Wario Ware Twisted
You haven't sold your soul to the devil for chocolate, have you?
Most people that have sampled any of Wario Ware's offerings would agree that they alone are more than ample justification for the existence of handheld gaming. They're simply perfect on the move. Even the Gamecube version had a screen border to give it the appearance of a GBA. Whether you have a spare minute or hour, each Wario game's collection of 200 minigames has so far proved the perfect distraction for just about any occasion. Since Wario Ware Twisted has so far only been released in Japan it's likely that more of you have tried the more recent Wario Ware Touched on the DS (a fantastic game that I granted 85% last month). Nonetheless, as great as that game is, it is undeniably surpassed (or I suppose preceded in a chronological sense) by Twisted, definitely the best incarnation of the series since the GBA original.
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If you know anything of the series then you'll know exactly what to expect. What you get is minigames, which normally last for between 3 and 5 seconds with the exception of the slightly elongated boss stages. The games are pooled together in themed categories, each of which must be beaten before the next set can be unlocked. To beat a level you must win all of the minigames within it without losing all your lives, which incidentally number four. How do you lose a life? By failing a minigame, of course. Still, even veterans will not be used to the dramatically "revolutionary" control system - very apt, what with Nintendo's recent revolutionary leanings.
Although a few of the games require simple button presses, as you may be accustomed to, the majority require you to, well, twist your GBA. Some from side to side, and some from top to bottom. This is achieved through a motion sensor that sits in the bottom of the somewhat mutated, bulbous cartridge. You can forget about tiny plastic cartridge carrier cases here mate, though that is partly made up for by the wonderful heavy-duty cardboard packaging of the Japanese game. All the more remarkable however is the accuracy afforded by the cartridge-bound technology. Not only does it translate your movements into the game with startling precision but the inbuilt rumble device is also brilliantly employed. It's subtle, yet affective vibrating really does the convey the sensation of turning a lever or cog on a bracket; it's almost like you're cranking your GBA as if it were a digital steering wheel. It may not sound incredible, but it's a clever and immeasurably tactile sensation that really connects you to the interface and in turn to the games themselves.
It works so well that it becomes more than just a gimmick. It becomes a perfectly credible control system that's not necessarily superior but definitely the equal of conventional controls, at least when utilised in this specific instance. It's something you'll never have seen before and will possibly never see again - and it's all the more fun for it. I do concede though that you may look like a bit of a fool in public as you twist your GBA frantically from side to side and even walk in circles on the spot if you choose to follow the instructions to the letter (though in all honesty I quickly found myself instead twirling the machine completely with my hands - it's far less likely to make you dizzy or to injure a fellow commuter). Still, chances are you won't care too much about how you look because you'll be having such a good laugh.
At times the content is as likely to make you chuckle as your preposterous physical actions. Not only are most of the scenarios comically surreal, but plentiful references to Nintendo's past titles are also delivered with equal jest. One set of games follow a Nintendo theme and are set inside the innards of a Japanese Famicom (what we would call a NES). The final boss stage here in particular was extremely memorable, tasking you with guiding Mario over a distorted version of the opening level of Super Mario Bros, wrapped around a wheel and turned by tilt - sublime and bizarre all in one! Of the other games there are many that are striking for either their design, ingenuity or humour. Whether it's twisting an obviously agonised Wario's spine into shape or delicately lowering platforms for stick men to cross safely, it's all so well done and so entertaining that it's likely that you'll never have a dull moment.
Although you can plough through the main mode in a couple of sittings, once again the quirky unlockable extras, special endurance games and previous best records are easily reason enough to keep you returning for more. It's also quite noticeable that this is possibly the toughest Wario Ware game to date. Although you're unlikely to be stuck on any one particular set of levels for more than a handful of attempts things are noticeably a little trickier this time around. Not that this is a bad thing; Wario Ware has always really been about beating yourself rather than the game, but the extra challenge proves to be actually quite welcome.
If you want to import there isn't a terrible amount of Japanese text to navigate, though a few of the unlockable minigames, like the Love Tester, are unplayable if you don't speak the lingo. You will miss the single word prompt at the beginning of each game at first too but you're always able to figure it out after a couple of attempts. One or two of the main games however do require some basic Japanese so there are occasions where you'll be relying purely on luck - fortunately it is very infrequent.
