Fast Food Panic primarily uses both the Wii-mote and nunchuk for most activities, although there are a few multiplayer minigames that don’t need the nunchuk.  You’ll be able to jump right into the action in the game’s story mode and take control of your diner, or you can even play a few mini-games that are automatically available and don’t need unlocking.

You’ll use the Wii-mote to point at objects on the grill or on the stove, and flip, turn or toss them as you follow the on-screen directions.  Instead of just being able to focus on one recipe or order at a time though, the game’s challenge comes from balancing multiple orders while performing other tasks necessary for a successful restaurant.

Juggling all the tasks is fun, and a great exercise in multi-tasking, but we actually felt a little stressed when trying to remember to greet customers, cook multiple orders at the same time and even help ring folks up at the cash register.

In general, the main game is a single player game, although there is a two-player mode that lets you split tasks.  The primary focus of the game is on the cooking, though, and although you can switch at any at the push of a button, it doesn’t totally feel like a cooperative effort.  The mini-games are a fun diversion for families to race along in activities such as making ice-cream to order or a steak-eating contest.  They are mostly two-player affairs, although there are a few that support up to four-players.

The overall look and feel of the game are not exactly what we expected.  Instead of a 50’s diner retro feel, the game provides more of a Japanese-style cartoon that your kids may watch on Saturday morning.

Instead of other games that have a variety of different dishes to cook, Fast Food Panic focuses on doing a few dishes many times.  Although the food you cook includes a mixture of familiar dishes like hamburger and pizza, it also has a definite international flair, with offerings like the “egg burger” or the “tarutaru sauce” option as a topping on the fish sandwich.  On the plus side, we now know that “tarturu sauce” is Japanese for tartar sauce.

Fast Food Panic is a frantic game where multi-tasking is key to success.  It’s not just about cooking well or correctly, but rather how to combine cooking with many of the other necessities of running a restaurant.  Although there are a few mini-games that provide some fun head-to-head moments, Fast Food Panic is best enjoyed with one family member watching another play.