Ever since its release in 2003, Wario Ware has been notable in several ways. In the Wario Ware games, you can play hundreds of mini-games that can often be completed in one move and within seconds. These mini-games range from simple button presses to complex puzzles to reflex tests.
Each Wario Ware game has become an exploration of certain gameplay styles for that medium. This has become extremely important with the rise of new technologies in Nintendo systems and handhelds. The developers at Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have toyed around with the controllers and have come up with Wario Ware: Smooth Moves, the newest entry into the Wario Ware canon. With the Wii, you have the innovation of the handy remote controller with wireless motion detection technology.
The charm of the Wii remote is that not only does it detect your movements, but the way you hold the controller can also affect how it is detected. This is the basis through which the mini-games in Smooth Moves were created. In addition to the normal way of holding the controller, you have almost 20 other styles that are based on real-world actions. Different mini-games are made using different styles, and very rarely do the actions in the mini-game match-up with the name of the style. The mini-games all come with a short instruction, such as "Pluck," "Shave," "Vacuum" and "Keep the beat." Some of the mini-games are very self-explanatory and very easy to perform. At other times, however, the game is not clear about what to do or how to do it. Thankfully, there is a training mode in which you can practice games that you have unlocked, giving you an opportunity to try to figure out some of the more ambiguous or difficult mini-games.
There are spaces for 12 files for 12 separate players (each with an associated Mii, giving you another chance to use your creations). For each file, you start out with access to only stage level. You are given four lives to clear each stage. Once you clear a stage, you unlock other stages. You can go back and replay each stage to try and set a new high score. This progressive unlocking can slowly allow you to gain experience with the different mini-game styles, but it may frustrate some people with limited patience. The mini-games all have their own unique look, whether it's classical Japanese brush art or simple crayon animations.
The graphics outside of the mini-games are nothing to write home about. The 2D animation in various storylines is crisp and clean, but ultimately not very exciting. The sound effects in the game are used mainly to add humor into the mini-games. There are several voice samples interspersed to cheer you on, but some of them are extremely difficult to understand, so it doesn't really matter. Then again, Wario Ware games have been used more as experiments in gameplay, rather than breaking technological boundaries.
The gameplay is just fine in Smooth Moves. The mini-games are all creative and fun to play. One potential pitfall is that you are using a wireless controller with motion detection. Therefore, detection of the Wiimote is important. If you can find an area where the sensor bar can consistently detect movement, then there should be little to no problem with the mini-games. More often than not, there may be a problem with detection. These inconsistencies in detection can be a problem based on the nature of the mini-games. Since the mini-games end in about five seconds and many of them require aiming, you may not be aware of how the controller is being detected until it is too late.
Multiplayer capability is also one of the more anticipated aspects of the game. With the exception of Mega PartyGames for the GameCube, most of the Wario Ware games have been largely single-player phenomena. Unfortunately, the multiplayer option is not worth it. It isn't unlocked until you defeat all of the characters' stages and initially it only features two modes: a dart game based on the dart mini-game, and a Battle Royale feature for up to 12 players. You can unlock three more modes, but none of them are anything special. For one thing, the concepts behind each mode are fairly lame.
Another potential problem is that the game basically uses one controller that everybody shares. Since many of the mini-games are of the do-or-die variety in these multiplayer modes, it can be annoying to lose because your controller couldn't be detected. Despite these flaws, the presence of a multiplayer mode is a welcome addition to make the game a good party game.
With Wario Ware, you can easily unlock everything within three hours if you put energy into it. As in the former games, however, the enjoyability for Smooth Moves comes from replaying the stages to see how long you can last. If you can stand playing the mini-games over and over again, then the game should last you a pretty long time. If you couldn't care less about most of the mini-games, then Smooth Moves may not be the game for you. Nevertheless, based on the success of the Wario Ware formula as well as its party game aspects, it is a solid title and easily one of the best in the first few months of the Wii's lifespan.
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