WarioWare: Smooth Moves
January 22nd, 2007
Gabe and I sold a few old GameCube and DS games so that we could justify getting a few new Wii games. One that came out recently that we really wanted to get was WarioWare: Smooth Moves. First of all, I was initially disappointed when I noted that the game only requires one wii-mote! I was expecting it to be similar to the old party game where everyone can play the microgames and minigames at once. We decided to get the game anyway – I have the Nintendo DS “WarioWare: Touched!” game and enjoyed it (despite the fact that it is also a one player game).
The game allows you to set up different profiles and associate your profile with your Mii character. We were happy to have another game that uses the Miis! Everyone has to complete their own set of challenges in order to unlock different portions of the game. High scores lists are compared across all profiles, so you are able to compete against each other. This was a plus! Multiplayer modes can be unlocked as well, but they require you to use the same remote. Given the nature of the games, this did not make sense to us. It would be impossible to attach the strap properly and quickly pass around the remote. It worked ok for two players, but I think that we both preferred the one player modes.
The game operates much like the Touched! version on the DS. It has several characters that have sets of microgames, and you have to complete these sets before new sets are available to you. The microgames are very silly, which should be no surprise if you’re familiar with the old WarioWare titles. Before each 5-second game, you are given the “Baton form” (the game calls the Wii-mote the “baton”) and a simple instruction which is generally one or two words. It’s true that you don’t need to hold the remote exactly as instructed, but I think that it takes away from the fun and spirit of the game if you “cheat.” We had so much fun laughing at each other as we attempted tasks such as “Hula!” and “Squat!” The best one to watch was probably the final boss task which involved a choreographed dance with the Wii mote. Very amusing!!
The dance sequence makes me really want Nintendo to come out with an exercise game. Incorporate the dance pads, and you could have quite the work out! The WarioWare dance in the final boss stage is a full mini-game, but it is still too short to qualify as a work-out routine. I can definitely see the potential for a very fun exercise game! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Nintendo is developing one as I type.
Overall, we are having fun so far with Smooth Moves. I can see us pulling this one out along with Wii Sports when friends come over to play. I’m sure we will get a good amount of play out of this one (and I can’t wait for MarioParty 8 to come out!). There is some frustration with the control mechanisms at times, but many of the moves work surprisingly well. I’m looking forward to many more titles like this that take advantage of the Wii technology!