For a while, it was looking like Cooking Mama: Cookstar was going to become one of those incredibly difficult to obtain, unintentionally limited runs due to an array of drama surrounding the Nintendo Switch game’s release. However, while it still isn’t showing up on the eShop digitally, it seems like people have a chance to buy it again. Planet Entertainment, its publisher, has updated its official website with a “buy it now” option that lets you purchase a Cooking Mama: Cookstar physical copy directly from them for $59.99 (before shipping).
The Cooking Mama: Cookstar saga has been an interesting one. Originally, it seemed the 1st Playable Productions title was developing and Planet Entertainment was publishing the Nintendo Switch entry, with Office Create, the IP holder, allowing them to use the Mama branding and character. However, while people were able to find Cooking Mama: Cookstar physical copies at retailers like Target for a time, the digital copies quickly appeared and disappeared from the eShop.
Initially, the reasoning for its appearance and disappearance was unknown. People speculated it had something to do with blockchain, as the concept was brought up in an early press release for the game. That was later debunked. Then, an anonymous source claimed that Office Create wasn’t happy with what Cooking Mama: Cookstar had become and a rights dispute was the reason for the eShop disappearance. There is no mention of any legal issues on the new product page, though there is a notice saying Planet Entertainment is selling it directly as a result of physical copies otherwise being difficult to acquire due to COVID-19 pandemic directives saying only essential businesses can be open.
Cooking Mama: Cookstar physical copies are immediately available for the Nintendo Switch via Planet Entertainment website. If the digital sales issues are indeed being blocked by a legal battle, these physical copies might also eventually no longer be sold.
