Description:
If you've ever cooked under the heat of a 50-watt light bulb and struggled to cut the resulting tiny "cake" into six servings, you might be skeptical about Hasbro Interactive's ability to deliver a CD-ROM that could match the culinary experience of an actual Easy Bake Oven. Yet what this virtual bakery lacks in edible results, it remedies with a surprising, imaginative approach. The most unique aspect of this playset is the strap-on kitchen. Once the white counter with pink and green appliances is installed over the keyboard, rookie cooks can crack eggs, whir the blender, and roll dough to initiate action onscreen. There's nothing to plug in here; it's all mechanical. You can't use your keyboard for anything but "cooking" while the kitchen is in place, but setup and takedown is only a matter of seconds. If you don't want a plastic kitchen sitting on your expensive keyboard, it's possible to "cook" using the mouse, but that method isn't nearly as fun. Kitchen in place and disc installed, chefs visit the recipe box, and with help from a baking pal, whip up everything from banana bread to layer cakes. A game area includes a baking contest and a hide-and-seek that pits players against demonically giggling gingerbread men. This virtual kitchen is at its best when the cook strays from the recipe. Overcook a cake and smoke curls up from the onscreen door, then your baking pal reassures you as a charred lump emerges from the oven. In one kitchen, anything goes; keep tipping the egg into the bowl and eventually a dinosaur egg goes in, then one with a purple yolk, then in goes Humpty Dumpty. Extra points go to the designers for creating a diverse cast of baking buddies. Boys who feel like baking might prefer to roll dough with Billy Batter instead of Sally Sprinkles. Still prefer the textures and smells of real baking? Your kids can print recipes for what they've made onscreen. The 12 recipes range from decadent brownies to more Spartan fare, such as soft pretzels. Once they've practiced in the virtual kitchen, they can mess up your real kitchen cooking real goodies. --Anne Erickson
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