Review: WarioWare: Twisted (GBA)

Now that the DS is out, it's pleasing to see that Nintendo aren't limiting their creative output to the new hardware alone; the traditional Gameboy Advance hasn't been forgotten. In order to overcome the problem of the GBA having no specialised interface, Nintendo have built one into the game itself: every copy of WarioWare: Twisted! comes on a cartridge with a gyroscopic sensor embedded, enabling it to literally sense every move you make. We're pleased to confirm that it works perfectly - but more on that later.

WarioWare: Twisted! is, obviously, another formulaic take on the series... were it not for the fact that every WarioWare game has brought a new - pardon the pun - 'twist' to the template (the Gamecube version focused upon multiplayer and Touched! was a tactile cousin), we'd perhaps accuse Nintendo of gratuitously reheating its ideas. But we won't. Instead, once again, Gamestyle will simply acknowledge the charm of WarioWare's crazy microgames, and what makes them so special.

Imagine removing all of the tedious, slow or boring bits from a game, and leaving yourself with a completely pure, precise burst of gameplay - capturing the most relevant or exciting part of the overall game, but lasting for about five seconds. Now imagine there are two hundred of these distilled 'moments' and they are being launched at you one at a time, getting faster and faster, with only four lives to clear enough of them and move on to the next stage. That's WarioWare essentially summed up.

It isn't complicated in the least; quite the opposite in fact. WarioWare prides itself on simplicity, and Twisted! continues that ideology: you simply twist the console to the left or right and watch the onscreen elements respond accordingly. You can spin dials, point at, encase, support or avoid objects, roll balls down slopes, do sit-ups or even manipulate gravity itself to turn the world on its head. Your only clue as to what your objective might be is a 'keyword' given to you at the start of each microgame; this is usually good enough but, much like the original WarioWare, it's not always clear what responses your hand motions will create, thus it might take a couple of goes on some games to suss them out - which is a little unfair.

The controls themselves are beautiful: even the tiniest movement of the console will be recognised, and the game ensures you rarely have to twist everything in a full circle (and otherwise drag any connected headphones or cables around with it). There is even an effective rumble feature built-in, which vibrates to every move you make. Quite why it's there isn't clear, but it can be turned off to avoid draining battery life. The menus and interfaces are handled in the same way as the games - by rotating left and right - and the presentation is quality once again. Only the music slightly disappoints, compared to the funkier tunes of the previous games.

The microgames exude the kind of flamboyant weirdness and imagination that you'll rarely see anywhere. One such example sees you directing (by way of tilting the playing field) a piece of food through a cross-section of somebody's digestive system, before ejecting it from their 'other end'. Utter madness! The (now legendary amongst fans) nose-picking game has also returned as a full-on side-scrolling shoot 'em up boss stage, with hilarious results. You can't help but laugh every time you play a new microgame; unfortunately, many start becoming a bit too samey, and that leads to one of the main problems with the game.

There are only so many ways you can utilise a rotating interface to create a unique and interesting five-second interlude - and frankly we were surprised to see quite so many - but there are also 'filler' games or variations of similar ones. On one set of levels, you use the A button in conjunction with the gyroscope, and in another you use just the button and nothing else - apparently they ran out of ideas for just tilting. Further still, the Megamix modes (compilations of different characters' game types) are made extra confusing as you switch between button and gyroscopic control without warning.

Another (minor) complaint is the lack of multiplayer options. Even the original allowed you to play with a friend, but here there are no such concessions - and accordingly detract from its longevity (the fact that the game is compatible with the DS, but connectivity cables are not, could be the reasoning behind this). Getting a high score and challenging yourself (and friends) is what WarioWare excels in; every game played is unlocked in the library, so you can then master it.

And Warioware: Twisted! may well be the 'master of unlocking' untold bonuses. It contains the most unlockable extras of all time - so many, in fact, that they needed to be split across categories (ie, figurines, toys, games, records, other). Since they are randomly unlocked through playing the main game, even this proves irresistible and addictive. Simple, yet pure, motivation.

Ultimately, the game is unique, imaginative, accessible and thoroughly refreshing... and perhaps the last commercial gasp for the ailing GBA; however it's no better or worse than its predecessors - it's just WarioWare... with a twist!

Rating: 7 / 10

Words by Daniel James