I don’t understand Nintendo’s insistence on pushing the WarioWare series towards a breaking point. It’s like they want it to be the next Mario Party: overproduced, under-thought, and an easy title to slap together and make some cash. If you haven’t been following along, let me fill you in on the series’ history. The original, WarioWare: Mega Microgame$, was heralded as a breakout success. The Gamecube version didn’t do quite as well (or well at all, really), seeing as how it was comprised of the same "microgames" the original was and innovations were slim-to-nonexistent. WarioWare Touched! came out next, and met with luke-warm reception due to its "been-there-done-that" feeling, despite touch-screen controls. The series’ decline in quality is quite apparent so it’s easy to see why I didn’t look forward to WarioWare Twisted! as much as I would have liked.
"... a true WarioWare sequel has arrived..."
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However, I’m happy to report that this is a solid entry in the series. It’s the first one since the original that manages to elicit both feelings of originality, and some genuine amusement. To be honest, it feels like they spent time on this game, and for a series that built its reputation on being original, it only makes sense that work should be put in to ensure the most amount of fresh content possible; I can’t say that about the other "sequels." I finally feel a true WarioWare sequel has arrived, and for a number of good reasons.
You Spin Me Right Round Baby Right Round
The gyroscopic technology used in this title truly sets it apart from any other entry in the series. The gyroscope is a motion sensor that recognizes when you turn your GBA (or GBASP, or DS; it works on all of them). Turning your system is the main way you play the game, so you can imagine it results in some interesting and unique, if not crazy-looking, gameplay. I dare you to play this in public.
As it turns out (pun unintended, but man it’s a good one), playing this game requires a hefty amount of skill. I’d never have guessed turning a GameBoy would create such versatility in the gameplay, but it does. For example, there’s a stage where you guide a spaceship through a meteor shower, but there’s one where you have to make a car with a helicopter blade fly across the screen by constantly tilting from left to right, in essence spinning the blade.
The important thing to note about the tilting controls is that they work so well. I’ve never had a problem where I blamed the controls for a mistake. It’s very well designed, so it’s as accurate as possible. There’s a minor quibble with the sensor on higher speeds, but I’ll touch on that in a couple paragraphs.
Push It Real Good
The best part about Twisted! is that you’re not just limited to spinning your system, like you were limited by Touched! and its stylus controls. Nintendo intelligently added timed button pressing with the tilting controls, and even has games where you only press the A button (like the original). This addition controls creates some pretty complex (for WarioWare standards) yet enjoyable mechanics for these "microgames."
"Twisted! outclasses all of the WarioWare games in the unlockables department, maybe even if they were all put together."
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It requires you to tilt the GameBoy, and press a button at the same time, so you’ll be targeting and shooting things, spinning and jumping, or my personal favorite, firing hands with extended fingers into disembodied and attacking noses while dodging their booger projectile. The depth added by the tilting, coupled with two hundred mostly unique games really gives this title a life unlike those of its predecessors.
As for any problems, sometimes it’s hard to keep your eyes on the action when spinning, since you’re spinning the screen as well as the sensor, but this is a minor complaint, and really something that should be expected since it’s built into the game design. Also, at higher speeds sometimes it’s impossible to do some of the games, as the sensor becomes too sensitive, but it really doesn’t hamper the enjoyment. It’s also not something that can be fixed, so I really don’t fault Nintendo for this.
Unlock the Magic
While the gyroscopic controls add a level of originality and freshness to the game, and the near two hundred mostly new microgames add to the main gameplay, it’s in the unlockables this game really cements its majesty, and provides a hefty amount of bulk. This title outclasses all of the WarioWare games in the unlockables department, maybe even if they were all put together. There is so much to uncover, and so much worth uncovering.
"The humor is on point and characteristically quirky..."
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You’ll be surprised by the sheer amount of content hidden in this title. There are simple little treasures, like figurines that do something when you shake them, and there’s more complex ones that perform silly actions, like a fortune cookie, but there are also full blown mini-games, similar to the original’s "Paper Airplane" and "Skateboard." My favorites are a tie between "Staying Asheep," in which you press A to have sheep jump across a fence, and the "Super Mario Bros." mini-game where you use the tilt sensor to move. It’s sheer genius, and a must-play for any Mario fan.
At first I was ready to really lay into this title for its length, since I completed the main game in about two hours. I rethought my stance though, after unlocking so much stuff after about six hours of gameplay, and still not being 100% complete. It seems that the more I play, the more cool stuff I unlock, and that is never something to criticize.
Worth Your Time and Money
Everything about WarioWare Twisted! is solid, and fans of the series will be ecstatic with this entry. The innovative controls aren’t the main feature either. The humor is on point and characteristically quirky, the mini-games are both plentiful and enjoyable, and the game doesn’t actually "end" for a good long time. I can’t really think of a GBA title that’s come out recently that’s provided such an amazing amount of content, and such a genuinely good time.
