WarioWare: Touched!

"Is WarioWare-ing Out?"

Wario has always held a back seat in Nintendo games. Coming out with only a few mediocre Gameboy/Gameboy Color games, the fat treasure hunting lunatic hasn't been given much attention. With the release of Warioware, Wario has seen a whole new light. Now, that light has been spread to the Nintendo DS with Warioware Touched.

Gameplay
It's only logical that this game would come out for the DS. The hardware is perfect for such a wacky franchise. For those that are unfamiliar with the game, players are tossed into a wave of five-second (or less) micro-games. There is no explanation or instructions beyond a single world such as "Fill" or "Slice" that flashes at the beginning of each micro game. Trying to figure out what the goal is actually becomes half the fun. Most of the micro games are very uninspired, and although they are all new, there are some that have been reused. For example one of the games is the exact same games as was in the GBA version only now you tap the A button of a GBA on the touch screen. There are, however, many games that are really fun to play over again, and some are wacky enough that they inspire laughter every time they are played. In the main game mode there are cut-scenes throughout each character's levels. These break away from the game and really slow things down, which can become very annoying. It wouldn't be so bad if the cut-scenes were genuinely good, but they are truly awful. Nintendo tried to hard to give a story to something that doesn't need one.

Graphics
The Warioware line of games is known for it's crazy graphical presentation. It's a huge mixed bag filled with crappy jpegs, MS Paint art, crisp cartoon art, and now a little bit of 3D. Most of the graphics in the game look like something a little kid whipped up with MS Paint in a few seconds. Other parts are very good looking, the character design for example is well thought out and beautifully crafted. There isn't much 3D in the game, but what is there doesn't look too out of place.

Sound
Warioware Touched sounds awful. It is similar to a first generation Gameboy Advance game. There are a few catchy tunes, and most of the in-between music is neat, but it all sounds very digitized. Sound effects are pretty standard, not quite as crazy as other Warioware games.

Controls
Equip your stylus and extra lung capacity because Warioware fully utilizes the DS's unique features, leaving the standard buttons untouched throughout the entire game. Even the menus are controlled via the touch screen, and cannot be navigated alternatively with the D-pad. The basic controls for the game are tap, drag, swirl, slice, and blow. All of them are a blast to perform except for the 'blow' category. By simply blowing continuously into the microphone, one can beat most of the blowing micro-games. The other selections, though, can be pretty intense and require a quick hand and a sharp eye.

Lasting Appeal
There are around 180 micro-games packed into Warioware Touched, but 180 games aren't a big number when looking at 5-second micro games. It really doesn't take long to see them all. The story mode is extremely easy and is over quickly. There are a lot of characters to open, but even then it doesn't last long. Luckily, when everyone is unlocked, several more modes open up. One of which starts you off at an extremely fast speed, another starts you out with only one life, and yet another is simply a continuous run of micro-games that, of course, gets faster as you progress. Even with these modes, they are only fun to play a few times before you've seen everything and are ready for something new. By reaching certain unknown goals souvenirs are brought from an alien. Most of them provide a good laugh once, but have no lasting appeal or fun factor at all. For example one of the toys is a jell-o mold that you can bounce around by touching it. It's funny once, but never again. There is no other draw to continue playing Warioware other than to set a high score, but if you are the only one that plays the game, it's kind of lame to continuously beat your high score over and over again. Warioware doesn't last long, but that short while is memorable and quite a blast.

Frustration
Warioware Touched is easy. This can be played through in only a few sittings without ever restarting a level. The only time I found myself frustrated was trying to open more hidden secrets. I worked for hours playing every one of Mona's games to get a little red rose reward, and in the end all that happened was Mona wore a gold crown instead of a silver one. Huge disappointment. It's much too vague what needs to be done to open secrets.

Points
+ Intense micro-gameplay
+ Funny and fun
-- Cut-scenes
-- Too few micro games
-- Too easy

Score: 7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/25/05, Updated 04/02/07