Any obstacles you might face however are more than worth navigating as Wario Ware Twisted is easily an essential buy for your GBA or even DS. If you're a patient wee flower (unlike myself) wait for the US or European release and then even these minor quibbles will be eliminated. If not, plunge in anyway as there's not a chance you'll regret it unless you are an evil, joyless fiend that has no arms and has sold its soul to the devil for chocolate.
90%
Comments
seems pretty cool
You guys are lagging behind in reviews. You're still stuck in 2004 - Where is the World of Warcraft review? And 2005 - Where is Mercenaries, Shadow of Rome, Gran Turismo 4,etc.? Seriously, you should be more serious about reviewing.
Sorry. Maybe you should ask for your money back?
Well, considering Wario Ware Twisted is not out outside Japan yet that's not too bad.
Serious about reviewing? Ever considered how much work goes into running a website? Writing reviews? Securing review code? Singing reviewers? Responding to daft feedback? Ironing out techinical issues? Maintaining the server?
No, you're right. We don't take it seriously at all. The whole affair is just a great big, time consuming laugh! Ha ha ha ha ha ha! It makes all the effort all the more gratifying when people express their appreciation as you have. Thanks mate.
And yes Tyler, it is.
Sorry Ben, I didn't mean it in a banter kind of way. All I meant was that you should try putting up reviews on time. I mean, c'mon, theres so much time space between one review and the next. So whats up with those games? Are you reviewing them or are they left for dust? Oh and also Prince of Persia: WArrior Within..I forgot to add that.
Oh and I *think* I know one or two small things considering I work for a (maybe?) rival site - www.ugo.com. You should probably check it out and know how to keep readers happy or else advertisers might start looking someplace else.
Yeah, the readers are real miffed. All 1.1 million that keep coming back for more every month - and rising.
We're not big enough to cover every release, so we tend to focus on quality over quantity. The largest newspaper in North America (USA Today) understood...
"Ferrago's not the largest game-related site you'll find, but it's wonderfully meaty, covering virtually all the important new releases with reviews that read as if the players were familiar with not only with the game but the dictionary."
News is, of course, updated daily - and our News Portal has a new story every minute or so.
We don't rely on advertising to run the site, nor do we view ourselves as being in competition with anyone (esp. a US site). Unlike with traditional media, a visitor is highly likely to consume more than one company's product.
Ok, well, if it does not hurt your site in anyway - putting quality over quantity then I suppose if you look at it from that perspective, it is a really good site.
Thank you.
i dont like this game. i think it sucks. <:zoom in:> period
Why would you ever want to buy this game? I mean look at those graphics! I can barely tell what's what. And cartoony characters? Is Nintendo that stupid, that they couldn't make some realistic looking humans?
Sheesh, it's not even 3D. Who would want to play utter crap like this?
duremot_sony - who would want to paly a "crap" game like this? Well, probably someone that values playability and superb gameplay over flashy graphics I would have thought.
The graphics are basic but still do the job perfectly. If the only real reason why you won't give it a chance is because of the graphics then I pity you - you're going to miss out on lots and lots of great games both now and in the future.
Gameplay? Playability? What's that supposed to mean? Sounds like a gimmicky way to say "move your character around". I quit having fun moving stupid little characters around when I was three. No, the future of gaming is in the graphics (which just keep getting better and better, might I add), which is exactley why cartoony, kiddy crap like this should just be downright ignored.
Oh.... my crap....
No you didn't.
The graphics are fine the way they are, and only a handful of GBA games have 3-d. What's wrong with cartoony? Just because things aren't to YOUR specific tastes does not mean that it's crap.
How do you even know its crap anyways? Have you even played it? Can you give me a specific example?
And the whole graphics is the future of gaming....
NO. NO IT IS NOT. Just because they keep on getting better and better, does not make a good game. Yes, A game with good graphics is certainly a good thing, yet it only contributes a tiny bit to a game's play. Ingenuity, originality, gameplay are much more important factors in determining how well a game is recieved.
People like you make me question today's generation of gamers.
Wolf, there you go with ambiguous terms again. Gameplay, ingenuity, originality -- do YOU even know what any of that crap means? No, I havn't played this, nor any other GameBoy Advance game. The graphics aren't 3D, they're kiddy and unrealistic...how anyone can stand playing it is beyond me. I'll be much happier playing Sony games on my PSP, thank you -- at least with that I can tell what everything is, and even be half convinced by the realism of the graphics!
ummmmmmmmm do any of u no how much it costs in saskatoon
sorry that was test. i think me will like game when me get it.
duremot_sony: You are one of the most narrow-minded gamers I have ever seen. No one game can be based on graphics, without gameplay, replayability, and originality, a game is not a game. Just so you know that I know what those "ambiguous" terms mean, I will say what they are.
