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>>Wario in pieces

Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (Wii/Nintendo, Intelligent Systems) represents both everything that is right and wrong about Nintendo’s paradigm shift in game design. Can 200 rudimentary mini games truly be considered a full game? In the case of Smooth Moves, and every other Wario Ware game before it, Mario’s doppelganger and his twisted world is insanely fun and frantic, even though it’s a shallow experience. It’s easy to love the mustachioed-villain, but Smooth Moves hints at how disastrous the Wii experience could be in the hands of a less talented developer.

Ever the greedy capitalist (unlike Mario), Wario decides to make a quick buck in the video game business by creating a series of five-to-10-second long games with his Diamond City cohorts. Every level goes through about 15 of these games, one after the other, with nary a respite. Then you play a longer boss stage and continue to play an unlimited number of the games at increasingly higher speeds. Every game takes one step to complete and is assumed to be self-explanatory. Having conquered the portable world and the GameCube, Wario sets his sights on the mysterious Wii and the “form baton.”

POLE POSITION: Wario Ware

The main difference with Smooth Moves are the different positions one can assume with the Wii remote (and the nunchuk in the case of Orbulon’s level). Before each game, a black-and-white diagram will appear telling the player how to hold the remote. There are 19 forms in all, and each comes with a unique name and nonsensical description. They vary from using the remote as an extension of your nose (the elephant), to holding it over your head (the mohawk), to around your waist (the big cheese). It’s truly incredible just how many different poses Intelligent Systems came up with.

The outrageous presentation has returned as well, and is largely what propels Wario Ware to greater heights. Each level has its own theme, and the humour is beyond absurd. Why drinking water will cause your follicles to grow instantaneously we may never know. It’s also good to see the nose-picking game has been given a 3D upgrade. New to the series is a collection of humorous pose cards to collect, which are fun to do when you’re alone.

The multiplayer mode feels like an afterthought, save for the dart mini game, which still falls flat compared to the real deal. Multiplayer, which can support up to 12 players, is a failed concept because only one remote can be used, and is passed from player to player. Perhaps a split-screen mode could have worked?

After playing a similar yet much worse game, Rayman Raving Rabbids, it’s horrifying to think the Wii could be littered with Wario Ware clones by the end of 2007. Smooth Moves is the best Wario Ware game other than Twisted! and likely the zenith of the mini-games-posing-as-a-full-game genre. Playing so many short games can be like eating a dozen cookies before dinner—it will ruin your appetite, but you won’t feel particularly satisfied.

OPEN HOUSE

Ubisoft Campus (740 Notre-Dame W., 6th floor) is holding an open house. Anyone interested in a glamorous life in 3D modelling, animation or level design would be wise to show up and gab with teachers, students and alumni (including many who have gone on to bigger and better things). Wannabes can bring their portfolios if they want, but be advised they’re looking for students with a sense of art (computer software experience not required) and teamwork skills. Visit on Feb. 8 from 5–9 p.m. and on Feb. 9 from noon–4 p.m. The French-only Web site is a good place to start: www.campusubisoft.com.

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