Cake Mania 2

After re-opening the Evans Bakery, and sending her grandparents on an exotic Hawaiian cruise, Jill is back in an all-new, out-of-this-world adventure! Explore far-flung bakery locations; serve up deliciously original creations to quirky customers, ranging from Federal Agents to mysterious Aliens, and choose the path Jill will take in Cake Mania 2!

An out-of-this-world adventure.

Full Review from Gamezebo

       When it comes to casual games, a good sequel should retain much of what made its predecessor a success yet introduce enough new features to justify to purchase. Cake Mania 2, the follow-up to one of the most popular casual game downloads of last year, attempts to achieve this tricky balance, but this sequel isn't as deliciously different as you might have hoped.
       The story picks up where the original left off: After helping reopen the Evans Bakery, Jill sends her grandparents on a long overdue cruise and decides to get back to business by helping out her friends. In fact, this time around you're asked to decide whom to help: Jack, her ex-boyfriend having trouble running a bakery in an underwater theme park (Jack and Jill, get it?), or Risha, a college pal who owns a swank rooftop bakery in the big city. After you choose one or another and complete that location, you'll be able to select from four other locales, too, but we don't want to giveaway any surprises here.
       It's a good idea to let gamers make decisions as to Jill's locations, but it would've been more fun if it was better tied to the story (such as getting to know Jill's friends more, and their issues, perhaps with entertaining cut-scenes). Also, the customers you get don't seem to have much to do with where you are. That is, I thought they were related to the location, such as bratty kids and grumpy mascots at the theme park, but then there were socialites with Chihuahuas, punk rockers, old ladies with babies and FBI agents. Plus, you'll also see the same characters at different locations, too, such as doctors and policemen.
       OK, on to the game-play. As with the first game, Cake Mania 2 challenges you to build a cake for a customers within a short amount of time (take too long and they'll leave). For example, someone may request a circular cake with vanilla frosting and a horseshoe cake decoration while someone else might ask for a double-layer heart-shaped cake: the bottom with red icing and the top with candy sprinkles. After you give a customer a menu and see their order appear like a speech bubble, you must then go to the oven(s); wait for the cake to cook; bring it to the icing table to put on the appropriate toppings; and then hand it to the customer. They'll leave a tip, which you must pick up to add to your daily tally. If you meet the minimum dollar figure, such as $1000, you can advance onto the next level.
       What's more, the money you make can also be used to upgrade your bakery, from more than 50 upgrades that vary depending on the location you're in. Basics, however, include extra ovens, faster icing tables, additional cake toppers (like soccer balls) and ways to entertain customers to increase their patience.
       In total, the game houses more than 200 levels in the main story mode, plus there's also an "endless baking" mode where you must serve a never-ending stream of customers as long as you can.
       Problem is, despite the new locations, there isn't much new with Cake Mania 2, so it felt like a lot like deja vu playing this game. In fact, I found this game quite frustrating at times, such as when you accidentally place one cake onto top of another (in many micromanagement games, like Diner Dash, you're encouraged to double-up the same tasks) but with this game both cakes must be thrown in the trash and you must start again. Plus, when you're frantically taking care of customers, it's easy to mistakenly click on one icing flavor, such as chocolate, when you really wanted vanilla beside it, because they're all close together (and a spot in the middle where you can rest the cake before deciding).
       At other times, I found the game annoying, such as the nose-picking kids who always whine "It's my turn!" when they appear on the screen - needless-to-say after the 10th time you wish you could turn off the sound. This might not sound like a big deal, but if you've played the game you know exactly what I'm talking about.
       Also new to this sequel are two customers who come into the bakery together, so you must serve them both in order for them to leave. While it's really not different than having two single customers come in one after the other - since you need to serve them individually -- it forces the player to work a little faster since they entered at the same time.
       I don't mean to come down hard on Cake Mania 2 because it can be fun and gratifying to successfully finish a hard day. But perhaps I was expecting more from the talented folks at Sandlot Games who are trying to deliver a sequel that measures up to its predecessor. Perhaps if there were unique game modes, a tighter integration of story and location, and less frustrating and annoying moments, I'd give this game a better score. But as it stands, it's a good - but not great - follow-up to last year's tasty treat.

