WarioWare: Smooth Moves [Wii]

The Wario Ware series of games, beginning with Mega Microgame$ took the mini-game to new territory, making the games shorter, faster, and generally more bizarre. There were mini-games based on ancient Nintendo classics, and others that simply defied explanation, like trying to pick a nose with a disembodied finger. The Nintendo Wii will get its own version of this fast-paced microgame madness with Wario Ware: Smooth Moves, and from what we've played thus far, it's going to be more wacky fun that will test your ability to both quickly figure out the game at hand, while also being able to embarrass yourself in front of your friends.

At the Nintendo Fusion Tour events, Wario Ware: Smooth Moves is on display and playable for the concert-goers, many of whom had little idea of what the Wii had in store for them. Unlike other games that have a more noticeable learning curve, everyone was able to jump right in and figure out the mini-games within seconds, thanks to their simple nature, as well as the on-screen display instructing the player as to how to hold the Wii remote for each game.

The Wii remote controller can be manipulated from a variety of positions, and many of these were introduced in these new microgames. One position is called the Mohawk, where you place the remote on your head, and control it by squatting up and down. Another is called the Waiter, where you rest the controller flat on the palm of your hand, and is used for balancing games. Yet another position is called the Chauffer, which simply means holding the remote at both ends, shifting it from left to right like a racing wheel. It was used in the first boss stage in the game demo, which had your mustachioed hero from the 80's cruising down a winding road, avoiding cows and monkeys in his path.

The earlier Wario Ware games drew heavily from Nintendo's storied past, with mini-games drawn from classics like Excitebike and Metroid. It was no surprise to see that this latest game will feature mini-games based on more recent Nintendo hits, like an Animal Crossing fishing microgame, and an adorable Nintendogs game where you have a puppy give you five. With so many ways to make use of the controller, and what appears to be plenty of variety, we see good things coming from Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. Now we're just looking forward to playing it on our own, and setting it up at our next party for the real multiplayer test.

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