WarioWare: Touched!

"This Should Have Come With The DS As A Tech Demo"

Out of all the games that have been released for the NDS so far, this is probably one of the better ones, and considering it was one of the first, that could be seen as good or bad. It has the best use of the touch and dual screens, and offers some truly frantic gameplay.

===
Storyline (N/A)
===

Ok, there really isn't one, the game presents you with some characters, you select one and play their variety of mini games. There is a little intro movie, but it doesn't really have any relevance other than to say this is Wario Ware for the DS. It's not all that important though as if they had attempted to put a story into the game, it probably would have sucked anyway.

===
Gameplay (7/10)
===

As the game is nothing more than a collection of mini games, it really is a mixed bag; some you're going to like, others you probably won't. The game does feel at times as if it's nothing more than a tech demo for the DS, but that's because it utilises all the new functions the DS possesses, which is a good thing. Unfortunately while there is a large variety, a lot of them just feel like the exact same games, just with different graphics placed over them, which can get a bit boring, especially when all you're doing for ten minutes is blowing into the microphone. Some of them also lack any type of instruction, which can led to fits when all you're trying to do is work out what's expected of you. For ages, I dreaded the appearance of one particular game as I didn't know what the hell it wanted me to do, I did finally figure it out, but it was a stressful part of the game trying to work that out.

Some of the games show a pretty imaginative use of the touch screen and show the capabilities that this system possesses over others. A lot of the games are fun to play, but unfortunately this makes it difficult to get into for any extended period of time, as that is ALL you can do. There is another menu that allows you to play any mini game you've already played over and over until you die or get bored. Thus it really depends on much you want to play the game, as it is possible to complete it in a few hours, but if you find games you like, you'll probably keep coming back. Some of the boss battles are a bit crappy, such as super zero's, and in all honesty, some of them show a real lack of imagination, but the one's that are good really elevate the title.

In all honesty, it feels like they could have done more with the game, but they probably ran out of ideas, there are about 180 after all. :) It is handy though that they grouped the games together depending on which character you choose. For example, Mike the robot exclusively uses the microphone for his games, whereas Ashley and her Dragon have mini games that involve dragging (get it? -.-).

===
Graphics (7/10)
===

With all the different games, it's obvious to see they were drawn by a lot of different people, thus as with the game itself, it's a mixed bag. Some of them look great and are really nicely drawn, whereas others seem really bland and kind of bad. Since you're only going to spend about five seconds looking at them per mini game, there's not too much to complain about, and they do their job well enough; the one's that look good are just a bonus. While most of it is in 2D, there are some 3D games, which don't look that great in my opinion, and the cut scenes before each character's mini games start are in 3D, and in all honesty, are just a waste of time.

===
Sounds (7/10)
===

For the most part the sounds are decent enough and the music has some nice tunes, however, because the mini games change every five seconds, it can lead to earache pretty easily. It also sucks when you're doing one of the characters whose music sucks, because you have to spend about 30 games listening to it, like Super Zero's.

===
Lifespan (7/10)
===

When you've finished a certain criteria you can unlock extra little games, some of which are useless like the calculator, whereas others are actual games. There's also a lot to keep you challenged like the monster mix, which uses all the mini games, but you only have one life to do it with. Thus as with most games, it's easy enough to get through the basics, but there's a lot to keep you coming back, and for a portable console, the game probably offers the best entertainment value, as you don't need to give it too much attention for too long. The one thing that sucks is that when you play the mini games separately, when you've gone through all the stress of finally finishing them, all you get is a gold crown above their heads. It's not really much of a reward for having gone through all that, and in all honesty, if I'd have known that's all I'd have got, I wouldn't have bothered with it.

===
Summary (7/10)
===

Even though there's a lot of games there, a lot of them are just repeats and others are very unimaginative, and thus dull. Between these ones there are some games that are fun to play, which is what saves this game. Also as mentioned, as a portable game it works very well, and is perfect for travelling. Overall, while there is some content that leaves a lot to be desired, this is probably the game that has the best use of the stylus and two screens. If they make a sequel, it would be a lot better to remove all the duplicate games and ones where you simply press a button, which aren't that interesting, and instead offer some truly innovative gameplay.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/10/07