Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends keeps the same general flow as the original. There are 80 recipes in the game and each is split into a series of mini-games. Each task represents a step in the recipe; if you're making a cake, you'll have to mix the batter in one game and ice the cake in another. Several mini-games come right out of the original, though new ones are also included, like using a rolling pin.
All of the mini-games use the touch screen and stylus in different ways. To slice vegetables, you trace dotted lines and to stir a pot, you make stirring motions. Like the games, the stylus motions are easy enough in concept, though there are a few underlying issues. Some of the motions aren't clear enough, which helps to make a few of the mini-games harder than they should be. Other times the touch screen isn't very responsive. Though this was mainly a problem with the newer games (like sautéeing), they popped up in a few older ones as well.
Less-than-perfect controls aside, Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends is an enjoyable game; especially for more casual gamers who want something different. Although the lack of new gameplay content is disappointing, the new recipes and tools are worth a look -- but only if you really liked the first game or want to see what all the fuss is about.