WarioWare Touched! (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

It's fair to say that back when the original Wario Ware was released on the GBA, gamers had never seen anything like it. The fact that a succession of quick-fire mini-games covering every genre could be so addictive (as well as completely accessible) took the public and the gaming community by storm. It's still in my GBA carry case and it?s just as enjoyable to beat the high scores on one of the many modes today, as it was when it was first released. Clearly a sequel was inevitable, and Wario Ware Twisted (for the GBA) will be with us in a matter of months promising everything that the original delivered, and more. In amongst all this was the surprise announcement of the DS and it seemed only a matter of seconds before everyone concluded that that this collection of mini-games would be perfectly suited to the touch screen interface. Wario Ware Touched might have missed the US launch but European gamers get to enjoy it from day one so, what's it like?

Gameplay

Like the original GBA version, Touched presents you with a series of mini-challenges and an unrealistically short time in which to complete them. Most of them are incredibly simple requiring a minimum of moves or interactions to solve. What makes the whole thing so demanding is that each of the challenges is only preceded by a single clue so as the timer counts down you have to assess the situation and quickly work out a solution. You generally have 15 or so of these attached to a character, all of which will follow a similar theme, and rounded off with a more complicated 'Boss Round'. Success is rewarded with more characters being unlocked until you've travelled though the whole of the town and met the majority of its more quirky inhabitants. Although a multiplayer option is mysteriously missing you'll still need to play the game though a couple of times in order to unlock absolutely all the challenges and even then there are still the various endurance modes to deal with providing endless fun.

Controls

Unlike the GBA version this is all Touch Screen so why don't you pop down to the screen section to see what's going on.

Graphics

Visually 'Touched' is a little like a Nintendo museum featuring games from throughout the company?s history shoved into a blender and put on high speed. Some of them are incredibly simple and could easily have appeared on the Gameboy Classic whilst others put the DS' hardware to good use. The highlights though are undoubtedly the cut screens especially the rather wonderful 3D flythrough of the town, which appears on the top screen and can be followed in 2D on the touch screen. It's not interactive unfortunately but very impressive nonetheless.

Sound

Great use of the DS' enhanced sound chip with some tunes to get your foot tapping as you complete the various challenges. There are even some tunes with vocals in this time around but the highlight of Wario Ware has always been the rather wonderful character samples that babble though the game in 'Nintendospeak' reminding just why they're so appealing in the first place.

Dual screen

Much like Ignition?s Zoo Keeper and SEGA's Project Rub this is where it all happens in Wario Ware and the game is so touch screen reliant it will probably be some time before we see a title that utilizes this feature to a greater degree. From the very start you select, drag, activate and generally do everything with your trusty stylus. There are even some sections which use the microphone, but rather than screaming into it you gently blow, triggering a series of events on-screen. Saying anything else would spoil some genuinely innovative surprises but let's just say that overall it's an impressive use of the DS' unique abilities.

Final comments

Wario Ware Touched was always going to showcase just what the DS is capable of and for the most part it succeeds in providing a gaming experience that is unavailable elsewhere. It has also managed to retain all the charm and addictiveness of the original and if it's mini-games you want then they're all here covering Nintendo's entire gaming catalogue. Unfortunately 'Touched' is an all too brief experience because the whole game can be completed in a matter of hours. Of course there are still the various high scores to beat but the core of the title lacks that feeling of endless gameplay that the GBA version gave you. Disappointingly there's no attempt to use the wireless networking function and given that the original Wario Ware had a multiplayer option this is clearly something of an oversight. Even with its obvious omissions though, Wario Ware Touched is still an immensely rewarding experience and one that clearly demonstrates what the DS does best.

Pro: It's What The DS Was Made For.
Con: A Little Too Short.
Final score: 8.7

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