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04/17/05 Written by Geoff “Raine” Jackson
The Game:
WarioWare is something of an odd party game. Amidst countless sequels to MarioParty and other little party sets, WarioWare stands out for two reasons: one, its decided competitiveness. Most game modes will have players at each other’s throats in a kind of video game Darwinism, where only the crafty, the cunning, and the truly ruthless will survive. Two, the mini-games actual length.
The longest mini-game ran at approximately fifteen seconds in duration, with the average game being much shorter. With such fast-paced play, WarioWare makes for a grueling endurance test of hilarity, as players try to keep their attention together to beat a collection of several hundred mini-games from just as many old Nintendo titles.
This game is, of course, best played with a party of four people. Less can be used, but the effect of some of the game modes is diminished with less than a full load.
Gameplay:
WarioWare Inc. is a decidedly simple game, with some very deceptive twists. Most of the mini-games contained within WarioWare’s collection are very simple, requiring only one or two buttons to complete. However, given that most mini-games are over in a matter of seconds and require an acute awareness of the objective to be completed, many players will be left cross-eyed and dumbfounded after their first time tackling some of the puzzles.
While the game is very simple, the real meat of WarioWare comes in its interaction between players. This varies between game modes, but a general rule applies, the other players will often be the main barrier between you and ultimate victory.
The mini-games are pulled from hundreds of old Nintendo titles, with some coming from the original Metroid, Super Mario, etc. They show a great variety in content, from timing games to memory games, to games that test patience and co-ordination. Many are deceptively easy, but when the element of the other players is thrown in, they can become all but impossible.
This game is playable by just about any age group. Young players can enjoy the game as is, but older players can appreciate how easily the game lends to drinking trials. Please drink responsible if you choose to follow this course.
Visuals:
WarioWare Inc. is visually pretty simplistic. Many of its graphics are direct ports from older Nintendo games, so there is little graphical flair to speak of. Most of the in-game menus and ‘tween action moments are rendered as a sort of paper anime, with bizarre outlines and jerky movements.
All in all, the graphics don’t play a major role in this game, and for what they are used for, they do the job without much complaint on my part.
Audio:
This is where WarioWare Inc. falls down. The music clips and audio bits from the game are generally pretty muddy and not catchy in the slightest. The characters that players can choose as their in-game avatars all make some kind of noise when selected; but so far, I have only been partially able to discern various mewlings, groans, and what could very well be a roll on a poorly tuned synthesizer.
Given the sheer number, and I daresay density of all the other content provided by WarioWare Inc., the sound is an issue that can be easily overlooked in favour of all the other tantalizing tidbits (in effect, the entire game is tidbits) that are available to the player.
Control:
The Gamecube controller was built with an amazing number of features and capabilities, such as two-stage triggers, and a variable thumbstick. WarioWare Inc. takes advantage of almost none of these features, instead aiming for the simplicity of the D-pad, and the A and B buttons. This is for the best, as most of the games go so quickly that any advanced button mashing or trigger pulling could actually work against the player.
In fact, many prefer the simplicity of WarioWare, as it brings the game down to two things: the skill of the players, and sheer luck.
Replay Value:
WarioWare Inc. possesses a tremendous replay value, given it’s large number of diverse and fun play modes, and the random selection of mini-games that are selected to challenge the players. The mini-games can be similar sometimes, but depending on the difficulty, or just the random factors in the game, odd twists might be incorporated to throw a player off. An example would be the bull-dodging mini-game. The standard round will have the player dodge the bull once, but on an odd occasion the bull might turn around and come back, and the player will only be saved by a quick second dodge.
Depending on whom you play the game with, its dynamics will change as well. WarioWare is best enjoyed as a light-hearted competition between friends, but it also lends well to competition with some of its more intense game modes. The most common party favorite involves all four players balancing on turtles between mini-games, and whoever remains atop their turtles the longest is declared the victor of the round. For those who are less competitive, WarioWare also includes one game mode where all four players work together to achieve victory.
Overall:
WarioWare is a must-own party game for any person who owns four controllers for their ‘cube. Despite its poor sound and sometimes maddening mini-games, WarioWare Inc. will remains a classic game for the Gamecube for years to come. One can only hope that it’s simple success will be followed up with even more insanity on the Nintendo Wii.
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