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Wii U Hands On: Game & Wario

Written by Adam Shear

When it has come to systems like Nintendo DS and Wii, WarioWare was always there to help demonstrate what makes these systems unique.  Although Wario and pals missed the opportunity on Nintendo 3DS, they are back on Wii U in a new game tentatively called Game & Wario.  From the looks of it, there will be no microgames to found in this new game starring the WarioWare characters.  From what I was told, Game & Wario will feature ten minigames, four of which were playable at the Wii U Experience event in New York City, and two of which I got to play.  Let’s jump right into each of the two games I played.

Shutter:

The first game was called Shutter.  As pictured above, the goal of this game was to take pictures of five targets.  I was judged based on how much each target was in frame, whether or not I zoomed in, or how focused the picture was.  The Wii U GamePad is the camera.  While the TV gives you a view of your entire playfield, the GamePad features what you would see in a camera lens, a close up view of what is on the TV.  You would move around the GamePad to move your camera around, zoom in with the left analog stick, and press ZR (right trigger) to snap a photo.  The controls felt very natural and I got the hang of them within seconds.  Looking at the TV screen, I would try to find my target.  Some were easy to find while others moved around or hid very well.  When I found my target, I would quickly swing the GamePad to the direction of my target and try to snap my photo.  It really felt like I was moving around an actual camera.  Shutter makes amazing use of the GamePad and allows for experiences like this to be a reality.  I had four minutes to find the five targets.  If I found them all before time was up, I could go back and retake photos to boost my score.  I could also try to find hidden characters in the environment that were worth extra points.  Overall, I really enjoyed Shutter.  This is one game that definitely shows off what makes the Wii U GamePad unique

Arrow:

The second game in Game & Wario I got to play was called Arrow.  The goal of this game was to defend the strawberries located at the end of the Wii U GamePad.  Mini Warios would try to attack you on screen.  Holding the Wii U GamePad vertically, the player has to pull back on an arrow using the GamePad’s touch screen and aim by tilting the GamePad.  If the mini Warios made it the edge of the TV screen, they would move down to your GamePad where you have to tap each of the Warios to kill it.  If you don’t do it on time, they might take one of your strawberries.  Arrow is another game that really shows off the potential of Wii U.  At first, I had trouble firing my arrows.  I figured while playing that I had to both aim correctly and pull the right amount on my bow.  Once I got the hang of this, firing my arrows was easy.  When things got too frantic on screen, there are mines which you can shoot and they will kill multiple enemies.  Additionally, if you kill a Wario, it will roll backwards causing any Wario behind the dead one to fall as well, causing them to be defeated.  When Warios appeared on my GamePad, tapping them really showed off just how responsive the Wii U GamePad’s touch screen is.  Pulling my bow using the touch screen was also very responsive.  There was also a giant boss within Arrow, but due to time constraints, I was unable to go up against it.  Overall, I was impressed with Arrow, another game that really shows off how unique the Wii U GamePad is.

Overall, Game & Wario was a lot of fun.  Both of the minigames I got to try out really show off the capabilities of the Wii U GamePad and leave me wanting to play more.  Game & Wario and its ten minigames will be available on Wii U within the console’s launch window, so either this Holiday season or early 2013.  I’m hoping Game & Wario is either a digital title or a budget retail title for around $30 or $40.  If it only includes ten minigames, I think Nintendo would be out of their minds to release this in stores at full price.  Nonetheless, Game & Wario is definitely a fun game to look out for for those looking to find out how many ways the Wii U GamePad can be used.

About the author

Adam Shear

Contributing Writer. @AdamShear. When he's not spending his hours working in the TV industry, he's spending his time playing video games and thinking about them.

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