kjell1979's Full Review: WarioWare: Smooth Moves for Nintendo Wii
WarioWare first appeared on the Gameboy Advance back in 2003. The premise was simple: you competed in 5 second mini-games which challenged your ability to recognize what to do and complete the task before the timer ran out. These mini-games are also thrown at you in quick succession such that you don't get much of a breather between games. WarioWare was original in that it took these minigames and surrounded them with a funny sense of humor and such a frantic pace that it really gets your heart racing not knowing what to expect next.
Story
There's no real central story in WarioWare Smooth Moves. Instead there are 12 different loosely tied together "shorts" that detail the plight of a character. They range from Wario avoiding being crushed by a large boulder (ala Indiana Jones), or mini Wario falling into a motorcycle. They all have a similar style of humor and are worth watching, though probably not more than once. The story plays a central role, not so much because it's tied so closely to the gameplay (although for some stages it is) but rather because it sets the mood of the game from the beginning.
Gameplay
The core element of the gameplay is the five second minigame. The appeal of these games is that there's no instructions other than a word or phrase displayed prominently on the screen while the timer ticks down. The challenge is more figuring out the mechanics of the game than it is to actually to do the task in the alotted time. Most gaming beginners can shave a mustache, pick a nose, or balance on a ball once they know what to do. However, it's that idea of not knowing what comes next which really makes WarioWare fun.
WarioWare Smooth Moves takes that minigame element and expands it to the Wii Remote through many different controller positions. The farther you progress in the game, the more positions are used. Some stages will use a diverse variety, while others will focus just on just the new positions introduced. Overall there are about a dozen different stages, most of which introduce one or more controller positions. Each stage contains a boss game at the end which doesn't last the typical 5 seconds, but the premise remains the same. You still have to figure out the mechanics of the boss game on the fly and complete the task. With no timer, the goal remains harder and takes more discipline to see it to completion. However, like the other non-boss minigames, the fun comes more in figuring out the gameplay mechanics.
WarioWare Smooth moves has some other features as well. For instance, you can replay the cutscenes from each of the stories in the movie theater, you can replay each of the stories completed, or you can replay individual minigames once all the stories are completed. Finally, there's a multiplayer mode which is also available once the story mode is completed. It uses a single remote alternated among 2-12 different players. There are two problems with this. First, the Wii Remote is not easily passed around because the wrist strap is not easily removed for some people. Second, it takes a few hours to get through the story mode to open this up. This feature worthless because as a rental most of the time is spent trying to unlock this mode, and once unlocked the game loses a lot of its value because the mechanics of most of the games is revealed.
Controls
I have never seen a control scheme this whacky before. Part of the appeal of WarioWare Smooth Moves is the many unique controller positions. The idea is you use a combination of the Wii Remote and/or Nunchuk to perform different tasks. In all there are about 20 dozen positions the controller (or form baton as they call it) positions. From the standard remote style, to more zany positions like the samauri or elephant's trunk; they range from the mundane to the just plain wacky. There's also a hilarious explanation of the positions once introduced and all I can say about them is that they are poetic comedy at its finest.
The positions are for the most part comfortable. However, it's easy to avoid doing squats or other games that would normally require physical activity by waving the Wii Remote or Nunchuk instead. I'll leave it to you to figure out the alternate way to do the Elephant Trunk position. Some positions though just aren't practical either. The discard doesn't always register properly when the wrist strap is attached; though some people might not want to drop their remote on a hard surface either. Given the low availability of Wii Remotes, the discard is one position that definitely should have been rethought.
The responsiveness could use a little more work. The Wii Remote isn't very precise and there were some instances where I was pointing the remote in one direction and it flipped around and pointed the opposite way. These issues were rare and for the most part the responsiveness is pretty solid. The control scheme requires precise movements just seldom enough that these types of issues do not arise often.
Graphics
The graphics are a mix of brilliant cutscenes and some really sketchy pictures. The cutscenes aren't graphically stellar so much as they're just presented in such a way that they really fit in well in this game. The art style is a mix of classic Mario series art with some subtle anime stylings. The graphics in the minigames though really can be sketchy at times to the point where it can be frustrating to understand what's going on. Before I get flooded with email stating the graphical inferiority is part of the WarioWare theme; let me just say I understand this, and in some cases it does fit in well. However, when the graphics in some areas look like crude paint renderings which I can do better myself, it leaves me a little miffed that Nintendo is charging you $50 for this game.
Sound
The sound effects are pretty good. They take on the same type of loony style Smooth Moves enjoys. The sound effects associated with the minigames aren't really discernible to anything most of the time except some associated sound effects like the buzz of a razor or the rumbling of a motor. However the sound effects in the cutscenes are a little more realistic but no less zany. The sounds of Wario taking off to avoid the boulder were just hilarious. The music too takes on the same humorous theme. There isn't really any toe tapping music or tunes you would purchase a sound track CD for. In fact there are a few rather annoying themes too like the stupid cheerleader theme that gets stuck in your head in a bad way. However the rest of the music is good, and it fits in well with the theme including its few gaffes.
Replay
Sadly, like many other previous WarioWare games, Smooth Moves doesn't have much replay value. Even though there are 200 mini games and about 20 different controller positions, there isn't much to do once you've completed the game. The ability to replay any minigame and play the game multiplayer is not much of a bonus. The problem is the whole novelty of these minigames is not knowing what's coming next. If I ever get Alzheimer's, I would probably play this game constantly. It's like trying to enjoy a sports game when you know what the final score is. That's the essence of the replay value in WarioWare Smooth Moves.
WarioWare Smooth Moves is the perfect rental. You can easily complete it in a weekend, and some gamers could probably even complete it in a night. Once you're done with the game, it's pretty much worthless. My wife got me this game for my birthday and the $50 price tag really seems like a bad deal. This game isn't worth $50. I'd rather spend $50 on something that lasts longer like a 5 course meal. If I had to pay anything I wouldn't pay more than the rental fee. Hopefully I can get part of that $50 back, but that means it'll be up on Ebay pretty soon.
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