WarioWare: Smooth Moves review

The Wii is already bloated with party games, but there's a good chance the frenetic pace and schizophrenic style of WarioWare: Smooth Moves will topple them all. Using only the remote (called the Form Baton here), you'll engage in 200-plus ultra-fast minigames that range from clipping fingernails to balancing on a ball to whacking the thieving arm of a dodgy old man. Each lasts mere seconds, and then it's off to the next with barely any time to catch your breath. It's fast, it's fun and most importantly, it charges the room with an energy few other titles can muster. Basically, when you've got two girls saying "Oh my God could this get any cuter?" and that's followed by "It just did!" you've got a multiplayer winner.

As a series, WarioWare has always been about slapping you in the face with incessant minigames. What makes Smooth Moves the best yet is its expert use of the remote - before each minigame, you're shown a way to hold the remote for maximum efficiency. For example, "The Janitor" is a form where you hold the remote vertically like a broom and swish it side to side. "The Boxer" has you holding the wand in an outstretched arm, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Some of the strangest ones, like "The Mohawk," "The Elephant" and "The Samurai" practically force you to get off the damn couch and act out nutty movements in front of the whole room. And trust us, you'll want to play this game with friends.

The Wii is already bloated with party games, but there's a good chance the frenetic pace and schizophrenic style of WarioWare: Smooth Moves will topple them all. Using only the remote (called the Form Baton here), you'll engage in 200-plus ultra-fast minigames that range from clipping fingernails to balancing on a ball to whacking the thieving arm of a dodgy old man. Each lasts mere seconds, and then it's off to the next with barely any time to catch your breath. It's fast, it's fun and most importantly, it charges the room with an energy few other titles can muster. Basically, when you've got two girls saying "Oh my God could this get any cuter?" and that's followed by "It just did!" you've got a multiplayer winner.

As a series, WarioWare has always been about slapping you in the face with incessant minigames. What makes Smooth Moves the best yet is its expert use of the remote - before each minigame, you're shown a way to hold the remote for maximum efficiency. For example, "The Janitor" is a form where you hold the remote vertically like a broom and swish it side to side. "The Boxer" has you holding the wand in an outstretched arm, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Some of the strangest ones, like "The Mohawk," "The Elephant" and "The Samurai" practically force you to get off the damn couch and act out nutty movements in front of the whole room. And trust us, you'll want to play this game with friends.