Review: Wario Ware Inc.: Mega Microgame$
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Release Date: 05/22/2003
Rating: 8.0/10
[bq]Wario Ware is by far the most unique game ever made. To the jaded gaming cynic that might sound like a gross bit of hyperbole, but to anyone who has experienced this game, it will seem like a criminal understatement. This quirky little cart is home to a collection of 200 so-called 'microgames'. See, Wario decides that getting into the gaming industry is a quick on-ramp to the highway of easy money. So he calls all of his buddies all over Diamond City and together they come up with dozens of short games, all bundled together in one package. Wario has chosen you to be his beta-tester, and you must complete each series of games from Wario and his friends.
Sound simple? Well, it is. But who plays a game like this for the backstory?
[/bq] Gameplay: 10.0
[bq]Quite simply, there is something for everyone in Wario Ware. There are 200 different games packed into this cart, and they are volleyed at you constantly. Each of Wario's friends has their own set of microgames, and each microgame has three levels of difficulty.
The basic idea is this: You challenge one of the denizens of Diamond City, and they will throw their microgames at you. As stated above, each of these games is about three seconds in length, and some of the games are radically different from others. Each of Wario's friends features games that are thematic. For instance, Dribble and Spitz's games are all sci-fi based, Dr. Crygor's games are all based on realism, and 9-Volt's games are all taken from classic Nintendo games.
Many of the games involve simple reflex actions, like pressing the A-Button at the correct time, or moving to avoid an oncoming obstacle. You are given one-word clues as to what sort of action is required to defeat the microgame, and no information on what button does what, so your first attempts at the games will sometimes be poor. However, since the games do repeat themselves, you will soon master those, and many of them are pretty obvious anyway. The games are all timed, and the time limit ranges between three and five seconds. Taking too long will result in a loss for the game.
In normal mode, each character requires you to beat a certain number of mini-games, usually fifteen but sometimes as many as twenty. You are given four chances in which to do this, and whenever you screw up or take too long, you lose one of these 'lives'. Every few levels the games will increase in speed, meaning that not only does the timer get faster, but so do the games themselves. When you manage to defeat all of the required microgames, you are faced with a "Boss Game" challenge. Boss games play much like the microgames, but are usually longer and more challenging. Each character has one boss game. After you clear a character's level, you can challenge them again. This time however, it becomes an endurance challenge. The games continue after the boss fight, and the games become more challenging, by way of extra obstacles and such. Beating certain scores open secret games.
The other game mode is Grid. In Grid mode, you can select any microgame you have already faced, and you play an endurance challenge. Unlike normal mode however, you play the same microgame over and over again, with the challenge and speed increasing every single round, and you play towards a high-score challenge. Like in Normal mode, you have four 'lives', and Grid mode only ends when you finally lose all four, so if you're good and you have the reflexes of a cat on speed, you can play up to one thousand levels, each one faster than the last. You can only play the games that you have already played in normal mode, so some will be inaccessable (and keep in mind that you will have to challenge characters multiple times in order to play all the games.)
Whether in Normal or Grid, the games are a blast and the way they are presented is not only incredibly unique but also incredibly fun. There are so many different games to challenge that you will want to challenge all the characters multiple times just to see what else the game can throw at you. With an astounding amount of variety, extreme simplicity and a perfect learning curve, this game is truly the GBA's magnum opus.
