Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen
A 1993 cooking-themed promotional game for the Super Famicom.
Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen (もと子ちゃんのワンダーキッチン; "Little Motoko's Wonder Kitchen"), also known as Motokochan in Wonder Kitchen, is a 1993 adventure game for the Super Famicom. Nintendo handled development, while Ajinomoto acted as publisher. The game centers on cooking-themed minigames. It was created as a promotional item, with only 10,000 copies produced for a lottery contest. To enter, consumers mailed in two proof of purchase seals from Ajinomoto mayonnaise. The contest ran for five months, giving away 2,000 copies each month. Ajinomoto lacked experience in video game development, so they subcontracted Nintendo to build the game.
In the gameplay, brand-name products from Japanese supermarkets appear as advertising. The protagonist, a young girl named Motoko, leads children through a fantasy world, offering educational content on topics like the history of mayonnaise and other food-related subjects. Minigames include a game of reversi against a witch and a task to find seven dwarves that transform into sausages. The gameplay bears some resemblance to the later, more famous Nintendo DS title Cooking Mama, released in 2006. The Super Famicom Mouse is compatible with the game.
- Release Year
- 1993
- Platform
- Super Famicom
- Developer
- Nintendo
- Publisher
- Ajinomoto
- Genre
- Adventure video game
- Notable Feature
- Supports the Super Famicom Mouse
Lore & Background
Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen was created as a promotional item by Ajinomoto, a company known for food products such as mayonnaise. Due to Ajinomoto's inexperience in video game development, Nintendo was subcontracted to develop the actual game. The game was distributed through a lottery contest: consumers who mailed in two proof of purchase seals from Ajinomoto mayonnaise were entered to win one of 10,000 copies, with 2,000 copies given away monthly over five months.
Reader's Guide
The game features a young girl named Motoko who takes children through a fantasy world, providing educational and informative content about the history of mayonnaise and other food-related topics. Minigames include reversi against a witch and finding seven dwarves that turn into sausages. The gameplay is somewhat similar to the more widely known Nintendo DS title Cooking Mama, released more than a decade later in 2006. Name brand products from Japanese supermarkets are used as an advertising gimmick. The game also supports the Super Famicom Mouse.
Did You Know?
- The game was a promotional item with a production run of only 10,000 units.
- Consumers entered a lottery by mailing in two proof of purchase seals from Ajinomoto mayonnaise.
- The game includes minigames such as reversi against a witch and finding seven dwarves that turn into sausages.
- Nintendo was subcontracted to develop the game due to Ajinomoto's inexperience in video game development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen?
It is a 1993 cooking-themed adventure game made for the Super Famicom. The title translates roughly to "Little Motoko's Wonder Kitchen," and it was produced purely as a promotional advertisement game rather than a commercial retail release.
How could players obtain a copy of Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen?
The game was never sold in stores; instead, Ajinomoto ran a five-month lottery in which consumers submitted two mayonnaise purchase seals to enter. A total of 10,000 copies were distributed, with 2,000 winners drawn each month.
Who developed and published Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen?
Nintendo handled the actual game development, while Ajinomoto—the Japanese seasoning company—served as the publisher. Ajinomoto had no prior experience in video game production, making the collaboration an unusual pairing.
What makes Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen's controls notable?
The title supports the Super Famicom Mouse peripheral, letting players interact with its cooking minigames through point-and-click mechanics. This was a distinctive feature for an advergame of that era.
Why is Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen significant in advergame history?
It stands out as a rare case of a major Japanese food brand commissioning a full Super Famicom title directly from Nintendo. The extremely limited print run of just 10,000 units also makes surviving copies highly sought-after by retro gaming collectors.
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