Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Some games -- like Wario Ware: Smooth Moves, and parts of Big Brain Academy -- require a Wii remote-pass for multiplayer, instead of giving people the chance to simply use their own. While this can be a benefit (for example, it allows for some huge Wario Ware bouts), with only a few people, we tend to find it annoying. How about you?

Frantic sets of microgames have been the standard of every entry in the WarioWare series, forcing gamers to assess and complete outlandish objectives at a frightening pace. While each title has its own "gimmick" with its microgames (e.g. Twisted!'s motion sensor), WarioWare Touched! and WarioWare: Smooth Moves have the responsibility of proving the newly-launched systems they debuted on. Working with these quick bursts of gameplay, these two games promote how the features of the DS and Wii can be taken advantage of, providing hundreds of examples in an enjoyable, playable format.

The New Gamer has an editorial on the steps Smooth Moves takes to successfully advertise the Wii remote's capabilities. Each five-second game manages to quickly retrain us on how we're interacting with the controller and what's on our screens, using condensed levels of popular games, memorable stances, and familiar situations for these brief vignettes. Because of these design decisions, adapting to the 100+ microgames ends up being more fun than intimidating, vindicating the Wii remote with each satisfying bite of gameplay.

We've had enough time now with the Wii to discover some real gems (how many hours have you put into just Wii Sports so far?) ... but like any system, there are also a few duds, particularly within the launch window. If you're looking to expand your collection, or if you're one of the Wii-less trying to figure out how to budget when your day comes, we're here to help you find the best and the worst of the Wii so far.

The Japanese pop star is none other than Ayumi Hamasaki, who is (according to her Wikipedia page) one of the country's most famous singers. Well, for how famous she is, she's not used any of her wealth or free time to master the minigames in WarioWare: Smooth Moves. She flops many of the minigames, including using the tennis racket to bounce a ball and shaking a puppy's hand. Not only that, but she's just about the worst at the chaffeur boss stage we've ever seen.

Still though, the video is worth a laugh as just about anyone looks like a total idiot when they're playing this game. Be sure to keep an eye on Wii Fanboy as we're set to give away a copy of WarioWare: Smooth Moves to one lucky reader.

[via Codename Revolution]

A short Aussie TV spot has hit the intertron for WarioWare: Smooth Moves. Showing a trio of young ladies demonstrate some of the movements the game demands, each with their own cute name (like The Samurai above), the brisk commercial does a good job of stirring up excitement for the game. It'll be available January 25th to Australian gamers and, as always, we've embedded the video past the post break.

Update: Embedded video past post break.

Wario's latest adventure, and the Wii's latest release in quite some time, has had time to marinate in the hands of critics and we're glad to report that most of their opinions fall within the 'absolutely love it' category. We haven't had the chance to try it ourselves, however given our love of previous titles bearing the fellow's name, we're sure to enjoy it just as much, if not more.

Sure, the game does not support 16:9, but can that really get in the way of enjoying the game that much?

• GameSpot (91/100) informs us of just how wonderful this game really is: "It's a terrific use of the Wii's unique control features, it looks amazing, and in short, it should be a part of your library."

• Nintendo Power (90/100) also provides much praise for the game: "Though Smooth Moves may not seem deep, the fact that it offers physical play and draws a crowd should make it a permanent fixture in a lot of Wii consoles." [Feb. 2007, p.92]

• IGN (82/100) is not so quick to praise the game: "It's not perfect, it isn't the best in the series, but WarioWare: Smooth Moves is an essential piece of the Wii collection, as it's as much fun ripping through it in single player adventures as it is to shove the controller off on unsuspecting houseguests or non-gamers months and years down the road."

See also: previous Metareview posts

Siliconera has uploaded a video explaining how twelve person multiplayer is going to work. First, everyone makes an angel, then the game randomly chooses an angel and makes them play a minigame. In full-on elimination style, the last angel standing comes out the victor. We've embedded Siliconera's video into the post, past the jump.

In this latest video for WarioWare: Smooth Moves (which is embedded into the post past the jump, as always), we get a good glimpse at one of the game's lengthier minigames. A rhythm-based, dancing exercise, this minigame looks pretty fun. We already knew that we would be picking this up, but it's nice to find more positive things to say about the game.

We can't be the only ones excited for this game, amirite?

[Via Go Nintendo]

Yes, these Fusion Tour events have been going for several weeks now, I know. And you've probably read plenty of impressions, too. But not from Nintendo Wii Fanboy, you didn't, so grab a mug of hot cocoa and your favorite fuzzy slippers. It's time to read.

I, like most of you, had never played with the Wii before tonight. I was unable to attend E3, and despite my posting nigh every single day on the strange little machine, I had no idea if it could actually fulfill my every expectation. Would I have to convince myself that the controls would work, as opposed to just knowing that they would? It was almost nervewracking ... waiting to see if all that I work on and write about would be somehow validated.

Coming at us again with yet another video from their local Nintendo Fusion Tour stop, the guys at Go Nintendo take a crack at WarioWare Smooth Moves this time around. A few minigames have already been revealed, however most interesting is the Japanese equivalent to Driving Miss Daisy in boss fight, minigame form.

Continue into the post for the video, which is embedded after the break.

[Via Go Nintendo]