Neither fresh nor exciting
Game & Wario for the Wii U is one video game that is completely off the rails. It even makes one question the sanity of the developers at Nintendo Inc.
The title, the latest to feature Nintendo Inc.’s anti-Mario character, is a loose collection of 12 unrelated mini-games that players must master to complete the game. The minigames appear to have been created solely to show off the Wii U and its innovative touch screen.
While some are worthwhile — specifically, one game where you fire arrows to stop invading armies from stealing your strawberries — the majority are just dull.
The overall game starts in Wario’s home where the greedy, fat antiMario is watching TV. A commercial advertises a new video-game console that looks strikingly similar to Nintendo’s Wii U. News reports show happy customers flocking to stores to buy the new console and fans declare it the greatest-ever gaming experience. Wario decides to cash in and starts making games on a dusty old computer he has lying on the floor of his living room. He uses his everyday life as inspiration for the games he creates.
Some are fun, including a puzzle game called Patchwork and another called Gamer, which features a game-addicted child who must play through various video games while trying to hide his hand-held console from his mother. But a majority are boring or just plain weird. One called Kung Fu has nothing to do with martial arts. Instead players navigate a jumping man across a series of platforms. Ski sends a disco-era skier down a hill by tilting the controller from left to right. There are also a handful of multiplayer titles.
While Game & Wario has its moments, as a whole it suffers. There have been reports that the title was initially conceived as a technical demo to showcase the Wii U’s features including its dual-screen play. The system shipped with Nintendo Land, which has many similar, if not more straightforward mini-games. Players who liked Nintendo Land and crave more mini-game madness will probably like this title. Other gamers may choose to look elsewhere.