"WarioWore me out with entertainment"

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is a collection of quick-fire games that you play using the Wii Remote (called the “Form Baton” in the game). There are over 250 mini-games to challenge you quickly as you jump from one mini-game to the next, sometimes not knowing what hit you. But, that's the fun of WarioWare!

Graphics: 84%
WarioWare: Smooth Moves runs you through a series of games that usually only last about a few seconds. However, each game is more different than the last, and you'll need to be on your toes. While you play, though, you'll notice that the game's visuals are very, very cartoon-like; when you're swatting a fly, or baking a cake, you'll feel like you're in some kind of childish world, and it's great. Other stages, like picking up rubbish as a robot, spraying water onto a fire as Mario, or even knocking a barrel over as the bounty hunter Samus, all possess nice graphics that can be appreciated as you fly through the games. Even an 8-bit Mario looks great in this game.

Sound: 88%
Every game in Smooth Moves has a different clip of music accompanying it, even if it does only last about five seconds. You'll definitely be amused by the cartoon-like music that you get to listen to when you flip a pancake, balance on a ball, pump a balloon, or unlock a door. Kiddie sounds like a high-pitched squeak when you drop your Wii Remote in the “Drop it!” mini-game will make you laugh, and when a game makes you laugh, you can't go wrong. In the Nintendo shorts, you'll get to listen to classic Nintendo themes like Zelda, Mario, Metroid amongst others.

Gameplay: 93%
The game starts off with Wario finding a Form Baton (a Wii Remote) and thrusts you directly into eight games to teach you the mechanics of WarioWare. From here you get to visit other scenarios with other people of “Diamond City”, and each mini-game is different with a respective boss at the end of each series. After beating the boss in a scenario, you can return and shoot for the high-score, as well as collect “Pose Cards”, which show you how to hold the remote in stupid ways and make you look like an idiot - which is definitely one of the funniest parts of the game. With over 250 mini-games, you'll be entertained trying to beat each and every scenario, for sure.

Controls: 93%
Smooth Moves forces the player to hold the remote in at least 16 different positions, yet it's one of the most creative and outrageous styles of play you'll see in any Wii game to date. Players are forced to hold the Wii Remote like a handlebar, a janitor's mop, a dumbbell, and even a mohawk above their head, as they play their way through the hilarious and sometimes humiliating-to-the-player-but-awesome-anyway mini-games. What makes it harder in the later stages is keeping track of how to hold the Wii Remote - even though it tells you just how to hold it, you truly can never be prepared for what game it's going to throw at you. Regardless, it's one of the most broad and intuitive control schemes that is evident in a Nintendo game, probably because the scheme varies so much, while being so fun to play.

Replay Factor: 95%
The replay factor of Smooth Moves is great, especially when you unlock the Blue Elephant Building - a mash of every single mini-game that you've unlocked in the entire game itself. It's definitely worth replaying to try and beat your old scores, and it's unbelievably funny watching your friends attempt to pass games they've never done before. While there is a multiplayer, it pales compared to the one-player, only because the multiplayer takes too long to get going. With over 250 mini-games that get faster as you get better, and with games that fly at you once you're really good at the game, Smooth Moves will definitely have you coming back to it time and time and time again.

Final Score
9/10

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is an incredibly entertaining collection of mini-games that can be played over and over, and still draw you in to try and beat your old scores. It's a wonder how 5-second mini-games that fly at you one after the other can be so entertainingly fun, but Smooth Moves is evidence of that fun in game form. If you're looking for a hilarious Wii experience, look no further than the newest WarioWare instalment.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/17/07

Game Release: WarioWare: Smooth Moves (AU, 01/25/07)