Gameplay: The actual game itself, its formula, how the game is played. For example, WarioWare's gameplay is rapid-fire mini-games, while Splinter Cell's (i think you like that game, graphics are good, rite?) is stealth. A game without gameplay is a game that has no game. I know, it's wierd, but true.
Replayability: The name speaks for itself. Replayability is how much fun the game is after it is beaten, and if it is worth buying or renting (low replay = rent, high = buy)
Originality: How original and unique the game is. For example, if there was a game called "King of Iran" and it was almost exactly the same as "Pince of Persia", just with a few new character models, it would have 0 originality; the idea has been done before.
WarioWare, however, has the most originality a game has ever had in the longest time; its idea has never been done before. Also, its gameplay is unique and addictive, and it can last a lifetime with its infinite replayability. So I suggest you reconsider recognizing games for their more important qualities, rather than only graphics. (P.S.: This game CANNOT be 3-d or have good graphics; it's a GBA game and is much lower-tech than DS or PSP. The GBA was made in 2000, just so you know)
The Wario Ware games are easily the best games I've ever played and Wario Ware Twisted is the best of the series. That Sony guy was really stupid. I own an XBOX and a Gamecube and they are both pretty cool and i'm sure playstation stuff is too but the Wario Ware games, despite the graphics are way more fun than any title on the home consoles than I can think of and I've been playing games for over 20 years. If you had played any of the Wario Ware games you would know that graphics are completely irrelevant and perhaps even diminishing from the overall experiance. Seriously go buy a DS or a GBA and get any of the Wario Ware games, you won't be disappointed.
WarioWare, you're crazy. Simply put. You're somehow convinced that "Gameplay, replayability and originality actually add to the gameplay, when that very notion is ridiculous.
Gameplay exists in all games; you can't have a game without gameplay. WarioWare has stupid, kiddy gameplay, and Splinter Cell has mature, adult gameplay. THEY BOTH HAVE GAMEPLAY, just like every other game. Therefore, gameplay doesn't matter. It's just omnipresent. I don't see why people like you are constantly griping over it.
Replayability...why would I care how many times I play a game over and over? If the graphics are good enough I might play it twice, I'm not a lifeless nerd like you who plays games all day, LOL.
And like you can call any game original. Kiddy Mario 64? Ripoff of Kiddy Mario World which ripped off Kiddy Mario Bros. for the Kiddy Entertainment System (pales in comparison to the Sony PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System), which is a ripoff of Kidfall for the Kiddy Atary 2000, which is a ripoff of...it all dates back to Kiddy Pong, the beginning of games. Thank God for Sony, or we'd still be playing that 1D crap. ;-)
WarioWare isn't original. I'm sure if it was worth playing and I ever actually was convinced that the graphics aren't so stupid, 2D and kiddy that I shouldn't downright avoid this game and play my PSP instead (not going to happen because the graphics ARE stupid, 2D and kiddy), then I'm sure I could list off a chain of games like I did for Kiddy Mario 64, which would strech back to Kiddy Pong.
But until that day, have fun knowing your kiddy, cheap graphics are always inferior to the sheer beauty that is PSP, PS2 and soon to be PS3, AMEN. :-D
I'm a Hardcore Gamer, I've played almost every console made, I'm 29 years old, Recently I played Wario Ware Twisted, and Is one of the most addictive game, very original, Excelent gameplay, definitely a must have, I can resum all in a word PERFECTION, Regards from Mexico.
WTF are you doing here duremont_sony? in a Wario review, If you prefer next Gen games reviews you aren't in the correct place, I think you are a stupid PS3 Fanboy (By the way PS3 sucks, It doesn't included a rumble feature, nowadays rumble feature is a standard in videogames, and Wario Ware includes a rumble, Hahahahahahaha Ciao
Wario ware Twisted use a High Tech device developed by NEC.....Check this.... In addition, Ceramic gyro are being employed in game software cartridges; this is a brand-new application.
Nintendo provides game software,
amazing reveiw although im replying about a year into the future i was debating if i should purchase this game,but you have definitely made my mind!
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