| Introduction
I have to say that I was completely baffled when
I first viewed the Japanese screen shots for Wario Ware.
Later on, when I saw the English screen shots, I was
still baffled. It took some time, and reading through
the information pack that came with my copy of Wario
Ware, before I realized that the game is actually a
compilation of "200 three-second mini games".
That's right, Wario Ware is probably the strangest game
ever from Nintendo.
GamePlay
As mentioned, Wario Ware is basically a crazy collection
of single objective games, some of which are familiar
old time favorites like those we used to play at carnivals
and fun fairs. Each game is proceeded by simple instructions
like 'count' or 'jump' and it's up to you to work out
what to do and how to do it.
The challenge is that it all takes place in a matter
of seconds and once you've solved one game it's on to
another. You have four lifelines on each section and
once you reach the completion criteria, you'll have
to battle it out on a boss level. Boss levels are generally
longer and more complicated than the rest of the games
and if you lose, it's right back to the beginning. Re-starting
isn't a problem though as the sections are so short
that boredom hardly sets in, even after the first 50
attempts.
The mini games are divided into different sections
where you have to challenge one of many strange characters.
You'll also notice that when you complete some of the
sections, you're rewarded with even more single and
multi player games. The best of these has to be the
endurance game with a mere four lifelines and an endless,
random succession of mini games thrown at you from all
angles. This really does play tricks on the mind, and
I managed just over 100 completions before I reached
mental overload.
You'll also have the opportunity, once you've beaten
the game, to play any of the challenges individually
and this reveals just how many games you've yet to uncover.
Fortunately, all your high scores are automatically
saved to a battery back up although only a single slot
is available. Kudos must go to Jimmy (think Disco Stu
from The Simpsons) who is not only one of the best characters
I've seen in a GBA title for ages but also the coolest
dancer.
Control
The control is actually part of the game's puzzle
and discovering how it works in each game is half the
challenge. It's quite simple though e.g. some games
may require you to press the 'A' button several times
or press 'up' on the 'D-Pad'. That's it really.
Graphics
Visually, Wario Ware is a little like a Nintendo
museum which features bits and pieces of games from
the company's history but shoved into a blender and
left on high speed. Some of graphics are incredibly
simple and could easily have appeared on the Classic
GameBoy, whilst others put the GBA's hardware to good
use. The highlights though are undoubtedly the clever
way in which the developers have utilized both transparencies
and scaling in the cut screens, which help to propagate
the rather confusing story line. I know I've mentioned
him before but you really have to check out Jimmy with
his hip shaking antics and other fully animated shenanigans.
I tell you, "THE DUDE CAN DANCE!".
Sound & Music
Obviously, Jimmy and friends need good music to dance
to and Wario Ware does not disappoint. It's the first
soundtrack for some time that's had me tapping my feet
to its rhythm. Most of the mini games also feature their
original sound effects and it is all tied together with
some voice samples from Wario and friends. It is clear
that the developers realized the importance of good
audio and how much more enjoyable it can make a game
when it's been well designed and implemented.
Final Comments
Wario Ware really should have a warning on the box
that says, "Danger! Highly Addictive!". In
a way, this is strange, as the game has nothing to brag
about in terms of fantastic 3D graphics or amazing originality.
What it has though is a unique 'pick-up-and-play' quality
and an addictiveness that appeals to nearly everyone
across the board. It also has good replay value, because
while you may initially complete the whole game in a
few hours, there are still lots of games to be uncovered
and not to mention the disco king who is Jimmy. All
in all, Wario Ware is a must buy for any GBA owner.
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