Nintendo Special | Cubed

Most if not all Nintendo owners are surely aware of the Wario Ware franchise by now. The series has spanned across a number of consoles of both the handheld and home variety, but never before has a game made you feel like quite such a nut case.

'Smooth Moves' was the very first title we got a chance to play at the Nintendo Wii event, a fact that was overwhelmingly evident to anyone watching. Whilst most Wii titles that have been revealed so far involved some form of embarrassing ligament flailing, Smooth Moves well and truly takes the top spot. The prime reason for this (other than the possible drug habits of Nintendo's developers of course) is the frequent changing of activities as you whiz through the variety of mini-games. One second you could be trying to balance a broom stick on the palm of your hand and the next you could be swinging a 'hula-hoop' around your midriff.

Nothing new for Wario Ware veterans, but what is new is the actions that go with each mini-game. Taking the two previous mini-game examples to illustrate the point, balancing a broomstick is no longer about tapping left and right as subtly as possible, you now have to physically point the Wii-mote in the air and keep it steady. However this is nothing compared to the 'Hula-hoop- mini-game that (if done properly) requires you to hold the Wii-mote to your waist and swing your hips like its 1994*. Doing this with some mates once you know what you're doing is one thing, but trying it for the first time in a room full of total strangers is a different experience entirely.

Luckily before each mini-game begins a help-screen pops up instructing you on how you should be holding the Wii-mote for best results. Of course these are only really suggestions and not rules, as it is often possible to bypass the recommended control methods and merely take the less embarrassing route of holding the controller normally (as opposed to strapped to your waist!) . Whilst there is nothing against doing this it would officially make anyone who did a 'party-pooper' of the highest order, and perhaps said person would be better suited to the PS3's "motion sensitive controller"...

In it's current form, Wario Ware: Smooth Moves already feels like the most complete title due to its reliance on miniature segments of frantic gaming rather than in-depth game play. On top of this the Wii-mote is perfectly suited to the party-game style of game play, meaning that the game lends itself very well to newcomers, (unless your very image conscious that is).

*Date bares no relevance to the subject matter.

'Wii sports' is a compilation title featuring a number of simulated real-life sports that allow you to get your daily exercise without ever having to leave the house! The version we played featured Tennis, Baseball and Golf, although the final release copy may well include more.

Unlike Wario Ware, you know exactly what's coming with Wii Sports