Wario Ware: Smooth Moves Review - 7/10

Wario Ware is Nintendo's latest offering, featuring over 200 mini games which use the Wii-remote in a variety of interesting ways to create a great party-starter style game. The question of everyone’s mind is: Is this game worth the $69 (from target) or should I just stick to Rayman Raving Rabbids?

The game revolves around using the form baton (Wii-Remote) to complete a series of mini games, played in quick succession. Players navigate through the single player game using a map, which features different characters, each with their own set of mini-games to complete. The games are quirky, ranging from picking a 3 dimensional nose, through to sawing through a log.

Controls

This is where Wario Ware shines as a Wii title. The game features several different “forms”, which are basically different ways to hold the Wii remote to perform the tasks. Some of these forms look stupid, but to fully enjoy and experience the game, I would advise that you leave behind your inhibitions and embrace the game whole-heartedly.

Each time a new form is required to play a particular mini-game, a short, humourous tutorial is presented to the player, to demonstrate how to assume the form required. These forms make the game enjoyable even to those who are not actively participating, giving them the opportunity to laugh at the active player.

What is truly impressive about this game is how well the control scheme and mini-games are integrated. Unlike Rayman, where running is translated to a gesture (moving the Wii-Remote and Nunchuck up and down), in Wario Ware, the sprinting challenge requires players to move their right arm as though they were running. (Arching motion) This makes the mini-games more intuitive and even easier to pick up and play than Rayman. Games like balancing a broom on ones palm (featured in the Wario Ware promo) really do accurately recreate the challenge of balancing a broom.

The only downside to the controls is that occasionally, the form requires that the Wii-Remote be in line with the sensor bar. Ordinarily, this would not be a problem, but during some of the mini-games, my on screen hand stopped moving due to my exuberance causing the Wii-Remote to no longer detect the sensor bar (ah the irony). It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it annoys the living daylights out of me.

Gameplay

The mini-games are as their name suggests, mini. A single game lasts no more than 10 seconds, with most games lasting about 5 seconds. Each character will require you to complete around 15 mini-games, so each set of games will last around 2 minutes.

Although the games are amazingly short, they are still amazingly fun. I found myself laughing at some of the games and unlike Rayman, I have yet to stumble across a dud game. Sure some of the mini-games aren’t as fun, but none of them are a chore to complete. (think Rayman’s Mine-Field game….*shudder*) Each character has their own storyline, which is often completely unrelated to games which follow, but are amusing nonetheless.

My biggest complaint is that I am unable to play the mini games I enjoyed to my heart’s content. (unlike the DS version of Wario Ware) In this iteration of Wario Ware, single mini games can only be attempted to 3 different degrees of difficulty, as opposed to an infinite number of degrees. While this may seem like nit picking, when each game lasts around 5 seconds, this equates to a maximum of 15 seconds of enjoyment from any single mini game.

However the pros definitely outweigh the cons in the gameplay department, making Wario Ware a fun filled compilation of mini-games.

Visuals

This game isn’t going to blow anyone away in the visual department, it was never designed to. The graphics are extremely basic, most consisting of 2 dimensional cartoon style drawings and the odd 3 dimensional figure, consisting of no more than 100 polygons shaded with a matte finish.

In terms of visual style, this game is fairly average. The visuals aren’t exactly pleasing to the eye, nor are they particularly striking or memorable. (Unlike the rabbits in Rayman) The visuals simply get the job done, with no particular flare or style.

I personally would have liked to see more in terms of visual style. Whilst some of the child-like drawings do have some charm, the styling of the whole game just felt shoddy and unpolished. (Even if that is the desired effect, its not a good one.)I preferred the overall visual design of Rayman Raving Rabbids.

Final Word

Wario Ware is a revolutionary title, bringing some extremely innovative methods of using the Wii Remote to the table. This game will revolutionize mini-game compilations on the Wii in the future. However, I personally felt that Wario Ware as a game was simply not as strong as its obvious rival, Rayman Raving Rabbids.

Some of the games featured in Wario Ware were definitely more entertaining than the games in Rayman, but the overall look and feel of the game didn’t impress me as much as Rayman. Also, the lack of a truly competitive multiplayer experience really tarnishes its appeal as a party starter, since most party starters are played with a “party” who more often than not, want to compete in a non-violent manner.

Overall, the game is extremely entertaining and probably worth the $69 investment. However, I do not think that this game steals Rayman’s crown as the King of Party Starting Mini-Games.

sezza 27/01/2007

Kudos: 88  Mates: 7

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