Cake Mania 2 [DS]

Last year the popular cake shop managing title, Cake Mania, hit stores. It was a port of the casual PC title that's been available to download online for a while. This week, Majesco stopped by to show us the sequel, aptly named Cake Mania 2, and give us an update on Jill's crazy confectionary skills.

Cake Mania 2 is the sequel to last year's DS port of the popular PC game. Players control Jill as she tries to fill the orders of increasingly harder to please customers. It's a fast-paced arcade style game similar to classics like Rootbeer Tapper.

The big change for the sequel is a branching storyline that allows the player to decide what levels to play and who to help. The opening story we saw had Jill deciding to help her boyfriend, Jack (get it?!), or her longtime friend. Either decision goes to its own level. The branching storyline means that the game has six different endings, which may provide the player with more replay value.

There are six different locations, each with 12 stages, providing 72 levels for Cake Mania 2. The locations have their own themes and specific customers. For instance, we had to serve cakes to people in hazmat suits, apparently on their break from cleaning up a biohazard. We're not sure about you guys, but when we get hungry from trying to keep bird flu out of the countries water supply, we enjoy a freshly baked cake.

Majesco has said that the customers are all new, so sorry fans of pink bunny suit guy. They seem even wackier now, with aliens and biker gang members just some of the patrons of everyone's favorite cake shop.

The upgrades to the various machines, and Jill herself, return for the sequel, along with some new ones. The Frosterator, a machine that simultaneously frosts and decorates, is just one of the new upgrades.

The gameplay is still Cake Mania, and hasn't undergone any major tweaks. Customers line up, get cranky, and demand baked goods. Jill will have to manage resources, and use her money to buy upgrades to adapt to the influx of clients. Cookies can be used to tide them over, and as the game continues Jill can even buy TVs to distract the customers while she bakes.

Each level has a certain monetary goal. the more hardcore players can surpass that goal and aim for a "Superstar Goal" to earn more money and points.

Cake Mania 2 will be done baking by the end of June. We've got some fresh from the oven screenshots below to whet your appetite.

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