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Game Review from Gamemile

       Cake Mania 2 - Two Stories, One Game
       There's no end to time-management. Either those games are created with the blink of eye, or the new sequels come out. And here it is - the long-awaited second version of the game that was considered N1 in casual gaming industry last year. Cake Mania 2 by Sandlot Games.
       Of course, the gameplay is almost the same - you(or Jill, a title character) are to bake cakes and decorate them with different toppings on your customer's demand to meet the daily money goal and earn enough to improve your business.
       Cake Mania 2 ScreenshotSo, title character and game mechanics are the same. So, what's new and different in the second version? Oh, there's a lot.
       1. Storyline. And this is the main point. In the second version of Cake Mania features non-linear storyline. While Jill has settled on her own problems and her business runs smoothly, she's got twice more problems from her family and friends. Jill's brother, who owns an aqua-park and submarine bakery cannot manage such a great rush in his bakery and desperately needs Jill who has acquired a good hand at cake-baking to help him sort things out. On the other hand, Jill's schoolmate Risha who was crazy enough to buy a downtown bakery in a big city needs professional help from Jill. So, in the beginning of the game(as well as upon each level completion) you will be able to choose whom to help and thus, you'll be playing 2 episodes. Your progress in each of them will be displayed in the world map.
       2. Upgrade Shop. It became traditional for every game to setup a shop for upgrades, which makes the gameplay more various. For your earnings you'll be able to get new cake and cookie ovens, a TV to entertain your customers while they're waiting for their orders.
       3. New customer types.
       It's time to get out of suburb bakery and start big city life. Of course, you will be encountering new customer types(there are 18 all-new types).
       Cake Mania 2 screenshotWhile working for your brother in underwater bakery, you'll have to encounter different customers like police, people with radiation meters. In Risha's cake shop you'll meet with authorities, magazine-cover girls, rock-stars and babies.
       4. And of course, cake toppings. They are different from those presented in the first version and vary from chocolate froting up to unthinkable tutti-fruity ones.
       5. Plus, cake styles. Of course, just like in the prequel You've got to bake a simple cake and cover it with the frosting. But as you play on, your customers will order more complicated cakes(say heart-shaped cake+round caker covered with lilac-colored frosting)
       The game can be played in two modes - Cake Shift and Endless Mode where you'll be serving customers endlessly and with no time challenge.
       Cake Mania 2 Game ScreenshotAnyway, Cake Mania, brought to life by Diner Dash-driven stream has its own customers. This game may seem too slow for the fans of the crazy pace. But its original idea and cute heroine hit the big time and found scores of fans last year. What happens this time?
       Personal opinion: this second version of Cake Mania 2 looks really fresh due to the complicated storyline(two game plots, just like in real life!) and multiple new customer types. Tastes like a delicious home-made cake that your mother bakes all the time, but this time it is with a brand-new exotic icing. Will anybody resist trying?

Game Review from Meryl

       Jill Evans returns! Hard to believe it's been almost a year since we've met Jill (no relation) in Cake Mania and helped her bakery. She comes back to help her friends who have problems with their bakeries. The game introduces a "choose your own adventure" style feature where you decide which friend of Jill's to help along with other scenarios. Other than that, Cake Mania 2 doesn't introduce anything truly new.
       Nonetheless, it's a delight to discover new locales and new types of customers. When starting the game, choose to help Risha, Jill's friend from college, or Jack, an old flame. Risha has a classy rooftop bakery while Jack's problematic place is in an underwater theme park in the ocean. Jill can also work in four other bakeries each with a different theme and layout.
       The bakery's layout changes every time Jill moves to a new locale. This adds to the challenge as you have to re-learn where everything is in the bakery. The change causes interesting mistakes and mix-ups. The ovens also change shapes. You might have a fish, star, square and circle in one locale and then another locale's ovens contain moons, flowers, hearts, and triangles.
       Jill deals with 18 different customers including punks, spoiled children, the cat lady, celebrities, high society, and secret agents. What's odd is that some of the customers don't belong in certain locations, but they show up. With this many customers, the game could do a better job matching the customers and locations.
       Cake Mania 2 This time customers may enter in pairs, so that means fulfilling two orders. Between that and taking care of customers, I make mistakes where I accidentally choose the wrong cake topper or icing color. No problem, leave the accidental cake on the display plate and redo the order.
       But the annoying mistake comes when I put a cake down to pick up another only to find I stuck them together and can't take them apart. While the challenge comes in getting the orders straight' I take issue with errors like this. However, I'm not sure having the ability to break apart two or three cakes would be wise. Would that make the game too easy? It works out because customers see the mistake cakes and buy them. Thank you, impulse buys!
       You can buy upgrades after successfully completing a level, if you have enough money. This one comes with 50 upgrades and lasts the whole game. In fact, I don't get to use them all by the time I finish. I also earn a trophy! Apparently, there are six trophies, but we don't know what they are. Levels, by the way, last for a month. It's a nice change and less stressful to go through the days of the month instead of racing the clock.
       Jill has let success go to her head a little as we see her ego pop out when celebrities and high society show up. But other than that, she's still adorable. Her commentaries that appear between levels are fun, sometimes humorous reads. Some games display long and useless comments or back story, but not this one — it's the right length. You can skip them and still benefit from the game.
       The "choose your own adventure" compels players to replay Cake Mania 2 as there are six possible endings and over 200 levels. The game also comes with the requisite endless mode, but I never play these because they make me insane!
       Cake Mania 2For game strategies, check out Sandlot's Tips and Tricks. If you haven't played the original, you won't miss anything by diving into Cake Mania 2. It comes with the usual tutorials and the story doesn't feel like it's missing something if you haven't played the first one. Overall, Cake Mania 2 is a tasty game that falls short of the five-star award.