"Very Disappointing"

The release of a new Wario title is always a little exciting; with a penchant for silly stories and fun games, Master of Disguise was an anticipated addition to the DS library. Like other DS additions of older franchises, the new game hoped to make use of the unique features to present a unique game. However, there are a few big issues with the new title that make it more of a disappointment than anything else.

Let's face it - if you're looking for a game with a story, you're barking up the wrong tree with Wario. That said, the plot presented in Master of Disguise isn't half bad. Wario, after being sucked into his TV while lazing about, gains the powers of disguise to loot and plunder his way through puzzle-based platforming levels. As each level is completed, he gains a piece of the legendary Wish Stone. While attempting to keep any and all treasures away from his rival, the Silver Zephyr, Wario also strives to piece together the Wish Stone so that he may wish for his own riches. While the game's writing is not a perfect model of wit and humor, it is silly and fun, just as we've come to expect from a Wario game. Unfortunately, some of the writing's charm is lost in the boring, repetitive gameplay.

Wario: Master of Disguise offers simple gameplay - the touchpad allows the player to change costumes and use special disguise-specific moves, while basic movement is controlled on the D-pad (A/B/X/Y buttons for the left-handed user). A design drawn on Wario allows him to change costumes. With 8 total, they are widely ranged (featuring everything from an astronaut to a scientist) and offer many unique abilities that allow the player to complete the puzzles in each level.

The game's levels are heavily based on puzzles; typically, combinations of costumes and abilities are needed to advance. While this may sound quite fun, the levels are typically drawn out in too-long ventures with repetitive puzzles and enemies. Treasures initially break up the monotony with a minigame, but those are in short supply and eventually become repetitive and mind-numbing as well.

In addition to repetitive gameplay, the game's mechanics are a little fuzzy. Switching costumes quickly for a boss fight or to finish a puzzle room can be glitchy; costumes become mixed up and you spend a few seconds (critical in a boss fight) trying to get Wario in the right disguise. Though only a problem with certain costumes and costume combinations, it is nevertheless very annoying, especially early on in the game.

Not considering the difficulty added by the shaky controls, the game itself is pretty easy. The levels are long, with room after room of puzzles, but there is generally little challenge. Bosses can initially pose a threat and are typically fun to beat, which helps break up fighting the same basic enemies over and over again. The low overall difficulty, however, makes the long levels fell like a huge task just for a fun boss.

The visuals of Master in Disguise eventually become about as numbing as the gameplay. Though brightly colored, the scenery is not varied and can wear on the eyes in levels that can easily take an hour. Wario's sprite is well done and fun to look at, and the animation is simple but not unfitting to the mood of the game. The costumes all animate differently, so monotony is not usually much of a problem in that regard. The sprites for non-playable characters, however, vary little and tend to blend right into the scenery (and not in an exciting, sneaky way).

In contrast to all this bland, the game really does have a pleasing soundtrack. The background music is catchy and fun to listen to, adequately fitting the mood of each level and making up for some of the blandness in background design. Accompanying voice acting is scarce; there are grunts and laughter, but not much other than that (not as if it was expected).

Wario: Master of Disguise does attempt to give players some replayability. You can access minigames and go back through levels to try and beat them faster or gain more treasures, among other things. It's too bad that the length of the levels makes this a null point. The minigames are so repetitive that you'll never want to play them outside of the levels, and without unlockable content there's no real incentive to get a higher score other than for bragging rights. Even that seems like a drag when the levels are already somewhat boring to begin with.

Wario: Master of Disguise is a bit of a disappointment. While it's fun to occasionally pick up and plink through a level, there is no real incentive to play and progress through the game. The story is fun, and the writing is good, but both are overshadowed by the boring, exhaustingly long levels. With boring graphics, boring gameplay, and glitchy mechanics, the effort just doesn't quite seem worth the result. If you really like puzzle games or puzzle platforms, there might be a place in your collection for Master of Disguise; otherwise, you might just want to borrow it from a friend.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 04/23/07