Hmmm…. I watch a lot of Food Network, admittedly. Lots of people do. There’s something cool about a food show that nobody will ever be able to pinpoint, partly because lots of people don’t want to admit they spend hours watching people make food.

This game, clearly hopping on the popularity bandwagon from titles like Cooking Mama, is in development for a Q4 2009 Wii release. The screenshots available so far are all kitchen shots and culinary instructions – smash those potatoes, cook that steak, salt that food, etc. You will reportedly be able to do all this using Wii MotionPlus, making your gaming experience as high class as the edible masterpieces you shall fashion on-screen.

Being developed by the company in charge of the Wii release for the new Ghostbusters title everyone is so anxiously awaiting, as well as Mushroom Men, it has potential to be a pretty decent game. I mean, if you’re into cooking games.

From what has been mentioned by Joystiq and those fortunate enough to have played a real working demo, Cook or Be Cooked is a good simulation of kitchen work more than arcade-style play. You’ll have to delicately cut things, whisk the hell out of other things, flip pans, turn knobs – you know, the stuff you do in a kitchen. It’s a very realistic approach that will probably be quite swell for anyone who enjoys cooking; the drawback being after you finish all your hard work, you still have nothing to eat.

At least it is to feature actual recipes from the Food Network Kitchens chefs that you can make for real when you’re done. There will also be multiplayer, buddy.

One can hope that they incorporate some of Food Network’s more famous celebrity stars into the game. I’d really be interested in a fish-filleting competition against Masaharu Morimoto, or a BBQ throwdown with Bobby Flay. Perhaps we could even make desserts with Paula Deen, stare longingly at Giada de Laurentiis’ cleavage as she tells us how to make lasagna, and be forced to create a 30-minute meal with Rachael Ray. Just sayin’… it’d totally sell.

Or at least let us dress up our character in a pair of Mario Batali’s famous orange Crocs if we complete a service…

Here are some shots:

Tags: cook or be cooked, food network