Wario Ware Touched! Game by Nintendo/Intelligent Designs Reviewed by Philip "Pocket Squirrel" Wesley Size: 256 megabits Save: batteries (1 slot) Released: 02/15/2005 Works with: Nintendo DS. Rated: E (barely) Quick Opinion: Own. **************************************************************************** Opening Snide Remarks: When I first got to play the Nintendo DS at E3 2004, Wario Ware was one of the first demos I got to play. In the demo, Wario ran along the top screen and tossed barrels down to the bottom screen. It was pretty cool actually. I had to OWN this game! Wario Ware Touched! was a launch title in Japan, but not in the United States. We had to wait until after VALENTINE'S DAY to get this game. I HAD to have this game and I had been busy digging through my DVD collection for stuff to trade in and get it cheaply. I ended up paying $6 for the game once all the dust settled and I wonder if I really got my $6 worth. Well, let me go ahead and fill you in on what I thought of my purchase. **************************************************************************** Gameplay Descripion: The original Wario Ware was GENIUS. It combined simple play with only the directional pad and the A button in simple five second games. This one combines the touch screen and the microphone for play. The game revolves around the hi jinks of a few Wario Ware characters. Each character has a particular style to them. Wario - Basics Mona - Cutting motion Jimmy T. - Rubbing motion Ashley - Dragging motion Kat & Anna - Scribbling motion Dr. Crygor - Rotation motion 9-Volt - Classic Nintendo Mike - Microphone use Wario Man - Advanced Jamie T. - Remix 1 (Mona, Jimmy, Wario) James T. - Remix 2 (Kat & Anna, Ashly, Dr. Crygor) Yes: Dribble & Spitz, Orbulon, Shaggy, and Jimmy's parents do not have stages in this re-iteration of the game. Mike, Ashley, and Jimmy's younger siblings are the new stages in this one. Games are played by following the instructions on the screen and touching the screen accordingly. If it tells you to slice vegetables, use the stylus to slice vegetables. I bought a Palm stylus when I purchased my Nintendo DS. The stylus I bought is heavy on purpose for use on games like Feel The Magic XY/XX and Wario Ware Touched! I suggest that everyone pick up a heavy stylus. Stylus come in packages of three and just holding them still slightly will reveal their weight easily. You want a heavy one and a long one. It feels better that way. The stages in this game consist of a small storyline and a bunch of micro-games to do. The games are pretty standard stuff for this series and there are about 180 of these micro-games. The game plays quick and dirty with a lot of stuff to unlock. Most of the replay value consists of getting higher scores. This is a good game for just pick up and play sessions. And despite some oddly homo-erotic games like "Tickle" - in which you tickle two Freddie Mercury looking guys who are holding a rubber band in their mouth to make one of them hit the other with the rubber band- you may get LESS stares than you would playing Feel The Magic XY/XX. Is it just me or does that seem a little wrong? Some games involve petting a kitten to put it to sleep, dragging kiwi birds into a cage, dragging Metroids off of Samus Aran, blowing away overly clingy high school girls, sorting items, and connecting items. The gameplay may not seem as original as the first game did, but it is an extremely fun game and I really enjoyed it. The only major flaw with this game is that it feels like it SHOULD be a lot longer, and have more mini-games. I feel a little gipped that only the shooting clay discs part of Duck Hunt made it into here. If they had given me a touch screen Duck Hunt, I would suggest buying this game for that alone. Or if I was given a bit of endless, unpopped, bubble wrap. There are some other things I would have added, like a version of Dr. Mario, or the level some of us got to play at E3 with Wario running and tossing barrels and crates. Hell, I would have loved the carving demo from E3, the ice hockey demo from E3, and the fireworks, music, and smoke demo from E3. In a way, this game feels lacking. Liked: Oh, just pick up and play goodness! Really fun in my opinion. Hated: A little too arcadish for some people? Fun, but a bit easy. The true challenges are when you unlock all the games and go for high scores and even that is really just optional. **************************************************************************** Graphics Description: Moving around the map is a nice 3D effect. When you are playing the games, imagine the Game Cube version with a little tighter detail. The characters look like they should and the entire artistic design of this game is distinctly Japanese with lots of small cultural references as well as a lot of Wario's distinctive branding. It looks like a bigger version of the original Game Boy Advance game and that can only be seen as a very good thing. Liked: Well, it's all good. Hated: It won't blow your mind, but it will leave you feeling... odd. **************************************************************************** Sound/Music Description: A few full songs, lots of character voices and just play rude or weird sound choices. Needless to say, a few of these tunes will be stuck in your brain and may harm you in ways I hesitate to get into. Liked: Sounds like a Wario game! Woo hoo! Hated: I wish there was a sound test.... **************************************************************************** Play Control/Game Design: Play control is fine and simple in this game. The place where this game falters is in its GAME DESIGN. It feels like Wario Ware Touched was pushed out of the development house sooner than it should have been and it has suffered because of this. There are no where near as many micro-games as there should be and the game feels too short. The extra unlockable toys are brilliant little time wasters though and the game will take up residence in your Nintendo DS for quite a while. For those who have never played a Wario Ware game before, this one serves as a lightly fluffy introductionary game. Wario Ware Touched! is like an easier version of Feel the Magic in some respects. I can not complain though as this game made me sit in my car for almost an hour, just playing this game and ignoring the time. Luckily, I did pick up the person I was supposed to pick up on time. This game is an excellent time waster and people may find themselves just messing around with the extras like the little piano for far longer than they would have expected. When all is said and done, this game is a real treat, but feels somewhat unfinished. Liked: Good stuff! Oh, yeah! Hated: I feel there should be more to it. 180 micro-games is not enough, the first game had 200 micro-games in it. This game should have MORE. **************************************************************************** Improve: Make a game that combines all the styles of play! It would have a multi-player mode like the Game Cube version except wireless. It would use a motion sensing Option Pak so you can spin it like the second Game Boy Advance game as well as having button bashing areas like in the first Game Boy Advance game. RIYL: Wario Ware! **************************************************************************** Final Words: Wario is pretty cool. I like his game. You will like it too. Just be forewarned: You'll feel like you should have fine steak when you have just eaten venison. Break it down in English? You will feel like there should have been at least 20 more micro-games. I suppose we will see a sequel some time down the road? For now, this game is going to be spending a lot of time inside my Nintendo DS, even though I have already beaten it. The Piano Toy may be one of my favorite things until Jam with the Band comes out. **************************************************************************** Score Gameplay: ***** Graphics: **** Sound/Music: ***** Play Control/Game Design: ***** Personal Opinion: ***** Total: 24 out of 25 Final Score: 96% **************************************************************************** Currently Known Codes: Just get high scores!