Regardless of what you may think of Nintendo lately, you have to admit that they know a good thing when they see one. Last year, they released WarioWare: Mega MicroGame$, one of those rare games that defies any attempt to pigeonhole it into a standing genre. Realizing the gem they had in their hands, it was almost inevitable that a sequel would show up sooner or later, either on the GBA, WarioWare’s native platform, or in some sort of enhanced form on the GameCube. Sure enough, it’s a year later, and, right on time, Nintendo releases a multiplayer version for the GameCube, called, interestingly enough, WarioWare: Mega Party Game$.
The concept of WarioWare remains as difficult to describe in its latest incarnation as it was in the original. Basically, the consists of a series of “microgames” which last, on average, five to ten seconds. The games often consist of extremely simple activities that range from the mundane, like returning a tennis serve, to the absurd, such as a game in which you must time a finger’s ascent into a nostril. The games are presented with only a one-word explanation, so half of the challenge is figuring out what one is supposed to do. This is all easy at first, but the game speeds up continuously as the player progresses until the pace is frenetic and there is barely enough time to adjust to what is happening on-screen, let alone to do it correctly. Now, granted, this explanation leaves something to be desired, but WarioWare is a game that must be experienced in order to be fully appreciated.
Those who know and appreciate WarioWare, of course, would expect that a move to the GameCube would result in an exponential improvement over the original formula. After all, the new platform would allow more and better microgames in addition to multiplayer modes that are implied by the new title. Granted, you only need the d-pad and the A button to play WarioWare, but nonetheless, anything that was as good as WarioWare was on the lowly GBA must be at least twice as good on the GameCube, right?
Well… Yes and no.
First, the bad news: If you’re looking for WarioWare: Mega Party Game$ to be an improved simple player experience, you’re going to be awfully disappointed. The single player mode is almost a complete carbon copy of the GBA version. Not only does this mean that the same modes that were available on the GBA version are here, but also that there are very few new microgames. What’s worse, the character of the original single player game, what with the cute vignettes and banana-throwing status screens, is completely gone, replaced with a rather bland elevator screen displayed in between microgames. What that means is that there is really no reason to continue reading this review if you’ve played WarioWare on the GBA and are going to play this version by yourself. Go on. These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.
What the GameCube version does bring to the table, as the title would imply, are a number of multiplayer modes. The primary mode, Survival Fever, has players taking turns at completing microgames; once a player misses three times, he is out, but his on-screen avatar can then walk around the screen and make things difficult for the other players. This concept of sanctioned mischief is a relatively new one in party games, and it fits the theme of this game perfectly. After all, who more than Wario would be likely to condone, even encourage, active interference?
There are other multiplayer modes to choose from as well. One requires players to complete mini-games in order to earn pieces on an Othello board. Another plays somewhat like Hot Potato, in which each player must complete a set number of microgames before getting off the hot seat while all the other players try to inflate a balloon; the player on the hot seat when the balloon bursts is eliminated. One of the wackier modes, called “Listen to the Doctor,” asks players to perform certain actions, like coughing or telling a story about their childhood, while they complete microgames. That player is then judged by the other players on their performance; whoever earns the most applause wins. There is certainly something for everyone here, and while not everyone will enjoy every game type, chances are that any group of people will be able to agree on at least one mode that they all think is the cat’s meow.
The only real problem with the multiplayer in WarioWare: Mega Party Game$ is that there is somewhat of a learning curve involved. Someone who knows all the games inside and out (likely because they played the GBA game until their fingers ached) will have a significant advantage over a new player, and there is no real way to handicap the better player. This can take away from some of the fun, level atmosphere of a typical party game.
Graphically, WarioWare: Mega Party Game$ is not a game that will be used to show off the GameCube’s graphical capabilities. Most of the scenes in between games are very clean and well animated, but the actual microgames look as though they were played on a Game Boy Player. The original graphics of the microgames have not been altered in any way, and WarioWare makes no attempt to hide that fact; in fact, the single player mode is played on a giant GBA with arms and legs. Now, the nature of the microgames keeps this from being problematic, but even so, one cannot help but wonder if Nintendo could have taken an extra few weeks to clean up the graphics and make the player feel like they are actually playing a GameCube game.
Sound is a similar situation. While everything sounds clearer than the GBA version, this is less because Nintendo decided to improve the sound and more because the sound is now coming out of the big TV speakers instead of the tiny GBA speaker. Again, since the microgames are pulled directly from the GBA version, the sound is pulled from there as well; there are a few new, catchy tunes to be heard in the multiplayer games, but these are more the exception than the rule.
Overall, WarioWare: Mega Party Game$ really feels like an expansion set more than a full sequel. Thankfully, the $30 price tag reflects that fact, but the point still remains that there is very little new to be found in the GameCube version unless you’re planning on having three friends around often enough to enjoy the multiplayer aspect of the game. If you fall into that category, or if you haven’t played WarioWare and are looking for a unique experience, by all means go pick this one up; otherwise, save your money and go start up a new WarioWare game on your GBA.
