Horrible Waste of the Wario License (Wario: Master of Disguise (DS))

Member Name: King-Jokesound

Product:	Wario: Master of Disguise (DS)
Date:	02/08/09 (3 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Errrrmmm...

Disadvantages: Horrible Touch Controls, No Button alternatives, infuritating due to terrible controls.

Wario: Master Of Disguise Review:

Introduction:
Wario is arguably one of the biggest love-him-or-hate-him characters in the Nintendo universe, and his games have always been similar to the experience. However, Wario became the star of Warioware, games massively different to his old games, and this is the Wario most new Nintendo fans are accustomed to. Nintendo finally take Wario back to his old roots, but something horrible went wrong in translation.

Graphics:
While games with Wario in them have never been the graphic powerhouses that other games have, this installment is one of the prettiest Wario games. Wario has been done well, as have the enemies around him, and the levels are truly massive, leaving you with the sense that this is a good game. Unfortunately, this is probably the best part of the game.
8/10.

Sound:
While Wario games have never been graphical powerhouses, normally, they deliver good sound. Or at least a couple of memorable tunes. However, Master of Disguise falls absolutley flat in this respect, and not only does the game not give you any memorable tunes, a lot of the tunes it does deliver are boring and dull, and half the time, you're better off listening to an MP3 player, as you can play the game without the sound and still have the exact same experience.
5/10.

Gameplay:
The idea of the gameplay seems simple enough- you use to the touchscreen to perform various actions, especially changing disguises with the wand Goodstyle. However, this is also what completely ruins the game.
The puzzles start out ingeniously, but repeat themselves throughout the game so much that half the time, if it wasn't for the dire touch screen controls, you'd be able to do them with your eyes closed. Finally, most of the forms are disappointing, and add little to the overall experience. The bosses are either too simple, or infuriatingly hard, and drag on too long.
The touch screen controls are completely dire, and it brings the whole game down. For example, in order to change into cosmic Wario, you draw a circle around his head. Simple enough? It would be if the game worked. The first time you attempt it, you'll make Wario shoulder barge upwards of 10 times before you get it right, or before you barge the game into a wall. This would be the end of it, if it wasn't for the most irritating form in the game- Arty Wario. The main problem here is that the game seems to completely adore this form. No matter what form you're trying to get Wario to transform into, you'll always cause Arty Wario t rear his ugly head commonly, even in occasions where it doesn't make sense. draw a backwards 'C' for Pirate Wario? Nope! You're Arty Wario instead. Draw a '<' sign for Dragon Wario? Nope! Arty Wario. Draw a tick for Thief Wario? NOPE! ARTY WARIO. No matter what form you try and make Wario change into, more times than not, it'll either not work (especially for Dragon Wario), or you'll change into Arty Wario, especially when it doesn't make sense.
This wouldn't seem so bad if it wasn't for Art Wario's greatest ability. The ability to not move. Art Wario does not move at all. This is what makes his form so infuriating. Especially since, whether you like it or not, you'll be in this form 50% of the game. Of course, about 5 levels in, you get the ability to draw hearts in this form. This is when you really get infuriated. The issue here is, the game doesn't know what a heart is. 90% of the time you try to draw one, it turns into a pile of poo, and runs away. Too many times will this poo find itself running on your screen, and too many times will you not regain hearts, and too many times will you die as a result.
I spent a long time pondering what this poo signified. Was it a tongue in cheek attempt at vulgarity? Was it a bad attempt at a Wario-type joke? Was it an attempt to claim that your drawing was literally a pile of crap? While its most likely the final one, I'd like to think its meant to represent our reaction to the game. Expecting it to be made full of love, its actually a pile of crap. I could make a better analogy, but the game doesn't deserve it. Crap game, crap analogy.
5/10.

Value:
There are 10 main levels to the game, which last anything up to an hour. While that seems short, after playing the game for a while, you'll be glad when it finishes at anything around the 10 hour mark. However, you don't have to finish there, as there are 5 "Special" levels, which are essentially pointlessly hard time trails, and you can increase your overall game rank by finding the treasures in each level. Most of the most valuable ones are found in the Specials though, and with the gameplay as bad as it is, you won't want to take part, especially since when you see the games ending, the special levels feel tacked on and that they're only in the game for the sake of extras and to keep you playing, which you won't. Saying that, the first Special episode is probably the most you'll laugh at the game, which tries to throw joke after joke at you. You can also check out the treasures you find in-game and enemies you've defeated in a notebook by the level select. You can also test out the minigames, but with no reward for doing so, and the fact you'll have done them about 100+ times in the main game, what's the incentive?
5-8/10.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, while I love Wario, and the majority of the games he inhabits, this is one of the worst games I've had the misfortune to play in a long while, and it makes me sadder that a Wario game could be that bad, especially since all his other games have been so good. It feels like they tacked on the touch screen controls, but didn't test them at all, and as a result, the game ends up much worse than it could have been. If most of the touch screen controls were also assigned to button controls (especially as X, Y, L and R are almost completely unused) and the touch screen controls an alternate control option, this could have ended up a far better game.

Consider this a warning: If you're a hardcore Wario or Nintendo fan, think very carefully about buying this game. If you're not a hardcore Wario or Nintendo fan, avoid this game.

Yes:
-Some of the humour is okay...
- Its got Wario in it.
- The graphics are okay.

No:
- Mostly sucks more than Kirby at an orgy.
-Touch screen controls are stupid, rubbish, appalling, ineffective, and ruin the game.
-Most of the buttons are unused.
-The graphics are the best part of it.
-Some of the humour sucks.
-Can be infuriatingly difficult and irritating at times. It made me bend my stylus in half.
-Disappointing.
-One of the Worst Wario/DS games Nintendo have offered.

Overall Score: 45%.

Summary: One of the Worst Wario/DS games Nintendo have offered