It must be said, much of the food featured in video games should be left well alone, that is unless you want to turn green and possibly grow two heads. But in amongst the poor quality grub that our unwitting heroes consume on a daily basis are a few little treats. Holly Green, long time videogamer and food lover, has created a book that picks out some of the best video game meals, twists them ever so slightly and lets you know exactly how to cook them.
Whether you’ve always wondered how your Sims in The Sims 3 make Key Lime Pie, how tasty Fallout 3’s Yum Yum Deviled Eggs are, or perhaps just exactly how you should make that classic Pork Katsu from Cooking Mama, Holly has you covered with Fry Scores: An Unofficial Guide to Video Game Grub.
Coming in PDF format or as a fully interactive iPad model, it’s perfect for all those gamers who aspire to creating magic in the kitchen. With 128 pages covering breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, all with a smattering of Health and Mana cocktails included, Fry Scores is a glorious way of bringing together gaming and food. And let’s be honest, food and gaming is a match made in heaven!
Starting off with some basic foody hints and tips, those new to the cooking trade should be just as well sorted as those who are more than handy with a knife. A simple terms glossary in the back ensures that even the most useless chef can at least rustle up something a little decent. There has been a decent bit of artistic license allowed for much of the food on offer in the book, but with 25 recipes in total, with over half of those appealing to vegetarians, there is bound to be something for near on every gamer.
Personally, I feel it’s probably best you start with Holly’s version of The Sims 3’s Fruit Parfait as with very little cooking required, it’s simply a case of combining fruit and adding a little extra something to make it special. If you feel ready to kick on with something a little more complex, then perhaps check out the all-American Apple Pie from the all-English Fable II, Roast Chicken direct from Castle Crashers or Mushroom Stew from the world’s most famous video game…Minecraft. Failing that, surely you can’t go wrong with the delightful looking and even more delightful sounding Double Decker Burger from ye olde Burgertime?
For those feeling even more adventurous, then you should be heading for the Sinners Sandwich from Deadly Premonition, down a few of Fallout New Vegas’ special Atomic Cocktails or, god forbid, spend a little time preparing and creating a masterpiece with the Apple Cabbage Stew whisked directly from the wastelands of Skyrim! It may sound absolutely disgusting, but Holly promises it’s actually pretty good!
I initially assumed that Fry Scores would contain a whole host of recipes from the likes of Cooking Mama, but it’s quite obvious that Holly has gone to great lengths in order to bring something from every era of gaming, covering as many different genres as possible.
Each recipe comes complete with full ingredients, thorough cooking instructions and helpful hints and tips should things go a bit wrong. With some stunning images included throughout the book, Fry Scores is a lovely little addition to the kitchen for all gamers who fancy trying to recreate their favourite video game foods. It’s quite obviously been created with an American audience in mind, but with full metric conversions included for those outside of the US, there are only a few recipes included that may be a bit of a struggle for international cooks.
Fry Scores could however do with an improved typesetting with a few characters sloppily out of place. It would also be nice to see advice on international substitutions where certain ingredients are US centric – key limes and Texas toast are tricky this side of the pond!
It may not save you from permadeath and it may not help you destroy that tough end of level boss or even pick up that achievement you’ve worked for weeks on, but for something that combines food and gaming, Fry Scores: An Unofficial Guide to Video Game Grub ain’t far wrong!
Fry Scores: An Unofficial Guide To Video Game Grub is now on Amazon for $5.99. The fully interactive iPad version can also be purchased over at iTunes.
