Topic: REVIEWS: WarioWare Touched!

[StrikerObi]

Wario wants you to touch him.

Wario has really come into his own in the past couple years. The formerly vile arch-nemesis of Mario has switched gears and is now trying to dominate the video game market with a series of titles so zany, they can’t afford to go unnoticed. Launched alongside the Nintendo DS in Japan, SaWaRu: Made in Wario! (known as Wario Ware: Touched! here in North America), available from import sites like Lik-Sang, applies the franchise’s fast paced "micro-gameplay" to the new touch- and voice-sensitive controls pioneered by Nintendo’s new handheld.    

For the uninitiated, Wario Ware is a series comprised of tons of micro-sized mini-games, each lasting around five seconds in length. The goal of the game is to complete as many of these micro-games as possible while the speed and difficulty continually increase. An overall story mode serves to facilitate a difficulty curve and allows for quite a number of unlockable bonus features. However, the game is more like a buffet filled with all sorts of flavors rather than one focused entrĂ©e.    

All of the games have some sort of madcap premise, and most have an equally hilarious style. A couple of the more memorable games include thrashing on a guitar to rile up a crowd, slicing fruit as it flies across the screen, and taking out some Mushroom Kingdom baddies by poking them. Unfortunately, there are some games that are way too similar as far as gameplay is concerned. A few of the micro-games would be exactly the same if not for their different facades.    

SaWaRu makes excellent use of the DS’s touch screen controls. Most of the games use only the touch screen, and a few others take advantage of the microphone. The directional pad and buttons are not used at all. The micro-games are for the most part very fun, and there is no issue with a language barrier. A couple of the games might be a little rough the first time they’re played, but figuring them out only takes a few more tries.    

A small handful of games make use of the system’s built-in microphone. Most of these games involve making lots of noise or blowing/shouting into the microphone at just the right time to trigger some sort of event. They’re fun enough, and thankfully there are few enough of them that they don’t become boring or tiresome.    

While other games in the Wario Ware series have been packed full of micro-games and unlockables, SaWaRu falls slightly short of the lofty goals set by its predecessors. The overall number of games is smaller, and the fact that some of them are very similar serves to make the list appear even slimmer. The game has more to unlock than the original Wario Ware, but falls way short of the sheer massive amount included in MaWaRu (Wario Ware: Twisted!). The whole title feels like it would have benefited from more time in development, which is becoming a phrase all too common in DS game reviews. However, fans of the Wario Ware series are still sure to love this installment.

Pros:
       

Crazy style  

Fun microgames  

Jimmy T’s family

       Cons:
       

Fewer microgames than other Wario Ware titles  

Some games are too similar  

Cinematics are very long

               Graphics:  8.0
       The style is hilarious and looks wonderful, despite being fairly simple. It would be nice to see a few more games using the 3D abilities of the DS.

               Sound:  8.5
       More infectious beats litter this installment of Wario’s fledgling franchise.

               Control:  9.5
       The touch control implementation is excellent. Voice control also works very well. Menus are super easy to navigate with the touch screen.

               Lastability:  8.0
       The number of micro-games is lower than in previous Wario Ware titles, and the similarity of some games is a real bummer. There are also fewer bonuses unlocked compared to the other games in the franchise.

               Gameplay:  8.0
       The classic Wario Ware gameplay is all there, but a shorter game list hurts the overall gameplay. Some games are also too comparable to each other, despite their stylistic differences.

               Final:  8.5
       SaWaRu: Made in Wario! is a very fun game, and it has style to spare. Unfortunately, it suffers from rushed development syndrome. This game is tons of fun, but it could have easily been a “Triple A" title with a little more work and time put into it.