Wii impressions: WarioWare Smooth Moves

Smooth Moves

is aesthetically identical to its handheld predecessors. The demo saw us fumbling through a dozen or so of the new microgames, all motion-controlled (no button presses) with the Wiimote. The fickle connection between the Wiimote and its sensor was immediately apparent. It took several games -- granted, only about 30 seconds of gameplay -- to even register our motions on screen. Smooth Moves shouldn't have a steep learning curve, but technical limitations can make it difficult to play.

This is not to say we didn't start having fun. Using the Wiimote to lineup grandma's dentures and then thrusting forward to jam them into her mouth elicited some big grins. Holding the controller to our hip and dancing the hula was another highlight.

It remains to be seen how Wario Ware will hold up on a non-portable platform. Smooth Moves begs to be played in a party atmosphere and we don't see it holding the attention of solitary gamers for long.