In addition to all that, there are a number of multiplayer games that are unlockable, and they are quite unique. They are all adaptations of regular microgames, but they are not timed, rather they are a single endurance challenge. The most notable of these is a fully-reproduced Dr. Wario![/bq]
Graphics: 10.0
[bq]With such an enormous variety in the types of games you will encounter in Wario Ware, it goes without saying that you will also see many, many different graphical effects. It's hard to go into specifics since there are literally hundreds of things to see, but what you do see will include hand-drawn graphics, photo-realism, stop-motion, many Mode-7 effects, graphics taken directly from NES, SNES and G&W games, cartoons, ray-tracing and even simple stick-figures. Add to that impressive animations, nicely-done cutscenes, and more than a few things that will make you laugh out loud at their sheer absurdity, and you end up with a graphical blast that, if not the best the GBA has to offer, it is most certainly the wildest and most varied. [/bq]
Sound: 10.0
[bq]Like with everything else in this game, the sonic experience from Wario Ware is much like a pizza with about seven trillion different toppings, from pepperoni to sausage to pistachio ice cream to sugared watermelon to Philly-style cheesecake. You get a little of everything and too much of nothing. It would be impossible to describe the sound effects in detail but by now I'm sure your imagination, coupled with my prior descriptions of the game can do the job better anyway. Musically, almost every game has it's own tune, short though some may be. Each fits perfectly within the time frame of the game. As above I couldn't possibly overview the whole package but you'll get everything from classic Nintendo themes to children's classics to the short bursts of hilarious J-Pop playing during the short intermissions in Spitz and Dribble's stages. Quirks abound in a game that is all quirk and overall the sound is absolutely perfect for the game.[/bq]
Overall: 8.0
[bq]Okay, now I'm sure you're asking yourself; he's given the game glowing raves for the entire duration of this article, gave it nearly perfect scores the whole way around, so why give a final score of just 8.0?
My answer would be that there is one problem I had with the game, and it unfortunately was a very large problem: The game is far too short! I kid you not when I say that I had completely beaten this game within six hours of purchasing it, and I couldn't help but feel a bit cheated that such a fun experience was also such a fleeting experience. Quite simply, though there is so much to see and do, you will honestly see and do it all much quicker than you will like.
One addition that would have extended the worth of this game tenfold easily would have been an endurance option for each of the minigames, in the same manner as the multiplayer games, where you play one game until you finally lose. Granted, not all of the games really would benefit from such an implementation, but many of them truly would have. Such a small, easy-to-implement addition would have made this game better in exponential amounts.
That aside, this glaring issue is the single, solitary reason I scored this game 8.0 instead of a perfect 10. Everything else about Wario Ware screams quality so loudly your eardrums will burst. Should Nintendo consider a sequel, and I know I'm not the only one who hopes they do, that they implement that one simple extra feature. If they do, I think many people will find a game that they will not be able to put down, ever.
In any case, Kudos to Nintendo for creating a truly memorable game that is outside of and beyond the realms and boundaries of any game ever created before. Wario Ware is a true melding of insanity and balls-out gameplay that no one will be able to resist. Even if the game lasts a mere six hours, I guarantee you that six hours will be one of, if not the most fun quarter-days you'll ever experience in your life. [/bq]
This is the face you will make when you play Wario Ware the first time:
:S
But once the game gets it's addicting claws into you, you'll more likely be doing this:
Wario Ware is the pitome of pick-up-and-play gaming. It consists of well over 200 minigames...no, scratch that, MICROGAMES! Minigames sounds too big. All of these microgames only last about 3 to 5 seconds, and consist of using A, the control pad, or a combination of the two. What you need to do in those 3 to 5 seconds is totally unexpected and you must think fast. Right before it starts, it'll give you a one or two word description of what you must do, such as "Run!", "Jump", or "Sniffle". Yes, sniffle. The games collected in here are from every end of the spectrum, and even some too odd to even be let IN the spectrum. They range from classic Nintendo games, to shaking the paw of a collie (and he'll cry if you fail). Dropping a strawberry on top of a moving cake, to deploying an airbag to save a crash test dummy in an accident.
As odd as this game sounds (and t is), I guarantee that once you get into it, you won't be able to put it down. Since the games are so quick, you can squeeze in a little play time practically anytime! There's very little sounds or music to the game, and what is in there isn't too remearkable, though the opening theme song is cool.
There are characters too. Quite a few of them in fact, and they're stereotypical to the EXTREEEEEEEEME! There's Jimmy, the disco freak, who possesses an afro wig which takes up more mass than his whole body. There's 9-Volt, the Nintendo freak who has a giant Game Boy and a conveyor belt full of equally huge GB games. There's also Mona, the hot chick; Dr Crygor, the mad scientist; Orbulon, the alien; Kat, the samurai who also still in kindergarten; and of course, Wario.
