WarioWare Twisted! (Game Boy Advance)
Developed by: Nintendo and Intelligent Systems
Published by: Nintendo

Nintendo has always been criticized for using cartridges instead of CDs or DVDs to distribute their video games, and indeed, the economics of that decision may well be the big reason why Sony was able to steal their market with the Playstation. However, one of the few advantages of using cartridges is that you can add new hardware capabilities right into the game itself, extending the functionality of the console. Sometimes in the past this has meant adding more advanced video chips or additional memory, or sometimes more esoteric and creative devices such as what Konami did with the Game Boy Advance game Boktai, adding a solar chip to detect sunlight.

With their latest installment in the wildly popular WarioWare series, Nintendo has gotten all creative on us again by building gyro sensors and a rumble device in to the cartridge. The game comes in a box about twice as thick as a regular GBA game, and the cartridge itself is bigger and heavier than a normal one. What all this ingenuity amounts to is one of the few video games out there nowadays (aside from Dance DanceRevolution) that does not use a control pad for input at all. Instead, you hold your Game Boy Advance like a steering wheel, twisting and tilting it in order to play the games, with the occasional press of the A button. In a way, I guess you could say it is similar to the good ol’ Atari paddle controller, but in the case of the GBA you are moving the whole system around in your hand (sometimes so much so that it’s tough to see what’s on the screen… but this just adds to the manic fun). The built-in rumble pack also gives you some tactile feedback to help you maneuver.

I know what most people are probably thinking though… does this actually work or is it just another cute Nintendo gimmick? Despite my love of the original WarioWare games for the Gamecube and GBA, at first play, I had my doubts about WarioWare Twisted. The microgames seemed a little bit too simplistic, using only simple left/right movements, and being forced to use the gyro sensors for menu navigation was just kind of annoying. However, the microgames are broken up into sequential groups and intended to gradually ease you into the controls. As the complexity builds, so does the variety of games and the fun factor along with it.

If you’ve played the original WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgames$, you will be familiar with the concept. You are presented with a random series of very short games in succession, and given only one or two words of instruction for each. Typically you have 3 seconds to complete the task before the next game is cued. If you manage to complete enough of the games without missing more than 4, you will will find yourself transported to the “Boss Stage”, a slightly extended microgame.

As usual, the microgames are divided into themed categories, this time around it is more by gameplay than by game content. One of the game categories in WarioWare Twisted breaks from the 3 second timer rule, in that you have a total of 20 seconds for the entire group, and if you complete a microgame quickly you will earn bonus time. Another features games with twice the allotted time limit. Everyone’s favourite category has also returned — a category dedicated solely to classic NES games adapted into microgames.

The creative and zany flavour of the microgames will not disappoint WarioWare fans; there are still plenty of funny, amusing and downright bizarre games here, some of which build off of original classics. One of the highlights is the boss fight in Kat & Ana’s “Tap Out”stage, which has you piloting a giant robot that shoots fingers into enemy noses.

The controls are surprisingly precise and it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it. (Interesting to note however, you can’t play this game in a moving vehicle of any sort as the gyro sensors can’t calibrate themselves properly.) Unfortunately, the intuitive controls are also kind of a bad thing, because a lot of the games are way too easy! It only takes 1 or 2 tries to master most of them, and since you can practice each of them individually outside of the Story Mode, that takes away a lot of the challenge. I’d say you can probably blow through the entire Story Mode in a couple of hours if you really wanted to. There is some replay value to the game in terms of competing for high scores and unlocking some extra games and “souvenirs”, but some of the fun wears off when you’ve played most of the games numerous times already. It is kind of interesting to see some of the variations of the same microgames when you reach higher speeds and higher levels of difficulty though, and there are over 200 microgames, some of which you might not see the first handful of times you play through a stage.

The unlockable souvenirs in the game are mostly useless. These are similar to what they did with Mario Party Advance and they are basically like little novelty “toys” that make use of the gyro sensors in various ways (like a wind-up music box or a record player). I think we also probably could have done without the lengthy animated cut scenes, that bookend the Story Mode, even if they are slightly interactive. Multiplayer gameplay is also absent; granted, the original WarioWare Inc. didn’t have any connectivity either, but after playing Mega Party Game$ on the Gamecube it seems to leave a bit of a void.

When all is said and done, I still find WarioWare Twisted to be more innovation than a cheap gimmick. I think the big thing keeping more casual people from playing games nowadays is the input device, and the idea of bypassing a standard controller really opens things up. Still, I can’t see this game changing how most other video games are played anytime soon. WarioWare Twisted is still definitely not going to attract a lot of the over-20 gamers and the hardcore crowd. You just need to appreciate this game for the unique and refreshing experience it is, and for the fact that just about anyone can pick it up and play.

Even if Nintendo is getting left in the dust when it comes to the next gen console race, I think there will always be a place for more intuitive, low-tech video games as long as they’re still fun. Give it a chance and WarioWare Twisted will have you hooked in no time. — Sean

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