PlayStation 3 Review: Order Up!!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from eating at one greasy spoon diner after another, it’s that not all chefs are created equal — and that’s something anyone who dives into SuperVillain’s Order Up!! are bound to learn. The popular 2008 Wii title has been broadened to audiences worldwide via a PlayStation 3 (and Nintendo 3DS) release, and has given me the opportunity to experience this cooking simulation game for myself in High-Definition resolution. And I have to say, I have found this menu item to be more than suitable to my particularly picky palate.

Order Up!! gives you the option of choosing a male or female chef to embody, who promptly goes to work at a fast food diner in Port Abello — a temporary service to the contribution to obesity which ends with your now-dejected character buying a rundown diner. From there, your goal is to win the upcoming Fortified Chef Competition, which you begin by working to achieve a 5-Star rating for your newly opened culinary boutique. As you learn the fine art of cooking things to their proper temperatures, you also have to make sure to cater to your regular patrons’ requests: some of ‘em like their food salty, others love gravy or barbeque sauce on everything — which requires you to learn how much a little spice can spruce up even a simple dish like macaroni and cheese. And, fortunately, there’s a spice salesman available down at Farmer’s Market.

As you deep fry, slice, grill and bake your way to a 5-Star rating — you can choose from a list of assistants to hire in the kitchen (and they can be pretty useless at times, but are handy nevertheless), as well as upgrades of your appliances. A visit from the local food critic will get you one step closer to fulfilling your dream; launching you into a 5-Star status, and opening the gates for you to purchase four more restaurants, including Mexican and Asian-themed joints. But there are other visitors you can get along the way (apart from some truly weird customers, that is), including the dreaded health inspector (be prepared to wash some dishes fast and effectively, folks) and even rat infestations in the kitchen. Eek! There are also a several other mini-games you can indulge yourselves in during the course of the game.

Like the Wii, the PlayStation 3 incarnation of Order Up!! is designed for a motion activated controller, and the PlayStation Move is the key to really getting your jazz on in the kitchen here (although you can play with the regular PS3 controller), and the game allows a second player to join in on the fun so you can compete against each other in front of the grill. The graphics here are very nice, and there’s also an option to play in 3D should you have the appropriate setup.

In a nutshell: Order Up!! is a fun, lighthearted game for all ages to play. But watch out: it’s pretty addictive — and the more food you prepare to be eaten, the more food you’ll want to cook in your own kitchen.

Order Up!! is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB for Content Descriptors. This game can also be found on: iOS, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii.