Review
Release Date: 05.22.2003
Platform:
Game Boy AdvanceDeveloper:
Nintendo Co., Ltd.Publisher:
Nintendo of America, Inc.Reviewed by
Christian Kontul on 5.17.2003
| Review Rating: 9/10 | User Rating: 8.56/10 |
Nintendo’s
Wario Ware Inc.: Mega MicroGame$ may well be one of the most bizarre games ever created. Though minigame compilations have been released before, never have they demonstrated the variety or the intensity that this Game Boy Advance cartridge boasts. The problem is,
Wario Ware is remarkably difficult to describe and categorize. Even weird by Japanese standards, the title’s presentation will likely be more than enough to turn most people off before going for a test drive.
Of course, having Wario, the lovable anti-Mario, as the game’s “spokesman” could help attract more attention. And this is a game that deserves attention, because, besides being completely unique,
Mega MicroGame$ is a genuinely fun game that makes itself accessible to all audiences. What’s more, if you’re a longtime Nintendo fan, the developers have included more than a little “fan service” to get your nostalgic juices flowing.
Wario Ware Inc.: Mega MicroGame$ features well over 200 little distractions. It would be asinine to describe (or attempt to describe) every single one in detail, so let’s cut right to the chase; the “microgames” typically last only about 5 to 10 seconds in length. Most of the time, they can be completed by either hitting the “A” button (once or repeatedly) or by working with the GBA’s control pad. So, regardless of whether you’re eating a banana, shooting Mother Brain, or helping a girl keep the snot from dripping out of her nose, you’re going to be doing it the same way. Just by reading a description of the game at its most basic level, it definitely doesn’t sound all that engaging.
But the proof is in the putting, and Nintendo has executed
Wario Ware in a near-perfect manner. See, it’s not just about tapping a button or moving an icon. Each “stage” in
Mega MicroGame$ is made up of minigame after minigame, all in succession with a time limit of only a few seconds placed on each one. When you’re helping Dr. Crygor flush his toilet, the player may be shown a hand at the top of the screen and a starfish at the bottom, with an icon in the middle and text the commands, “Find the Hand!” In a short span, whoever’s playing has to decipher what the hell, exactly, they’re supposed to do then they have to do it. As soon as one task is completed, another begins, and another, until a certain goal is reached and the stage ends. Failure to accomplish an assignment results in the loss of a life, and if all chances are spent, it’s back to the beginning.
Much like the concept, the setup is fairly simple. Wario, after trying so many times to collect a respectable retirement fund, is giving videogame software development a shot. He gathers the hottest talent around Diamond City to create games that will eventually make him lots of money. The player, in effect, acts as a tester for the incubating projects (some real developers should learn from this). Each character in
Wario Ware has his or her genre of games (J likes sports titles, g-Volt is an old-school Nintendo freak), so “challenging” them reveals a host of similarly themed ideas. After moving through their line-up, more producers open up and you can move on until you reach the top dog. Doing well on certain levels opens up some hidden minigames, some of which are even multiplayer. There are also “Boss” battles that provide longer, deeper (but just as strange) exercises in button mashing.
It’s this format that makes
Mega MicroGame$ a game worth picking up. Figuring out what’s going on is more than half the fun. Even after recognizing the key to each minigame, even after playing them several times, it’s still hard to always execute properly because the rapid-fire pace can, and will, throw people off. Oh, and the higher the score gets, the faster and more challenging the games get. Constantly challenging yourself to get better can eat up hours of your life, even when
Wario Ware can be “finished” in only a couple.
The visual style is unbelievably wacky, with photo-esque pictures blending with vector graphics and GBA quality sprites and backgrounds. A plethora of different designs make for a display that doesn’t exactly push the Game Boy Advance hardware to impressive heights, but they do their job. The music and sound effects, appropriately, will have most people snorting with laughter. Wonderful stuff.
The only warning that must be issued is this:
Wario Ware is definitely not for everyone. Some folks just won’t be able to accept the title’s less-than-focused brand of gameplay, which is understandable. You won’t know until you try, however, and that’s something everyone should at least do. Nintendo must be commended for trying something this different, and including a modified version of Wild Gunman earns even more homage. “Shoot!”
