WarioWare: Touched!

"Touching gamers in ways they never imagined possible"

A couple of years ago, Nintendo released WarioWare: Mega Microgame$ for the GBA. It was a whole new experience for gamers, playing through one 5-second game after another. Though the game didn't take long to beat, it was fairly addicting, and hard to put down. Now it's been brought over to the DS, and once again Nintendo's made a fun, entertaining experience.

Story: 8/10

Well, it's not very deep, but it's entertaining to say the least. Basically Wario steals two game systems (GBA and SP?) and is on his way home, but he trips and they fall in the sewer. But an angel comes up with the systems and a two-screened system (not quite the DS) and asked which he dropped. Wario, being the greedy freako he is, needed all of 'em, so he took them. He couldn't figure out how to work it until he found the stylus.

This prologue really has very little to do with the game itself, as none of the characters seem to be actually making Micro Games. Instead, they go through a series of doorways or pathways that dishes out Micro Games in the same style as the first game. Whether the characters actually made them or not remains a mystery. But what you do get is a type of story that reflects the character and has a good way to give you Micro Games. During each character's story sequence, you'll get a little minigame at one point that reflects the type of Micro Games they have. This is a fairly nice touch.

Characters: 9/10

You have all the characters from the first game, though Dribble & Spitz only make a cameo. Orbulon doesn't have his own stage, but he flies around and gives you souvenirs when he recieves them. He also plays a significant role in one of the story sequences.

Additionally, you'll get two new characters, Ashley and Mike. Ashley is a teenage witch (nothing like Sabrina) who brews evil potions with her assistant, Red (a little devil dude). Her temper is very... eh, let's just say that nobody ever wants to make her angry. Mike is a robot made by Crygor. He's designed for karaoke and parties, but is given household chores. He can't help but boogie though, as you'll find out in the game.

There's also a "super zero" in there, but I'd rather not spoil it for you. =)

Sound & Music: 9.5/10

No issues here. Though the game isn't loaded with orchestral masterpieces, the bits of music it has are made fairly well. It always seems to fit in with the current events. Most of the sound effects are wacky and silly, and it adds to the game's humor. Again, they seem to be in place.

What makes the music shine is the theme songs of the two new characters, Mike and Ashley. Ashley has music that plays all throughout her stage, and it's rather catchy. I found myself playing her stage several times to hear it. Mike's theme is equally awesome, and it plays through his story sequence. It makes me wanna karaoke...

The only problem is the fact that Mike's theme isn't included in the record player. That's just lame.

Gameplay: 10/10

Like Mega Microgame$, Touched has you playing five-second microgames with only a few seconds in between, with the occasional speed boost and boss battle. This can get you pretty focused on the game, and it makes you never wanna put it down.

Each character has their own type of minigames, such as spinning, rubbing, and blowing. Yes, that's right, blowing. You have to blow into the microphone slot to play Mike's games. Trust me, I got some odd looks from the family when they saw me blowing into my DS. All the Micro Games reflect the theme rather well, and even playing the same thing over and over refuses to get old.

A nice addition to the gameplay is the collecting of souvenirs, which are little toys or games you can play with. Most of them are fairly interesting, and can keep you entertained if you wanna take a break from the main game. Collecting all the souvenirs also adds a bit of challenge.

Length: 7/10

Okay, the game can be beaten in a rather short amount of time, even when you're trying to get all the souvenirs. But you never really get the urge to quit after you beat the game, as there's plenty of variety in the game.

Difficulty: 8/10

The games usually start out fairly simple, but can get more complicated as you get further into them. They come in three levels, each with something to complicate it more than the last. It can get difficult to rack up points around the 40's or 50's, which makes it more tense.

However, some of the games are pathetically easy, and others are downright frustrating. One of them involves cooling off a cup of coffee by blowing on it, and another involves catching tiny creatures in a net. The coffee thing, on all three levels, simply has you blow on the microphone and win. The net thing, however, is very annoying. You'll often miss creatures for no obvious reason, and for some reason the net can't turn worth crap.

But overall, the games are pretty balanced, and the few occasions where you get frustrated are rare.

Replay value: 10/10

I can't see myself bored by this game. It just doesn't get old, and you keep coming back for more. As mentioned previously, you'll wanna play the game over and over long after you finish it. There are just so many micro games, minigames, and souvenirs... The fun never ends!

Overall: 9/10

Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have done a great job with both games. This game is like a box of activities to do with your DS, and it can be hard to stop playing. I would highly recommend buying this game if you're the owner of a DS, and be sure to keep a look out for WarioWare: Twisted! coming out for the GBA.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/17/05