WarioWare: Smooth Moves

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is a game that was released a few months after the Wii’s launch. It’s somewhat of a follow-up to WarioWare: Touched on the DS. It’s a collection of mini games that make use of the Wii’s motion sensing capabilities.

In the singleplayer mode you have to help the various characters through their problems by completing a series of mini games, with a “boss stage” mini game at the end of the level. When you first pick the level, represented on the map with the characters face that you’re dealing with, it shows a little cut scene introducing that characters little back-story. Then you get to the games. Each mini games requires you to hold the Wii Remote in a certain position, called forms. The first time you use any of the forms, there’s a little humorous introduction saying how it’s supposed to be held. The form is displayed in a little window that pops up in the center of the screen right before the mini game is played. When the mini game starts a word will pop up that you must read quickly. This kind of tells how you’re supposed to swing the controller, although sometimes it’s not descriptive enough. If you fail a mini game, you lose a life. You get 4 lives for each level. Throughout the level, the mini games will get progressively harder and faster, until you finally get to the boss stage. Once you complete the level, you unlock a few more, which you can complete in any order, to then unlock more and more until the end. There are also a number of bonus stages to play, which may keep you entertained for a few minutes until they start to get repetitive. The game starts out hard, because you’re still trying to figure out what kind of motions to use, but it becomes progressively easier.

The game is extremely short. There are over 200 mini games, which is quite a good amount, but you don’t have to beat all of them to complete the game. You can most likely finish the game in one or two sittings. The mini games themselves are great. There are a few duds, but the good ones (and there’s a lot) provide a fun time. They’re humorous, and you’ll often find yourself chuckling to yourself.

The Wii Remote is used very well in the game. There are 18 different forms, and a wide number of different motions that you must make. For the most part, the controls are pretty responsive. Sometimes, the game won’t pick up the motion you’re making, and many of the mini games can be done with a different form then they’re supposed to. Also, a lot of the motions just feel awkward and out of place

The graphics are decent. They could be done on the GameCube, but the art direction is wonderful. Most everything in the game is in 2D, but there are a few 3D mini games. The music is creative and fits in very well with the game. It definitely gives you a wacky and crazy vibe, which matches that of the game.

You don’t unlock the multiplayer mode until you’ve finished the singleplayer, and it’s not much of a reward. There are a few games similar to the bonus stages in singleplayer, with more being unlocked as you go, but they aren’t all that great. All of them require you to pass off the controller to the other players when it’s they’re turn, which isn’t fun at all, and is something you can do in the singleplayer mode.

WarioWare is a game that can be completed in a few short hours, and isn’t really worth 50 dollars. But, if you’re looking for a good time, whether with friends or alone, then WarioWare: Smooth Moves is more than worthy of a rental. Besides, who could turn down a section of mini games directly devoted to retro Nintendo games?