N-Philes

Wario Ware Smooth Mooves

Posted February 3rd 2007 by Stephanie DeSiena.

The WarioWare franchise has become a staple in Nintendo's portfolio since its original conception in 2003. It is arguably creator Intelligent System's most significant modern franchise, and certainly its most popular. In the past, games in the WarioWare legacy have been known to show off Nintendo's latest technological innovations. WarioWare Twisted made use of a new tilting device developed for the Game Boy Advance, and WarioWare Touched! made use of the then-relatively new touch screen on the Nintendo DS. So it's appropriate that in 2007, Wario returns on Nintendo's brand new Wii system, showcasing features present within the system's new remote control interface.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves launched with the Japanese Wii in December, but us lowly gamers on the other side of the raging sea had to wait another month to get their grubby mitts on a localized version. And while the game may not be significant in terms of the WarioWare brand, it was certainly worth the wait, as it's the best display of the Wii's unique controlling capabilities to date. Like its predecessors, the game unfolds as a set of quick-draw mini-games which give you vague instructions on how to complete them. You'll have to think and react as quickly as you can in order to advance. As you complete games successfully, the action heats up as the mini-games become faster and more complex.

In this version of WarioWare, players are instructed to complete each mini-game while handling the remote specific fashions, tailored to suit the objectives of each game. Some games require you to hold the remote like you would a normal remote control, while others have you holding it as if it were a broom or an umbrella, while others have you pretending to play tug-of-war or holding the controller as if you were thumb wrestling it. My personal favorite is when the game instructs you to place the controller face-down on a flat surface, and pick it up quickly when the mini-game calls for it. For example, there is a mini-game that has you place the remote on the floor as you wait for the on-screen phone to ring. When the phone rings you need to pick the remote up quickly, and if you hold the remote to your ear you hear a little message from the on-screen character. It's really clever and thoughtful how the developers worked in the use of the remote as if you were actually manipulating the item showing on the screen itself.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is the first console version of [WarioWare to feature a fully-fleshed out single player story mode, which is as detailed as the handheld versions of the game. You'll start out with an unpopulated Diamond City map, and as you progress through each character's set of mini-games, more will become available. Favorites like Mona, Kat & Ana, Dribble & Spitz, Jimmy T. and almost all of the previous games' characters are present (sorry Mike fans, he's been cut), as well as a few new characters to build upon the already diverse and bizarre gameplay elements that are shared throughout games in the series. Each character has sets of mini-games that usually have specific graphical styles, such as Kat & Ana's nature games and 9-Volt's games based on classic Nintendo titles (you'll actually notice homages to a number of Nintendo DS and GameCube games this time around). Aside from normally being tight, both in control and style, the game's trademark wackiness literally slaps you in the face and forces it down your throat with each and every micro-game. One game will have you shooting down an alien spaceship and avoiding its lasers, another will have you shooting bananas into a giant nose, while another has you drinking water as gracefully as you can in order to grow a disgustingly huge afro. Fans of the previous Warioware games know the drill by now, while the rest of the population that has been living in caves for the past four years are certainly in for a treat.

Thankfully, the single player mode is fairly robust. The challenge towers have returned, there are a host of full-length mini-games to unlock (including a stacking game – a staff favorite), there's Dr. Crygor's set which plays like a weight-loss training game, and there is even a set of games that have you using the nunchuck in addition to the remote. However, it wouldn't be a WarioWare game without a stellar party mode, and Smooth Moves delivers. Like WarioWare: Mega Party Game$ on the GameCube, you begin with a single multiplayer mode, but more modes become unlocked simply by playing the ones before it. Every game is played by passing around a single remote, so don't think you need to drop cash on buying more remotes just yet. While there are only four proper multiplayer modes to be found, each are solid and diverse enough to be rotated frequently. The game's survival mode is twelve players (!!) and a blast for big gatherings. Smaller groups might want to try out the game's other variations, such as a hot potato mode which allows players to choose exactly who they want to "attack" by selecting mini-games for them to play. Smooth Moves is definitely not a title to miss for Wii owners with friends.

As mentioned earlier, the trademark wackiness that made the original WarioWare so popular returns in Smooth Moves, now with cleaner graphics than ever and a presentation that neither astounds nor offends. Each mini-game has its own graphical style, which ranges from fully-rendered 3D stages to doodles done by a five year old on the hallway wall. Artistically, the game might not be as impressive as some of the more atmospheric showings found in WarioWare Twisted and the original GBA game, but what's there is appropriate, and it can even be brilliant at times. Shaking bugs off a doodle of a banana to please a poorly drawn ape isn't poised to impress anyone, but controlling a 3D robot around an open field during a sunset might be able to leave you with a warm feeling that video games rarely offer. The most distinct overall presentation – i.e. the drawing of the main characters, the menus, and the overworld map – are typical fare and what we've come to expect from Intelligent Systems by now.

The sound is also WarioWare-standard, and fans will feel right at home with Smooth Moves's two-measure tunes and squeals from the characters cheering you on. A shining accomplishment comes in the form of the game's full-vocal song, which is a series tradition. It's called "Tomorrow Hill" and it plays during the Dribble & Spitz stage, and it's possibly my favorite WarioWare vocal ever. I'm a nut for those songs, too.

All in all, Smooth Moves makes the best use of the Wii's features so far, so it's definitely worth checking out, especially if you've exhausted the launch titles. The single player mode is over pretty quickly, but its replay value is through the roof, unless you're the type that feels silly flailing your arms to video games while all by your lonesome. But then why did you buy a Wii in the first place?

Steady Beat - He's Wario. He's-a Gonna Ween-a.

With a solid line-up of mini-games, an endlessly fun multiplayer mode, and the craziness you've come to know and love from everyone's favorite menacing alter-ego of a plumber that wears a red cap, it's hard not to recommend WarioWare: Smooth Moves to Wii owners everywhere. While the series is typically best suited for on-the-go play on handhelds, this game is still tantamount to the franchise's style and charm. Plus, how else are you going to force a friend to place apples into a basket by using his elephant trunk?

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