There's also something to be said that this game wasn't changed much from the Japanese version. Japanese words, music, and people appear frequently. Marijuana plants are also a common sight (guaranteed you won't find Mary Jane in any OTHER GBA game!).
It takes a bit of time to get the feel of this game and really begin to enjoy it, but once you do, you'll easily consider it one of the best games the GBA has to offer. I sure do.
Final Fantasy is one of the most revered franchises in all of gaming, with droves of followers and no sign of slowing down. Squaresoft appeases the masses once again with their latest offering, Final Fantasy X (10). Taking advantage of all the PS2 can do with great visuals, a well-made battle system, and an incredibly immersive plotline. Pay no heed to the owner of this website, he knows not what he speaks :).
You start as Tidus (or you can rename him whatever you want), the star Blitzball player of the Zanarkand Abes. Right in the middle of a game, a huge force levels the gigantic Zanarkand. Meanwhile, Tidus and his guardian Auron fight through monster-infested streets until finally being pulled up into the great entity, known as Sin. When he wakes up, he finds himself stranded in a world known as Spira, Auron is gone, he is alone. Eventually, he finds himself washed up on Besaid beach, where he meets the Besaid Aurochs, a blitzball team, and ther captain, Wakka. Tidus and Wakka proceed to the Besaid Temple and meet with the local summoner, Yuna, and her guardians, the short-tempered black mage Lulu, and the quiet but powerful Kimahri Ronso. Yuna has newly become a summoner, and she must now begin her pilgrimage to visit every temple in Spira, where she will acquire powerful Aeons to aid the team in battle, ending in the ruins of Zanarkand, where she will summon the Final Aeon and defeat Sin, like her father High Summoner Braska did before her. Tidus then learns Zanarkand was destroyed a thousand years ago, but he needs to see with his own eyes, so he accompanies Yuna on her pilgrimage. Along the journey, you meet Maester Seymour, who isn't all he appears to be...
The battle system is great, you can have three characters on screen at a time, out of the seven you'll eventually have in your full party. Each with their own skills. Tidus isn't very strong, but he's lightning quick. Wakka attacks with his Blitzball, and specializes in flying fiends. Every character has one or more unique, powerful attacks called Overdrives. They're reminiscent of the Limit Breaks seen in Final Fantasy VII. Each character has a guage beneath their name, HP, and MP which charges under circumstances you choose. In the beginning, you can only charge it by taking damage from enemies, but as the game progresses, you get many other options. For a character to perform an Overdrive with maximum power, you must complete a small task. For instance, Tidus' Overdrive requires you to time a moving line across a bar, hitting X to stop it within the gray area in the center. If you are not able to fulfill the requirement, the character will perform the attack, but it will be less powerful.
No longer must characters randomly accrue their abilities and attributes. Enter the Shpere Grid. The Sphere Grid is a gigantic surface filled with all sorts of upgrades. Winning battles and getting AP (Ability Points) will cause you to gain a Shpere Level, allowing you to move ahead one sphere and activate a new node. Nodes consist of abilities, HP and MP increasers, as well as additions for all other attributes such as Strength, Agility, Defense, and Magic. As you progress, you may find spheres capable of moving a character to a new part of the Grid. Thanks to the Sphere Grid, character advancement is almost limitless. If you're dedicated, you can have a party who knows all spells and skills in the game.
The graphics in this game are fantastic, the FMVs are in very high quality, even normal battle animations are great to look at. Even in the very beginning, you can't help but gaze in awe as Zanarkand is annihilated by Sin. At the beginning of every battle, the screen appears to shatter into glass shards, blow off the screen, and reveal the party and the attacking monsters. Even after beating the game, I still think it looks cool every time.
Sound is great too. It's so good, you can even buy the soundtrack. The battle theme is catchy, and the piano solo in the opening theme is quite well-done. The boss battles have a song that realy illustrates the high tension of such a difficult battle, while the peaceful Besaid Island has an upbeat sort of island tune. The voice acting is right on the mark. Everyone's voices fit so well that it's tough to imagine that they're really coming from somebody else. Auron's voice is deep and gravely, while Wakkas has an islandy accent to it.
