N-Philes

Wario Ware Twisted

Posted by Adam Caporello.

I don't normally like to compare new games to previous installments in a series, especially in reviews. However, it's almost impossible to talk about Wario Ware Twisted without talking about its predecessors. Each one offers a different experience in a genre that Nintendo invented with the original Wario Ware. When Wario Ware Touched! for the DS failed to give us the same level of excitement and wackiness as Mega Microgame$, a lot of us started to wonder if the motion-sensor equipped Twisted would fall into the same gimmicky trap. Well, whether it's a gimmick or not, Nintendo has managed to put together an experience that comes refreshingly close to the ingeniously simple insanity of the original.

Nintendo has become fixated on giving us completely new ways to play games. At E3 last year it was Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and the Nintendo DS, this year it's the Revolution (provided they do end up telling us what's so fricking revolutionary about it before the year is through) and Wario Ware Twisted. Nintendo wants to make sure you know that everything about their new motion sensor technology makes playing games completely different. Even the main title screen reacts to the motion sensor, which is a cool first experience after popping in the massively oversized cartridge (after taking it out of the box that's as thick as two normal GBA boxes.) We're then forced to watch a demonstration letting us know to twist the system itself, and not to spin our bodies around, lest we get dizzy. Thanks for the heads-up, guys!

The main menu is a fantastic display of how sensitive and satisfying they've made this system of motion detection and rumble feedback. Rotating the system will move the circular menu accordingly, and with the passing of each menu option the cartridge will give off a very slight rumble. It's not the same controller rumble that we're used to, it's just a bit of feedback letting us know we've clicked onto a new menu option. I can't imagine the motion sensor would feel half as intuitive as it does without this 'click' feedback, because it's an indication of the amount of motion the sensor is picking up. It feels like a ratchet wrench, or a scroll-wheel on a mouse. In addition, it doesn't seem to just detect left or right motion, but also how fast that rotation is.

Unlike using the stylus in Wario Ware Touched!, moving the system to the left or right to control the minigames comes naturally, and doesn't have any real learning curve to speak of. It harkens back to the earliest days of our gaming heritage when we thought that jerking the NES controller up would make Mario jump higher. Yes, you'll have to get over the fact that you look like a total goober while playing it, but if you've already gotten used to the embarrassment of being seen with a Nintendo handheld in public, this shouldn't be an issue.

The minigames start off simple enough. Jerk the system back and forth to make a stick figure kick a soccer ball up in the air (the sense of gravity is beautiful), rotate a circular maze to avoid popping a floating bubble, move a dude's head back and forth to avoid an onslaught of flying baseballs... it's the usual Wario Ware craziness. The minigames seem slightly less zany than they are in the original Wario Ware, but in hindsight, that can be chalked up to growing accustomed to just how zany the franchise is. Over the years we've slowly been desensitized to this zaniness. (Yes, that is a real word.) However, the cut-scenes seem to overcome this by ushering in new levels of kookiness, imbecility, preposterousness, absurdity, and plenty of other words I could spend all day pulling up on Thesaurus.com.

After the first few rounds, things start to get a little tricky. A round of games that don't use the motion sensor will fly by, throwing consistency to the wind; and the next round will utilized the motion sensor and the normal button controls. Never before have we been forced to perfectly time hitting the A button in conjunction with rotating the GBA around as fast as possible. Most of the time this isn't a problem, but it can get a little awkward when playing on a DS. The best set of games by far is 9-Volt's classic NES series. These offer a new ‘twist' (ugh, that was awful) on games we've played a hundred times over, and make them feel like brand new experiences. 9-Volt's final level has us playing a warped fisheye-lens version of Super Mario Bros., using the A button to jump and tilting the system left or right to move. It's invigorating to play these old games and have them feel like completely new experiences.

So, what's to do after completing the entire story mode in two hours? Well, the pointless ‘toys' from Touched! are back, and they're mostly snore-worthy. However, the bonus games are definitely worth it, and add quite a bit of replay value to the game. Although the main source of replay value in the portable Wario Ware games will always be getting top scores on all of the dozens of minigames, and playing the high-speed and endurance modes. If I may ask: where's the multiplayer? Even the same kind of ridiculous little single-screen games from Mega Microgame$ would have made a great addition. I've been hoping for some portable multiplayer wackiness (man, I'm running out of these words) since becoming unhealthily dependant on Mega Party Game$ for the GameCube.

This game gets an N-Philes score of A.

Wario Ware Twisted tops the original in terms of intuitive gameplay, graphics and sound... but the basic formula hasn't changed a bit. Which is good, it probably doesn't need to be changed. Ultimately, Twisted is a complete package, and the few minor setbacks do little to deter it from being just about as good as the first Wario Ware, which has already become a videogame milestone.

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