Warioware: Smooth Moves Impressions

Warioware: Smooth Moves looks to be shaping up as the ultimate party title.  More below: 

The general premise of any WarioWare title is the idea of adaptation. The player must constantly adapt to the drastically changing gameplay almost every 5 seconds. One second you’re told to fix the leaks in a pipe and the next you’re putting a fire out by swinging a peeing statue over the blaze. It’s a little crazy, but it’s good crazy.

Smooth Moves doesn’t stray far from its GBA roots in terms of visuals or presentation. Bright, pleasant and simple still describe it well. The fun, cartoon-like art style fits the gameplay perfectly and adds to the overall charm of the entire experience.

Almost every new entry into the WarioWare franchise has been built around a different input method for controlling the game.

The original WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgame$ utilized the standard buttons on GBA. WarioWare: Mega Party Game$ for GameCube was essentially WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgame$ with some multiplayer interjected into it. WarioWare: Touched! was played using the touchscreen and microphone on Nintendo DS. Finally, WarioWare: Twisted!, was controlled almost entirely by a built-in gyroscopic sensor that required the player to tilt and turn their GBA in every direction.

Nintendo is continuing this trend of innovative input methods with WarioWare: Smooth Moves by taking full advantage of the unique gameplay possibilities afforded by the Wii remote, minus the nunchuck attachment.

The short demo at E3 allowed you to play through just six rounds of mini-games, regardless of whether you won or lost. Before each mini-game would start, you would be instructed on how to hold the Wii remote. A picture would pop up showing the controller being held, along with a title of the style being demonstrated. For example, you may see the title “The Chauffer� above a picture of a Wii remote being held on its side by two hands. You adjust the remote accordingly, the word “Turn� appears on the screen and, finally, a driving mini-game ensues requiring you to turn the remote like a steering wheel to stay on the road.

With over 15 different ways to hold the remote to operate the over 200 different mini-games, Wii owners who pick this game up will have plenty of reasons to whip this game out at every social gathering.

More at: http://www.nintendojo.com/previews/Wii/view_item.php?1153266202

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