Look What My DS Can Do!

WarioWare created its own genre a couple years ago on the GameBoy Advance.  We'd all played mini-games before, but these were MICRO-games.  They literally take a few seconds to play, but are thrown at you in such a way that test your reflexes and hand-eye coordination.  As the name implies, Touched! focuses on using the touch screen rather than the quick tap of a button.  WarioWare is also Nintendo's first big title since the DS launched nearly three months ago, and with the DS library struggling, it came just in time.  
 
  
Graphics 
The game's style is all over the place, but intentionally.  Expect lots of colors, crazy imagery, and a variety of animation styles.  It's all still primarily in 2D, but it works for this game.  Despite the spectrum of colors and art styles, the game's graphics aren't going to win any awards.  
  
 
Control 

Almost every feature of the DS is put to task in this game.  Other than the wireless functions, the only part of the DS you don't use are...the buttons.  The game makes full use out of both screens as well as successfully utilizing the stylus and touch screen in an enjoyable way.  The "DS features" aren't simply tacked on to make it a DS game like several of the other titles.  WarioWare's gameplay style fits perfectly with the DS.  The only problem with this is that even with 180 microgames, alot of the tasks get a little bit repetitive.  
 
 
Sound 
The music is upbeat and fits with the rest of the game.  As you progress through each character's games, the music speeds up as the rate of the games speed up.  It's simple, but it really gets you into it.  I was actually surprised that they did English lyrics on one of the songs.  There's nothing spectacular here, but it gets the job done.  
 
 
Replay Value 

Well, on my first play through the game, I was done in just over 2 hours.  But that's only getting about 10 games per character.  You will need to play each character's games at least three times in order to find everything they have in their repetoire.  Each time you play through a character's games, you will unlock a new toy as well.  These range from a touch screen piano and calculator to a working harmonica.  You use the buttons to change the notes as you blow into the microphone.  It's pretty damn cool.  All of these "toys" are a bit pointless, but add to the overall bizarre, yet enjoyable experience of WarioWare.  As enjoyable as it is, the charm wears off after a while.  180 games sounds like a lot, and it honestly is, especially considering each one has several variants, but when each game is only a few seconds long, 180 doesn't take that long in actuality. 
 
 
Conclusion 
WarioWare is still a one-of-a-kind game.  With that said, it is a worthy purchase for any DS owner.  It's not going to blow you away with anything, but it's a fun game that offers an experience like nothing else you will find anywhere.  If you don't own a DS though, this isn't the killer app that's going to throw down your $150.  If you don't already own a DS, your WarioWare is coming in about a month in the form of a gyroscope GBA game dubbed Twisted!     
 
 
*** This review was written for Flamevault.com shortly after the release of the game. ***