Game Review: Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (Wii)
Don't let the happy pink case fool you, Wario is back and smellier than ever. Smelly being, in Wario's case, a good thing.
Overview: With a new Nintendo system comes a new Wario game. It's a relatively new tradition, but with all of Nintendo's innovations in game control (the DS stylus, the Wii remote) it makes sense. Wario Ware is a series that combines a ton of fast-paced "microgames" that keep you guessing as to how to actually control them. The first Wario Ware for the GBA was an instant classic, merging wacky games with a frenetic pace, and unlockables galore. Wario Ware for the DS was lackluster, relying too much on needless parts of DS functionality (too many microgames focused on just blowing into the microphone, leaving me dizzy). Wario Ware Twisted got the series back on track with an incredibly cool motion sensing gimmick. But that's all it was: a gimmick. The Gamecube version was a great party game, but mostly a rehash of the GBA original. With minigames already accomplished on the Wii with Rayman Raving Rabbids, does Wario Ware escape the curse of the Tech Demo, or does it shine on it's own as a must have Wii title? Full review after the jump. Jump it!
Shininess: Wario Ware is known for incredibly wacky imagery. One game will have you playing whack-a-mole with clay figures, the next will be a scribbly rendition of a nose that you must pick. It's this frantic change in art styles between games that keeps Wario exciting and fun, and Smooth Moves is no exception. The game tends to use the Wii's processing power conservatively, delivering some excellent animated cut scenes, but scaling back the "wow" factor for the individual games. But that's okay, because you don't play Wario Ware for the HD Particle effects and bump mapping. You play Wario because it is fun.
There's a bit of voice acting in the game when it introduces you to a new way to hold the controller, which is quite hilariously well done. Unfortunately Nintendo decided that voice acting wasn't good enough for the cut scenes, which you have to actually read. We are lazy people, Nintendo. Just speak stuff to us, every other company does.
Funness: Here is where Wario Ware Smooth Moves shines, it's fun! It goes beyond the tech demo feel and comes up with some neat ways to use the Wii remote. We have seen a lot of these uses already in Rayman (holding it like a baton and running with it, tapping to the beat of music, holding it like a steering wheel) but with Wario it all feels fresh. The pace is only slightly interrupted when you discover a new way to hold the "form baton" as it's called in-game, but it's no big deal. Having to think on your feet and switching out techniques adds to the frenetic pace nicely.
While it may take you an hour or two to unlock multiplayer (yes, it has to be unlocked which was a pain) and see the end credits, there are still more microgames to unlock, and high scores to reach. That's what Wario Ware is all about: getting the high score. Which makes it all the sadder that Nintendo doesn't have an achievement system like Xbox Live. The only way I can show off my high scores to friends is to actually have them come over. It's fun to have friends over, don't get me wrong, but I usually only have them over on weekends, and maybe I'd like to spend some time in the evenings playing games after work. I want a way, similar to Xbox Live, to show off my e-peen. There's just no excuse for not having a game like this online in this day and age. Even for something as small like a leaderboard.
The multiplayer is spectacular. While it only uses one Wii remote (all the games are hot-seat style), there's no lack of participation and fun. The act of having to pass the remote to each other makes the games feel faster and frantic, which is really what Wario is all about. There are various modes to challenge your friends with, just like in the Gamecube version, except in Smooth Moves you can play with up to 12 people. 12 people! That's going to be a crazy party.
Worthiness: Wario Ware Smooth Moves is a must have game for the Wii, I'll go ahead and say it right now. You can't stop me. I already typed it, and my delete key is broken. It's the perfect game to have around for when your friends come by, and the single player is fun and snappy enough for you to pick up and play whenever you need a quick fix. There's plenty to unlock and high scores to be had, so the replay factor is definitely there. My only qualm is the lack of online play. Scratch that, online anything. It's 2007 already, Nintendo. Your system is wifi compatable out of the box. Please make your games online already. We can handle it. We are big kids now.
Score: 3/5 Rent it!
What say you?!