Nintendo's Wario Ware franchise seemed like a really awful idea once upon a time. For those unfamiliar with the series, the blueprint for each of the games is really simple: take hundreds of simple motions and inputs, turn them into three- to four-second "micro-games," and throw them at unsuspecting players at ever-increasing speeds with little to no introduction or warning. Admittedly, put in those words, it actually does sound kind of cool, but there's no denying the fact that gamers and critics alike were doubtful when the first game hit the scene in 2003. Four years later, however, the series is still going strong and its excitable fan base has been eagerly awaiting the first entry on the Wii, Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. Luckily for all of us, this anticipation has now been met with another great entry in one of gaming's most quirky and unusual properties.It's probably no surprise that Smooth Moves on the Wii is a close cousin to the Nintendo DS iteration, Wario Ware: Touched! Both systems focus heavily on the unique inputs available via the stylus and Wiimote, and the micro-games found within Smooth Moves are a bit of an evolution of the form. However, whereas the DS title was a bit of a letdown to long-term fans-mainly due a very structured design that led to few surprises-Smooth Moves improves the formula by mixing all of the ingredients into a more cohesive whole. Much like its predecessors, Smooth Moves contains over 200 micro-games-ranging from sweeping a floor or arm wrestling to shooting at tin cans and returning a softball-and none last for more than a few seconds. This time around, though, Nintendo has upped the ante with a gameplay conceit only possible on the Wii-poses and forms.

The Wiimote is re-dubbed the "Form Baton" in Smooth Moves, and this new moniker is incredibly apt. The main campaign is peppered with hokey vignettes-think "Deep Thoughts"-introducing over twenty individual "forms" (i.e., ways of holding the "baton"). The most basic-the Remote Control-works much like any other Wii title, but some of the more outrageous forms take some getting used to-such as the Mohawk (where gamers place the Wiimote on their heads) or the Elephant (requiring gamers to use the Wiimote like an artificial trunk). There's even a form that asks gamers to set the remote down on the table, and picking the remote back up at the right time is what triggers gameplay. This isn't dissimilar to the unique inputs developed for Touched! on the DS, but this time Nintendo has wisely mixed each level up with a variety of different forms. This means that gamers never really know which form will come up next, and much of the challenge is often getting into the right form before the associated micro-game kicks in.

The single player campaign in Smooth Moves is not necessarily all that lengthy, but it doesn't really have to be. Each stage presents players with a new character to assist or accompany on a weird narrative, and the resulting flurry of forms and micro-games initially culminates in a truncated "boss battle." Some of these challenges are pretty tame, but there are certainly some great ones in the mix-such as a redux of the original Starfox game. Fans of the series will be happy to see many familiar faces returning, and there are a few interesting surprises along the way for those who think they've seen it all. Best of all, though, completing the single player campaign does not relegate Smooth Moves to the shelf. Each level can be replayed to unlock even more games, and additional trips through the levels are structured in Wario Ware's traditional "play until it's so fast you can't keep up" style.

Progress in the single player campaign also unlocks a few standalone mini-games that are worth mentioning. The best of the bunch is probably a Duck Hunt-style shooting range, but persistent gamers will also find a quirky Breakout clone, a block balancing trial and a multiplayer-ready game of darts. None of these mini-games are going to win any awards, but they add a lot of value to an already enjoyable package. Various multiplayer modes are also unlocked at the completion of the campaign (including "Bomb"-a fan favorite), so gamers with a few friends are unlikely to get bored with the game for quite some time.

From a presentation standpoint, the Wario Ware games have always been winners. They certainly haven't pushed any platform to its limits, but that's beside the point. {quotes align=right}From stick figures to rough polygonal approximations of popular franchise titles, Wario Ware dares to impress via sharp and insanely creative (or is that just insane?) art direction rather than traditional horsepower or amped up visuals.{/quotes} It's a charming and attractive formula, even if it's not going to impress the jaded graphics nuts in the audience. And, if we may, we just have to say that the decision to go with a Day-Glo pink box for Smooth Moves is both pleasantly brilliant and strangely perverse. All of the other bells and whistles just add up to a really eccentric and enjoyable visual and aural experience-from the deadpan "form" introductions to the silly cartoon stories accompanying each character's level.

Wario Ware: Smooth Moves is definitely one of those games where it's easy to get caught up in the technical pizazz of the title and the sheer audacity of the gameplay and overlook some of the small shortcomings. Since this is a review, though, we'll try our best to apply a fair amount of scrutiny. It's true, for instance, that the campaign mode in Smooth Moves is over a bit too soon. While there are a healthy amount of different micro-games and a surprising number of original "forms," it would have been nice if the campaign had just progressed a little bit further (and become a little more difficult on the way). Also, the title boasts that it can support up to twelve players in multiplayer mode, but that's just a little bit silly. In reality, it's difficult to crowd more than five or six people around even the biggest television, especially since everyone has to share the same Wiimote. And the wrist strap? In multiplayer?? Yeah. Riiiiight.

None of these flaws amount to anything more than petty annoyances, however. At the end of the day, Smooth Moves is likely one of the best multiplayer titles the Wii will witness in the next year, and it certainly deserves a spot on almost anyone's game shelf. It may be short, and it certainly isn't a title suited to marathon gaming sessions, but its charms are difficult to deny and it will be a huge hit at almost any party.

Jan 29, 2007 | 0 comments
David Tolin