==Price and Availability==

I always used to play Cake Mania on my computer and after looking in CEX and noticing the Nintendo DS version for just £5 second hand I had to buy it. The game can be bought new on Amazon for just under £11 but I rarely buy new games unless they're for presents as most of the time they work out a lot more expensive.


==Idea of the Game==

The player is in the role of Jill, a young chef who has taken over her grandparents failing bakery, the basic idea being that you serve customers and make them cakes to advance to the next level. The bakery is very basic to begin with; just one oven and an icing machine however, over the course of the game as you earn more money you upgrade the bakery and Jill so she works faster.
As you advance to the next level it also moves onto the next month, obviously this brings with it different seasonal cakes and trends. Sometimes the necessary toppers are only available on upgrades so if you haven't upgraded you will be missing out on making the top money and therefore advancing easier. There are also five different locations in the game which can be viewed on the level map, as you advance through the levels you're working your way towards unlocking the next location.


==Customers==

Obviously, the main aim of the game is to keep your customers happy. There are a few different customer types, there's a little blurb at the start of each level which will tell you if a new type of customer is coming into the shop, it's worth knowing the customer types as some will be prepared to wait longer than others. Each customer has a little heart above their head, this is their patience level. If they're getting sick of waiting the heart will gradually empty and if you let it empty completely they will leave which means you'll miss out on money and this can have serious consequences when it comes to completing the level.


==Playing the Game==

When the customer comes in you first have to click them to give them a menu, they then choose a cake shape and colour of icing. As the game progresses they also choose different toppings so it does get more complicated. As the bakery is only basic to begin with it is quite slow going as there's only one oven but as you progress and build up your kitchen you can juggle more orders at once and this is the key to achieving high scores and bonus money. The game does become very fast paced and can be frustrating as the game is played entirely with the stylus and sometimes if a tap doesn't register it can cost you the whole level. There are over 80 levels in the games and I am nowhere near the end, it's something that can be played for a very long time. It's not a game that I've paid continuously for months but I do go through phases where I'll just play Cake Mania for a week as once you start progressing you want to keep going.


==Overall==
This game is great for anybody who likes simulation games, it's quite like Diner Dash and although it's got a guideline of 3+ I'd say it's for older children although adults would really appreciate the game especially in the later levels when it gets harder. The price new is good but it's definitely worth buying second hand especially if you've never played before. This game will provide hours of game play, but it will require a lot of concentration to unlock new levels!