Wario Ware Inc: Mega Micrograme$ (GBA)

From Nintendo

This review originally was presented on lazy.GEEKS (5/28/03)

Well, this is a game that one might say is very Japanese...in simple terms, this means this game is just insane and silly.  But you could probably figure that out from the pictures I posted on the side.  Anyways, this game is totally crazy so I will just jump into the review and if you don't understand something, it's because I don't understand it and most likely the programmers don't even understand it.

Normally I don't like to think too much of the graphics, but since this game is crazy, it is only appropriate that the graphics are not just silly, but also really well done (check out the cat in the last picture).  The graphics range from simple stick figures and rough tracings (like the man hammering a nail in the fifth picture) to anime style chicks (like in the second picture).  The animations are simple and brief, but they don't to be anything beyond that.  Long story short, the graphics look good, but it they were any better it would distract from the game.

As for audio, it is great.  You will hear in clear voices (well, mostly clear) congratulations when you pass a game and taunts when you fail.  The music ranges from somewhat orchestrated to poor midi style sounds (but that is good since some mini games are throw-backs to the classic NES days and before). There is nothing noteworthy to point out, but there are no major flaws, either.  'nuff said.

Since I want to save the best, game play for last, I will now tell you about the story; and yes...this game has a slight story...very slight.  Simply put, Wario wants to make some money...and like many game programmers currently do, he will make a bunch of games that are simply knock-offs of other peoples' games.  You play the role of playing his (and his friends'/enemies'/acquaintances') games.  That's all there is to the story, but you don't need story...did you need a story to enjoy Smash Brothers, Tetris, or Pong?  I thought not.

Ok...this is the hardest part...game play...this game is silly.  You play many games that last for about 3 seconds each and involve either one button press (the "A" button) or the direction pad.  Also, you are given a one word instruction such as hammer (for the fifth picture).  For example, in the fourth picture of a crash test dummy, the instructions say "Deploy!", and you must press the A button so the air bag "deploys" before the dummy hits the steering wheel.  There are also boss stages (BOSSES?!?!?!  You heard right).  On these stages you will need both the A button and the direction pad and the time will last anywhere from 5 seconds to a couple minutes (an example of one of these is playing a simplistic version of Punch Out!).  Overall, the game is simple and easy and unbelievable in it's craziness.  In case you are wondering, games range from helping a cat to sleep, picking your nose (not making it up), shaking hands with a dog, playing Metroid, and even helping fireworks to explode.  BTW:  I'm not making any of this up...I may be crazy, but I'm not crazy enough to make this shit up.  Needless to say, the controls are easy enough, the games are short so you never lose interest, and the the variety is great enough to keep you playing for hours on end (but you can play for just 5 minutes at a time and not miss a beat).

Well, as you can tell from my words and the pictures, this game is insane.  Wario Ware is a non-stop ADD puzzle game that will keep just about anyone silly enough to appreciate the wackiness of Japanese culture going for a long time.  The only downfall is that Wario Ware is somewhat short, but the games are fun enough that you can play them over and over without worrying about boredom setting in.  I thought this game would be pretty boring in the end, but I was wrong and therefore I whole-heartedly recommend this game to just about anyone with a (crude) sense of humor.  Score: 9.5/10

Malik