Worms World Party

"Depends on what you expect."

Let me start off by saying that the Worms series is one of the best TBS's of all time. Some ports of it have been significantly scaled down, and unfortunately, this is no exception. It's still a great game in itself, though.

I have to point out that if you're expecting an accurate port of the PC version, you will be in for a major disappointment. However, if you compare this to the previous handheld version of Worms (and to itself), it's a wonderful game.

It retains more or less the same feel of the PC version, with acceptable physics and unfortunately laughable hit detection in some areas (particularly with grenades and the like). It's certainly the kind of game that you can come back and play over and over (especially if you don't have access to another version at the time).

Pretty much all the weapons from the PC version are here, even the fire weapons, notorious for being cut out of the console versions. It's noteworthy to point out two other things -- one, the Ninja Rope is rather useless. Two, there has been a NEW weapon added (I won't spoil it for you, though). The rest work rather well.

The controls are slightly complicated, and it's a nuisance to have to press L and Select to redefine a grenade's settings, all while your turn time slowly ticks down.

There are 8 missions, a Deathmatch mode, and of course, the classic free-for-all multiplayer mode. The game's biggest drawback is that it has NO battery save whatsoever. So whatever changes you make to any settings, and whatever missions you complete, will not be recorded. Don't let this deceive you, though -- the multiplayer mode is all that really matters.

The graphics are fairly well done (the Worms look rather pixellated on the GBA's screen, but what can you expect?) There is one unalterable speech bank included, and it gets the job done. The rest of the sound effects are very well done, making the game sound a lot like its PC counterpart. The music is hard to stand in most cases, but it can be turned off easily.

Now, probably the biggest question is: Will this game keep your interest? Well, it certainly keeps mine. I'd say it's the kind of game that you can play for short stretches at a time, for a very long span before you finally get bored with it.

Okay, final verdict! Do you rent, or buy? Considering how many people seem to hate this game, I'd say rent first, just to be on the safe side. If you don't hate it within the first several minutes of playing, then it should be worth a purchase.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/17/02, Updated 11/17/02