WarioWare: Touched!

"Not that big of a deal."

I was intrigued by Wario Ware Inc DS ever since E3 2004, simply because it was the only game to make the best use of the touch screen. It wasn't a launch title, so I had to stick with Super Mario 64 DS. When it finally came out on Valentines' Day 2005 as "Wario Ware Touched!," I flipped. This was my first Wario Ware game, and if all the other Wario Ware, I think I'll stick to Zelda.

In Wario Ware Touched!, you get exactly 180 minigames that are so short that Nintendo calls them "microgames." That's the first problem with the game. The games are too short that I don't have time to fully appreciate them. I don't know if the microgames are addictive or not because I am so worried about beating each minigame that I can't decide if I am having fun or not.

That's not the only place where this game falls. The microgames are supposed to be self explanatory, but I just don't find them so. I have tried to read the indtructions, but I have to lift my head up from the bottoms screen to the top screen to read them. My head is pretty heavy, by the way. By the time I get my head to the top screen, I have about a nanosecond to read the instructions because the instructions go by so fast. Then I have to drop my head down as fast as I can to go play the microgame because they only last about five seconds apeice.

Another flaw in Wario Ware Touched! is the fast-paced action. This is supposed to make the game addictive, but in return makes it frustrating. You have to switch between microgames so fast that you do not often know when one starts and another ends until it is too late.

The story is rather simple. In fact, the whole game is broken down into a series of mini stories. The first one is Wario, where he loves candy and gets a bad tooth and goes to the dentist. Then he goes to the "Sweet Spot" and gets a lot of sweets, despite the fact that the dentist told him to avoid sweets. The story kind of sucks if you ask me, simply because the idea for such a story is just plain stupid. I can't explain why I don't like the story except for the fact that it's stupid.

The graphics are okay, but definitely not the best. The colors look kind of like easter, and there are thick lines on the outside of the objects. I can understand that this is part of the Wario Ware theme, but maybe they should have come up with another theme.

The sound is equally as average. You will hear quirky sound effects and background music that are okay, but you don't have any voice overs. I know that the DS is capable of voice overs because in Super Mario 64 DS on the title screen, you will hear Mario say "It's-a-me! Mario." The DS is capable of voice overs, so why not include them in this game beyond just grunts and moans?

The microgames are supposed to add replay value to themselves by allowing you to go for high scores, but the games are so fast-paced that you probably will get the highest score possible in story mode.

I'm sorry to disappoint a lot of people, but I just didn't have fun trying to play this game. I rate the game like this.

GRAPHICS: 7/10 (10%)
SOUND: 7/10 (10%)
GAMEPLAY: 6/10 (20%)
LIFESPAN: 7/10 (20%)
FUN: 6/10 (40%)

OVERALL: 6.2/10, which rounds to 6/10: If you have the reflexes of a rattlesnake and a strong neck, you might be able to play this game and enjoy it. I didn't.

RENT OF BUY: Rent. Even if I didn't say rent to every game I play (people might disagree with me, so I try to avoid conflict), I still would recommend renting this game. I just didn't have fun playing it.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 02/18/05