If someone were to ask you what Nintendo's craziest game series is, you'll probably answer the same as me: The Wario Ware series. The first game introduced gamers to a frantic experience that was completely different from everything out there. Yes, different is a great way to describe the frantic, 5-second showdowns that you have to complete in order to progress through the game.

Japanese gamers were lucky enough to play the game even before Wario Ware: Touched! (DS) was released, but you shouldn't care, because "Saving the best for last" has never been more true. This is definitely the pinnacle of the series and delivers a quirky experience unavailable elsewhere.

Okay, so let's talk about the game. The beauty of Wario Ware: Twisted! lies in its hardware design, and how it ties beautifully with the software inside. Nintendo is using a built-in motion sensor (a la Kirby Tilt N' Tumble) that detects every turn and "twist" that happens in the game. You basically play the whole game in this fashion (with the exception of a very few number of others where you use the "A" button) and fortunately, it feels surprisingly natural. It's a remarkable, responsive device that makes a huge difference between this and the other titles in the series. The cartridge also features a rumble motor, which combined with the motion sensor technology, makes Wario Ware: Twisted! one of the best interactive experiences you'll ever feel, even more so than Touched!.


You missed a spot...

The basis of the game is simple. You have to spin, turn and twist your Game Boy Advance (or DS!) around until you complete several minigames. Completing each of these minigames within the time limit (5 seconds) will grant you access to the next minigame, which will be just as fast as the previous one, but totally different in execution. After completing a number of minigames you must clear the "boss stage" -- not in the way you think -- eventually completing the board and granting you access to the next board, each of which has its own theme.

The variety of minigames is much like the past titles: huge, and completely inventive. So original, in fact, that you'll pretty much forget that you're virtually spinning the Game Boy Advance throughout the whole gaming session.

Each one of these minigames is as crazy as the whole package itself, with challenges that involve classic Nintendo games (redone entirely to make use of the motion sensor and rumble) and the usual, wacky (and somewhat disgusting) new minigames designed exclusively for the game. Few examples include shaving a man, cutting a girl's hair, killing a demon using a beam of light, helping someone with their digestion, and well... I don't really have to explain how weird the minigames can get after that! What I can tell you is that you will need precision, as some of the minigames will require you to turn the Game Boy slightly, while others will make you twist your GBA considerably. Wild I tell you, but you'll love it.


Burn a hole. Now.

Like the past Wario Ware games, in Twisted!, you'll have to play through the entire story mode if you want to unlock more games, but that shouldn't worry you, as every single minigame is as good as the one before it, and the experience will keep pulling you in until you collect all of the minigames. You'll probably finish the single player mode swiftly, but don't judge the game's replay value based on that, since you'll have tons of things to discover, and quite frankly, you will not want to put the game down; it's that simple. Minigames aren't the only things to collect either. A bunch of special items that work as mementos/souvenirs will also be added to your collectables list.

Graphically speaking, the game features the wacky signature artwork from past Wario Ware titles, and though the game is no technical wonder, it definitely offers a unique presentation that is both familiar and new altogether. Much like the graphics, the music is also basic, but works wonderfully with the tone and rhythm of the game. It's speedy, bizarre, and full of Nintendo's classic tunes. What more could you ask for?


There he goes!


Closing Comments
It's really remarkable what the developers accomplished using two concepts that we've used before, but never put together in the same device. What in the world will they be able to create next? I certainly can't wait. The game design is crazy, the humor is plenty, the artwork is peculiar, and the whole concept is something that you simply have to see -- and play -- to believe.

You can say whatever you want about Nintendo's development team, but this title is all the evidence you need to know that they are still very skilled masters of innovation. Take the "gimmick" comments elsewhere, because Wario Ware: Twisted! is anything but. It is a deep, fully realized game that is just what the doctor ordered in this era of flair-over-fun. Twisted! is creative, original, and proof that new ideas are still out there, and that it's up to the developers to find them. Bottom line? Wario Ware: Twisted! should be in everyone's Game Boy Advance collection, and even the DS owners who are still struggling between buying the DS-exclusive Touched! or this new GBA iteration shouldn't even have to consider, as Wario Ware: Twisted! is definitely the superior product.

-- Miguel Yanez