Score
Gameplay:	5
Graphics:	3
Sound:	8
FunFactor:	9
PlasmaFactor:	9
Overall:	6.8

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$ Review
August 24, 2004 by Brian Callam

by Brian - August 24, 2004

Wario returns yet again on the GameCube, but this time he isn�t starring in a lackluster platformer. Now he and his crew of party maniacs are starring in the pseudo-sequel to the incredibly successful GBA title of a similar name. What�s new? Well, not much. WarioWare Inc.: Mega Party Games is almost the exact same game released over a year ago on the GBA, but now with multiplayer.

Same old, Same old.

One thing you should know about WarioWare is that its... different than most games. I mean that in a good way. Basically, it is an ultra-fast paced puzzle game. Before you play this game, forget everything you know about video games: The characters, learning a single control scheme, continuity, everything. Its just not like any other game on the market today. There are about 200 mini-games in this game, and they don�t stop coming until you beat the level. Each level has 25 mini-games, the last being the �boss fight� which isn�t so much a fight, but rather a longer, more complex game than the rest. On average, each game gives you about 3-5 seconds to figure out what exactly it is you have to do and then do it correctly before time runs out. As you beat progress through a level, things will continually speed up making the games harder and harder. It�s the most manic game I�ve ever played.

Each game is seperated into categories, and each category is one of the levels. The categories include IQ, which consists of mazes, word puzzles, and matching games; Nintendo, which has you doing menial tasks in old school Nintendo games such as Mario stomping on a goomba, Link walking into a cave, Samus firing rockets into Mother Brain, and even shooting the duck from Duck Hunt (unfortunately there is no light gun); Reality, which makes you eat a banana, bounce a beach ball pong style off a guy in a business suit, and brushing scummy teeth; Strange, which consists of extremely weird games, but also some of the best, such as sucking up some dripping snot back into a woman�s nose. There are a few more categories, but the ones I mentioned are the most memorable.

However, I already played this game on the GBA a year ago. That is, there are no new mini-games in the GameCube version. If you have played Mega Micro Game$, you may be disappointed by the singleplayer game. Also, unlike Micro Games, all of the games are unlocked from the very beginning. You don�t have to beat them in singleplayer to do practice mode or play them in multiplayer.

Am I playing on the GameCube or Gameboy Player? I can�t tell.

Simply put, the graphics on WarioWare: Mega Party Game$ are sub par. Again, its basically a port from the GBA game, because the graphics are GBA quality. The game doesn�t even use the full screen. When you start a game, a GBA appears on the screen, you zoom in on it, and then start the game, but the edges of the screen are the GameBoy itself. Because it is blown up to fit on your TV screen, the game�s graphics look very poor. Some games look better than others, but all of them show obvious pixelation that just detract from the graphical quality so much. The only things that look better than the GBA game are the menus and scenes in between each mini-game which are quite colorful and appealing.

Dun Dun Dun!

Although the sound and music are also ports from Micro Game$, they have been cleaned up and are higher quality than their predecesor. They are also still very enjoyable, and don�t get old because you only hear them a few seconds at a time. They are great at maintaining the speed and craziness that is WarioWare.

Still incredibly addictive

Despite its other short comings, Mega Party Game$ is still one of the most addictive games there is. The sheer speed of the game makes it nearly impossible to take a break, and just keeps you coming back for more. The addition of a multiplayer mode to the game just adds to the fun and makes it even more addictive than the Micro Game$. The game�s main draw is the multiplayer, thus the name, Mega Party Game$. The game has several multiplayer modes, including survival, which is just a 4 player version of the singleplayer game. Whoever lasts the longest wins. They only get stranger from there. One mode has one player playing a mini-game while the other players block the screen with their characters to try and prevent the player from completing it. Another is the opposite, where the mini-game is dark and the others must shine spotlights on the game so that you can see it. One of the weirdest games tells a player to do something in real life, such as staring at your own nose while the other players clap to indicate how well you did. Overall, multiplayer is a very enjoyable experience in WarioWare Inc: Mega Part Game$, but the Mario Party games are better as far as party games go.

 

 

In Conclusion...

If you have already played Mega Micro Game$, there isn�t really much incentive to play this one. If you haven�t, and want to try out this wacky game, I suggest getting the GBA one instead. If you are looking for a good party game, any of the Mario Party games are better. So, I guess I can�t really recommend this game for the GameCube. While its not terrible, it�s a big letdown from its predecessor. You should definitely check out the GBA version if you haven�t already though. It�s a must have.