mama is full of hours and hours of game play. It’s fun, creative, positive, and addicting. I would recommend this game for any kid who likes to use their imagination, and see their work come together to make something cool. Mama is adorable too, and such a great companion to help you through the activities. I can’t wait to go back and play some more, and discover all of the crafts there are to unlock!
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