Fast and Crazy!!!
The only way to describe this game is with the words fast and crazy. The world hasn’t really seen a game like Wario Ware Inc. (at least not in America) as it is a game that is strictly made up of mini games. Sure, it might have taken few notes from the Mario Party series, but this game is unique enough to be called one of a kind.
What’s going on?
This game tells its story through a series of quick pictures and cut scenes with no dialogue. From what I can understand, Wario wants to make money by making his own video game. To do this, he must use the help of some friends to generate the final product. This game probably has some of the fastest game play ever made. Each game is composed of three-five short seconds. In these few seconds, the player must realize what is going on, and then complete the task at hand. This requires great reflexes. If you don’t think quickly, you will wind up losing. You will often find yourself saying, “Huh? What just happened?” because many games can be unclear as to what the mission objective is. The only way to beat this game is through a series of trial and error with a healthy dose of practice.
The player must play through a certain number of levels without failing too many times. In each set of levels, the player has four lives to lose. After those four lives are lost, it is game over and you then have the option to retry or quit. Furthermore, each level has a different number of games that must be completed. For example, one character’s level will require you to beat 15 mini games while someone else’s will be 25. There is some variety in this, but the more games you need to beat, the more difficult it is as you still have only four lives to lose. If you manage to complete all the games laid before you, a boss battle will pursue. Boss battles are slightly longer than the regular mini games but are more challenging. One example of a boss battle takes place in a very similar fashion to Nintendo’s old school Punch Out for the NES. The player must dodge a punch thrown by the enemy, then counterattack by throwing a jab of your own. Once a particular number of hits have been landed, that mini game level will be beaten allowing you to move further in the game. The more you play, the more you unlock.
There are many different types of mini games to be played within this game. Each game is designed to be a quick play, so only a couple button taps are necessary to complete each one. In some games, only a single button will need to be pressed while some others will make use of a button combo. Mostly, the mini games will use the D-pad and “A” button. This is the best way to play because in a game that contains such speed, finding the correct button to hit would be cumbersome. Sure this game is a little like Mario Party, but these games are a lot faster, a lot crazier, and just pop up abruptly. Here are some examples: tapping the “A” button to suck up snot in a nose, playing a memory type game, catching a stick that is dropped, squirting an eye dropper into an eye, doing a balancing act on a unicycle, returning a tennis ball, gaining enough strength to punch a log in two, picking a nose, threading a needle, guiding a paper airplane, catching a piece of toast from a toaster, shooting space ships, jumping and landing on a motorcycle, eating an apple, making a cat fall asleep, and many, many more. To bring back memories, old school Nintendo games make quick appearances. Fans of the NES will appreciate the mini games such as jumping on goombas, entering a door in Zelda, shooting down Mother Brain, dodging bikes in Excitebike, and many more.
Once you play the main mode of play, all the games that you played will be unlocked and can be played in rapid succession in a gallery. This is where you hone your skills for each game. Also, if you do well enough in the main game, you can unlock some multiplayer games. These games are for two players to compete on the same GBA. They are very simple, as they only require the use of the either the “L or R” button. One such example of these games would be a game where you must simply knock a block onto your opponent’s side by the use of a timed cursor. Another example of a multiplayer game is a race. It is here that each player must time his jump accordingly to avoid hurdles. If a player knocks over a hurdle, it will slow him down. These are just two of the multiplayer games hidden within Wario Ware Inc. Two player games are nice small extras as they offer something slightly different from the other mini games.
Surprisingly, this game has very simple, but clean images. It’s very cartoony because the games are as simple as can be while the cut scenes are heavily outlined. This form of graphical presentation suits the game well. All the game’s images are nicely made and you will always know what the images on screen represent. The sound brings the sense of fast game play. Because the music plays in quick beats, the overall feel of the game increases. Without the music and quirky sound effects, this game wouldn’t be the same. The developers even recreated the classic music when the NES mini games pop-up.
Final Thoughts
To be quite honest, this game is difficult to review because there are so few games to compare it too. However, it can be debated on whether this is a strength or a weakness. Either way, I think that people should play this game just to experience its uniqueness. Naturally, some people will hate the fast pace of the game while others will love it. The fact is, there is enough game here to keep players occupied for a while. There are tons of mini games, and each brings its own challenge. All unlocked mini games can be played anytime from a menu option. Plus there are simple two player VS games that offer some extra variety. This game isn’t the best game in the world, but it is defiantly worthy of some recognition. If you are in doubt, then snag a copy of this game used. Or, you can download a demo version of this game from the GameCube’s newest demo disc. Just link up your GBA to GC and you can play a few levels. This is a nice way to experience the game. It is great way to kill time and anyone with ADD will feel comfort in this title as the rapid pace of the game is blazingly fast. Car rides long and short, waiting for bus or train, or if feeling the need to kill five minutes, this game is the perfect time filler. With its truckload of mini games, unique style of play, and bright graphics, players of this game will not soon forget it. If you want to play something different, then pick up Wario Ware Inc, as it will show you something that you never seen before.
