Stage 1: Impressions |
Stage 2: Analysis |
Stage 3: Evaluation |
WarioWare: Smooth Moves has a very unique target audience. Though this game has been compared to Wii Sports, it doesn't resemble the bundled software in any way besides a great deal of expected innovation. This game is the hardcore version of Wii Sports without the sports and the simultaneous multiplayer.
Players hoping to find an options menu will be disappointed, as there is none. There is no way to turn off select games, particularly the faulty "The Samurai" games, and no means of changing your options around. The only three options you have is your preferred hand, Mii, and gender.
Still, as a single-player experience, this game is both incredible and worthwhile when said problems are overlooked. There are enough games to keep any hardcore gamer playing and any newcomer watching, though the newcomer may refuse to play because there are too many control styles to learn.
This isn't one of the can't-find-the-controller games, you just
have to keep your hand low to the ground. Remember that!
Despite the attempts to get the Wii Sports players to try the game out, frustration came in the form of "I'm supposed to do what?" and "I don't understand what is going on!" after several tries. This sort of frustration questions why there's a 12-player game with only one try for each. With over 200 separate games to learn, Smooth Moves provides little in the form of learning curve. Even hardcore gamers may feel disappointed, as there's no way to track your wins and losses like GameCube's WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$.
If you're looking for the sequel to Wii Sports, wait until February for Wii Play. Smooth Moves proves itself in its own right: an innovative single-player experience. If the only reason a gamer plans to buy this is for innovative Wii Remote use, then spend away. If this is planned to bring people together, it may only gather friends on the couch to watch a hardcore gamer play. There's no easy way to get a casual gamer to learn every style without going through the entire story mode. That's over an hour for each player with incredible luck, up to days for players with slow reflexes.
Don't be misled: if this review system only centered around the use of the Wii Remote, this game would have an easy A- for everything barring the games that never seem to work right. The presentation is hilarious, but barely surpassing its GameCube and portable counterparts. Lacking options and no ability to turn off the can't-find-the-controller games makes the experience extremely frustrating and more dependent on luck rather than skill. A few songs are very catchy, but most can be forgotten quite easily.
This puppy is like Smooth Moves: cute, worth having,
but may mean you have nobody else that wants to play with you.
It's fairly sad that WarioWare is returning to single-player focus with WarioWare, Inc.: Touched! and WarioWare Inc.: Twisted games, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. No online, as there's no Wi-Fi Connection for any North American game yet, but still a fun experience similar to the last two portable games.
WarioWare: Smooth Moves is ideal for players on the go, especially if gamers only have 5-10 minutes between activities. A stage can easily be defeated in a matter of five minutes, but repeating the stage takes as long as you can survive (or get lucky, depending on when you confront the game that never works on your setup). If you're tired of Wii Sports and need more variety by yourself, go for it.
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Classic WarioWare style.
Poor menu structure.
Innovative use(s) of Wii Remote
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Stage 1: Impressions |
Stage 2: Analysis |
Stage 3: Evaluation |
