Ever since the Nintendo DS was first showcased to the gaming press and public, WarioWare Touched! became one of the most anticipated games known of for the handheld, and why shouldn’t it have been? The Game Boy Advance (GBA) original is a great game that pushes the boundaries of game design by compressing it into tiny, tasty, bite-sized morsels. Of course, this DS version would follow the same formula, but with one difference: the stylus is used for controls. Fans were already calling Wario Ware: Touched! the Nintendo DS’ first "killer app." Now that the game has finally come out, it’s obvious that it’s not the ground-breaking triumph its predecessor was, and definitely not a "killer app." The gameplay is nowhere near as fresh and its length is microscopic.
"... not the ground-breaking triumph its predecessor was, and definitely not a ’killer app.’ "
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"Microscopic you say?" What in heaven could that possibly mean? Well, perhaps "microscopic" is too nice of a term because I’m really disappointed by the length of this title, and I’m not even sure there’s a word to describe it’s miniscule size. I finished the main game in literally two and a half hours. It might take some people longer, but I don’t really think this completion will break three hours for most. The worst part is I really never felt like I put any effort forth while playing. Mini-game after mini-game, after cutscene, after mini-game, and "BAM!" it’s over. It’s not to say that this title is a waste or that it plays bad, it’s just entirely too short to warrant a purchase, especially at $35. Super Mario 64 DS is a much longer game and is priced $5 cheaper, as is the eerily similar Feel the Magic, which is twice the length of Touched.
Touched, as I said before, doesn’t play bad. In fact, it plays amazingly well. The stylus works just as it should, and the games give you simple easy-to-understand instructions with a couple of seconds to complete them. However, it’s unfortunate that that a few of the games have come directly from the original GBA WarioWare and just use the stylus to control them instead of their original controls. It doesn’t bode well for creativity when there’s a "been there, done that" kind of feeling, especially when one considers how "ground-breaking" the Nintendo DS and its games are supposed to be. Even the new games included in Touched have this rehashed feeling.
"I finished the main game in literally two and a half hours."
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If there was some kind of true innovation, I wouldn’t have reason to say this, but then the game would probably be longer, too. It’s just sad how uncreative some of these mini-games are; there’s seriously a game where a GBA is shown on the screen and you have to tap the ’A’ button to complete a game from the original WarioWare. I felt that was the bottom of the barrel when it came to filling space. The new games created for Touched lack the flavor of the originals also. It’s not as hard to figure them out and they just don’t offer the same feeling of accomplishment when completing them.
The quirky feeling of the original game, which is one of the best aspects of the WarioWare series, is also dumbed down. It isn’t nearly as fresh as it once was, even if the characters have new scenarios to contend with. In fact, even with the new characters added to Touched, some of the old characters were completely ignored and are barely represented. In addition, the game is just plain not as funny as the original. Sure, there are a few moments where I chuckled, but nothing that made me laugh out loud like the original’s "Smiling Fruits and Veggies," or crying handshake dog.
"... anyone who’s played Sega’s Feel the Magic will be completely disappointed "
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There are a bunch of unlockables, but with no clear way to unlock them, the player just ends up frustrated. Unlocking these mini-games requires you to post high scores after you initially go through a characters challenge set, but in my opinion this artificially "extends" the length of this title. If you really enjoy replaying the same games over and over, then that’s great; those who don’t won’t be happy. There are also some two player games, but instead of playing them via the wireless connection, you have to hold the DS with another person. Some people might enjoy this, but it would have been a great deal more fun to be holding your own system when playing someone, since the system is capable of linking up wirelessly.
It’s really a sad thing for me to say, but WarioWare Touched! is not a worthy purchase. Even though it uses the DS’ feature set better than most games out for the system, anyone who’s played Sega’s Feel the Magic will be completely disappointed by this title length wise and creatively. It’s a quality title, but it’s unoriginal and overpriced.
