Once in a while, a game or franchise comes out of Japan that turns our ideas and interpretation of games upside down with zany new gameplay techniques and/or a charming sense of craziness. The WarioWare series has been one of those franchises where players test their mettle against dozens of rapid firing micro-games that only get faster and harder the better you do. While previous games in the series have been limited by the conventional gameplay methods of the platforms they were on. With the announcement of the Wii's motion-sensing capabilities, you could hear gamers everywhere start dreaming of a new WarioWare game. Lucky for them, that time has arrived. WarioWare: Smooth Moves not only turns our interpretations of gameplay upside down, it throws them against a wall, and drops them on their head.
Every WarioWare game revolves around a main story involving Wario happening upon some sort of treasure that he quickly turns into a get-rich-quick scheme. This time around, Wario finds himself being chased out of town and into a temple where he discovers the mysterious Form Baton, which oddly looks like a Wii remote. The Form Baton introduces just one of the elements that sets Smooth Moves apart from its brethren in that it allows you to utilize the remote in ways you never imagined. As you progress through the game's story mode, you'll be introduced to new characters introduced through zany, yet nicely animated cutscenes. After the action has been set up, all bets are off as you're whisked into an unrelenting gauntlet of microgames lasting about five seconds each. In all, the game boasts 200 microgames total and will randomly throw them at you, leaving you oblivious as to what to expect next. Of course, you only have a certain number of times you can screw up before you fail a section and have to start over again.
Forms allow you to hold the Wii remote in special positions depending on the microgame that is being played. Of course, the normal "remote control" form is here where you'll be able to do things like shoot cans or make people fall into pits. You'll also learn crazier forms like the "elephant" which requires you to hold the remote up to your nose, the "waiter" which you have to balance the Wii remote on your hand, or the mohawk that requires you to hold the remote above your head, just to name a few. Luckily, the game will let you know which form to right before the next microgame begins which will have you scrambling to take position and be ready. With a series that is known for being frantic to the point of craziness, Smooth Moves does a great job of bumping it up a couple of notches and in turn, making the experience a ton of fun in the process. Add to this the zany microgames you'll be playing which involve you plunging dentures into an old woman's mouth, shaving faces, clapping the remote to an onscreen beat, or using the remote to mimic drinking an onscreen glass of water. Needless to say, a mere written review really can't delve into the piles of fun this game brings.
The icing on the cake with any WarioWare installment are the microgames that involve classic Nintendo games. You'll go through an entire section of the game that acts as a sort of way back machine into all things Nintendo. You'll find yourself pumping the remote up and down to make Mario jump and collect coins, pulling the remote up to make Link pull the master sword from a stone in Ocarina of Time, roll the remote to make a giant bug roll over Pikmin, and give Nintendogs high-fives. Everything from old game-and-watch titles to GameCube games are covered which is sure to make Nintendo fans mark out with each microgame.
After you beat a set number of microgames, you'll fight boss battle featuring a game that lasts significantly longer than the microgames. The boss battles feature some of the game's best moments and have you flapping the remote and avoiding mid-air obstacles in an updated version of Balloon Fight or, using the remote like a steering wheel, drive through a series of treacherous curves littered with cows. Once you beat the boss of a section, you'll unlock new characters and games to play. You can also revisit each section to get a better score or replay any of the games.
Unfortunately, the game's story mode can be completed in one night, but that doesn't mean the fun doesn't stop. You're free to go back and play through any of the game's sections to unlock more microgames and get a higher score without the limitations of the game's fifteen-point story mode limit. Discovering the new microgames and going through each section in free-play mode is a lot more enjoyable than just sauntering through the game from beginning to end. Replaying each of the game's sections allows you to play until you're out of lives and really become a fight for survival as the higher your score gets, the faster and harder it gets. You'll constantly find yourself dead-set on besting your previous high score repeatedly, especially in the "All Mixed Up" and "Super Hard" modes that you'll unlock after beating the main story mode.
As you beat each section, you'll unlock additional stand-alone mini-games that act as slight variations on the different bosses and microgames. One game, for instance, has you holding the remote flat in your hand that controls a flimsy wooden stand while you're forced to balance a number of dropping blocks precariously on top. Another acts as an homage to Breakout which you bounce a ball on a ping pong paddle and break blocks as you slowly try to hover to the top of a tower. These games are entertaining in their own regard and offer plenty of fun in addition to the main game modes.
As if the single-player game wasn't fun enough, the multiplayer modes increase it tenfold. The main multiplayer mode can be played with up to fifteen players in angel representations of their Mii's for a game of elimination. The game randomly chooses a player who must successfully complete a microgame successfully in order not to be eliminated. The last Mii standing is declared the winner. Other modes have Mii's tied up and dangling over a long fall. Players take turns cutting ropes to make another player's Mii fall to their demise. The multiplayer modes extend beyond playing microgames where you can play a game of darts or team up in a new take on a three-legged race where one player has the remote and another holds the nunchuck as their onscreen characters attempt to jump over hurdles and pits.
It's hard to sum up Smooth Moves' visuals since there are so many varying art styles at work. Art styles range from overly artistic to minimalist to the familiarity of the GameCube and eight-bit representations of classic games. Smooth Moves is a treat for the eyes as there is nothing overly offensive or ugly going on with the graphics. Each of the game's cutscenes feature are animated well and appropriately cartoony. You'll see your own Mii's as well as Mii's stored in the Mii channel represented in many of the microgames you'll play. As an example, you'll oftentimes find your Mii arm wrestling your friend's Mii, in the arm wrestling microgame, which is a very nice touch.
Smooth Moves features the same quirky music that has been present in every installment of the series. Each section of the game has its own unique soundtrack that is appropriate for the theme of each section. The storyline is conveyed through text, though there are a number of sound bytes that play when you lose or complete a microgame.
If you don't find WarioWare: Smooth Moves entertaining, humorous, or fun you obviously lack a sense of humor and worse, you just plain don't have a soul. This is one of those rare games where anyone can have fun with it, especially those with ADD. Never before has a game offered the variety of gameplay that Smooth Moves has to offer and should be experienced by anyone who owns a Wii. It's a blast no matter if you're playing alone or with a room full of friends and it'll keep you coming back for more. The excellent presentation, gameplay improvements, multiplayer modes, and brilliant integration of Mii's make this a definite must-have title that epitomizes everything the Wii stands for. To sum it up, in this critic's humble opinion, the Wii was built just for this game.
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