WarioWare: Smooth Moves

Somewhat Rough-and-Ready

It’s a bit hard to explain the concept behind the WarioWare franchise to someone who either doesn’t play videogames or doesn’t have a taste for the absurd.

This is because WarioWare has always been the epitome of incongruous gaming.

“WarioWare: Smooth Moves,” much like its predecessors on the GameBoy Advance, DS and Gamecube, is gaming for the attention-deficient. There are over 200 micro-games to enjoy, but most of which will be done in less than 20 seconds.

In the story of WarioWare: Smooth Moves, Wario discovers a mysterious “form baton” (the Wiimote), and he hopes to unlock its use for his, of course, own advantage. Every so often, the game will present to you poses that you must emulate. These tutorial moments are accompanied by some pseudo-Zen sensibilities complete with mock poetry and a voiceover guy who sounds like he’s about to fall asleep.

Some poses range from the simple, like “The Umbrella,” where one has to hold the Wiimote vertically, to the embarrassing, like “The Elephant,” where one has to grasp the Wiimote with both hands, place one end on the nose and pretend to be an elephant. I kid you not.

Add to this that the micro-games, which last only a few seconds, do not really give any explicit instructions. The result is a riotous gameplay experience that should never be played alone.

The graphics of Smooth Moves are simple, which is not to say that this is a euphemism for crappy. On the contrary, the graphics are so deliberately cutback that the overall gloss and presentation is exemplary. The 2D cut scenes are so crisp and clean that one can’t help but be a little impressed. Things get even more fun once the game starts and emulates favorite Nintendo games from the past.

The multiplayer game is one of the most robust the Wii has seen so far. There’s Survival, Lifeline, Balloon and Bomb to choose from. In all probability, most would want to try out the 12-player survival mode. It requires only one Wiimote, but you better be quick at passing it on to the next player.

After Wii Sports, WarioWare: Smooth Moves is the next best game to show off your Wii. For now, it is one of the best buys on the console. The fun may not last forever, but it is always good to pop it into the Wii for a couple of laughs.