
Game & Wario
By Marc Saltzman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Disappointing collection of solo and multiplayer games.
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What’s It About?
Wario decides to get into the business of making video games because he thinks he can become rich in the process. You get to play the mini-games developed by the fictional WarioWare Inc. company -– beginning with "Arrow,\" where you're tasked with shooting arrows to fend off enemies who are coming closer to you on the television screen. By pointing the Wii U GamePad towards the TV and aiming towards the various targets, you'll use your finger on the controller's touchscreen to pull back and fire. Another game is "Shutter" that lets you assume the role of a newspaper reporter, tasked with finding a handful of suspects in a crowded scene. Holding up the GamePad like a camera, you'll see a magnified view of the people going about their business and you must tap the controller's screen to photograph each suspect. Along with the dozen solo mini-games, GAME & WARIO features four multiplayer games for when you have friends over. Some are forgettable, like \"Bowling\" and \"Disco,\" while some are fun but unimaginative, such as \"Sketch\"-– a Pictionary clone that has you draw something on the GamePad screen. This game also has a couple of hundred micro-games that only last a few seconds each, be it blowing a beard onto a man's face, spinning people off a vinyl record, a voice changer, and other silly diversions. Clearing solo and multiplayer stages in the main games on this disc will earn you tokens that can be redeemed in a machine called the Cluck-A-Pop, rewarding you with plastic eggs that reveal micro-games, prizes, and short animated videos. There's also a feature called Miiverse Sketch that lets you share and vote on drawings with others online.
Is It Any Good?
If Game & Wario is all Nintendo Wii U owners have to look forward, don't expect to spend much time with the console. While there are a few standouts in this quirky collection of mini-games, it's an overall disappointment due to its lack of ingenuity and the brevity of the content. While it sounds like there's a lot of content here -- a dozen solo games, four multiplayer games, 240 micro-games and Miiverse Sketch that lets you share hand-drawn objects on the GamePad screen -– it won't take you long to unlock it all. And despite the odd highlight, nothing really draws you back to the TV to play again. Perhaps this is why Game & Wario is priced at $39.99 instead of $59.99. Even still, think twice about picking up this disc. Unless you're a huge fan of Wario games or desperate for new Wii U content, leave this one for the bargain bins and wait for better Nintendo titles.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about game types. Should Nintendo continue to crank out these familiar game types with the same characters -- or should they take more of a chance on all-new intellectual properties (IPs)? Do people want the same game concepts rehashed out of familiarity or is Nintendo resting on its laurels?
Do you prefer to play games alone or with others?
Game Details
- Platform: Nintendo Wii U
- Subjects: Arts : music, playing, rhythm
- Skills: Self-Direction : achieving goals, set objectives, time management, Thinking & Reasoning : applying information, problem solving, solving puzzles, Creativity : making new creations
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release date: June 23, 2013
- Genre: Mini-games
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Cats, Dogs, and Mice , Horses and Farm Animals , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires , Music and Sing-Along , Pirates , Robots
- ESRB rating: E for Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor
- Last updated: August 26, 2016
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