Should you want a break from Yunas pilgrimage, you have a few other things you can do too. You can play Blitzball anytime you want after you play for a bit, and winning can get you some great rewards. You can recruit many unsigned players in Spira to play for the Aurochs, and make your team unstoppable. Among the great prizes you can win in Blitzball are new and devastating Overdrive attacks for Wakka. Or once you find it, you can gather monsters form all over Spira to take to the Monster Arena. You can buy special weapons which, when used to defeat enemies, will capture them. Capture all the monsters from a specific area, or a certain number from a species to unlock incredibly powerful optional boss monsters, as well as earn lots of rare items!
This is the game that everyone with a PS2 needs to have. It's not an option, it's an absolute requirement! I'm on my fifth game and I'm already considering a sixth. Buy it as soon as you can, and thank me later.
So how come nobody is talking about this game? Do all of you hate awesome PC-style RPGs? Anyhow, the game is coming out next week and I'm just bursting with excitement. It looks like it'll easily be the best XBox game of the year (and the best XBox game, period), and possibly the best game for any system this year. Here's the first review for KOTOR in case anyone's interested: http://www.unlimitedlives.com/games/abst...1057978138
The theme of this battle will be: pie. That is, use some pies in all your attacks, for instance:
*DJ throws a pie at lazyfatbum, then launches a nuclear missle at Canada*
Nah, let's drop the pie stipulation. Free for all! Stock 5!
First time I started the battle *gets punched to some far Earth-like moon* Dangit! Oh well, nice little moon, what with the air and all. Guess it's time to start the long walk back...
Great Rumbler: Um, DJ? You can't WALK to Earth from some other place!
Not sure how many people tried a similar stunt, but check it out yall check it check it out!
I started the player with no GBA game in it. No biggy, starts up with the standard logo minus the Nintendo logo indicating a game is in it, just like a normal GBA. Well, I tried plugging a GBA to GCN link cable from the GCN to the Gameboy Player. Well, since hte player detected, well, itself, as another gameboy with no game data loaded, it dumped the little program for using a GBA as a controller into ITSELF.
Mr. Burns Persona: Ahahaha Hi-larious!
DJ: Yeah, not that funny, but in any case, this also means of course that you can link up single cart games and load the multiplayer data into the player, or visa versa.
Um, you knew that already? It's plainly obvious you say?
Self Depreciating Persona: Stupid stupid! They knew that, why do I always say the obvious? Dang it! *knocks self out banging head on wall*
Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Space Ghost Coast to Coast on DVD!!!!!!
Quote:Volume 1: Space Ghost Coast-To-Coast
Features 16 episodes and lots of special features on a 2-disc special edition set.
English language, with Eng/Fr/Sp subtitles and CC
$29.98 SRP
Street Date 11/18/03
Volume 2: Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Features 16 episodes and lots of special features on a 2-disc special edition set.
English language, with Eng/Fr/Sp subtitles and CC
$29.98 SRP
Street Date 11/18/03
Quote:As the dust settles on Nintendo's E3 showing every year, the legions of fanboys, sneaking in under the age-old "CEO of some company" ruse, find that as their heart rates drop back to normal, a moment is afforded to reflect upon what they've just played.
This process takes usually about a week.
Then it's time to dissect what was seen without that "oh-my-god-oh-my-god" rose tint getting in the way.
And this year, following the frenzy of joy that greeted Mario Kart Double Dash for GameCube, several things came to light. Namely, that the game was quite slow, and that the all-important, hop-into-powerslide function was ominously missing.
Well there's good news folks, as Nintendo America has today confirmed to us that the game, when released later this year, will be "considerably faster, and with the powerslide function included."
Good news we're sure you'll agree.
Whew, that's a relief! I was reall worried about those two things. Now let's just hope that spong.com didn't pull this out of their asses like they do with some of their news stories.
