GENRE
	Puzzle
	DEVELOPER
	Intelligent Systems
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	LOCAL WIRELESS MULTI-PLAY
	No
	Wi-Fi/GLOBAL ONLINE MULTI-PLAY
	No
	MICROPHONE
	Yes
	BUY NOW AT

While America was the first to receive the Nintendo DS, Japan had – arguably – a better selection of launch games. The best of the bunch is the anticipated Sawaru Made in Wario (Wario Ware Touched!). Sawaru Made in Wario is the fourth game in the Made in Wario (Wario Ware) series, following the awesome Mawaru Made in Wario (Wario Ware Twisted!), which released in October. The sequel takes advantage of the hardware by using the touch screen and the microphone to interact with the minigames, and it does so quite nicely.

visuals

You will not see any state-of-the-art graphics. You will, however, see some hilarious direct-from-Japan humor – and a whole lot of nostrils.

The graphics are a mixed bag. At the beginning of each level, you’ll travel through the city to each character’s house in a cool 3-D perspective that shows off the hardware. Most minigames, though, have a Game Boy Advance-ish look. In fact, a few minigames are ripped from the GBA games, but given a touch screen twist.

audio

Sawaru takes advantage of the DS’ stereo speakers with some catchy tunes that you’ll find yourself humming. Ashley’s level, in particular, stands out with some exceptionally good, haunted house-themed music (with vocals!).

The sound effects are also pretty funny. I could listen to Wario yell “Oh, yeah!” and “Yahoooo!” all day long. In short, the audio gets the job done.

gameplay

For those of you that have played any of the previous Made in Wario titles, you know exactly what to – or what not to – expect. For those of you who haven’t, though, Sawaru consists of a ton of minigames. At the beginning of each minigame, a clue is given on how to clear it. You then have five seconds to clear it, at which point it’s time to move on to the next minigame. Considering that you use only the stylus and microphone to play, it’s not too difficult to figure out how to clear the games. The real challenge to Sawaru, however, is enduring the nonstop madness.

The Wario Ware series is known for its creativity, and the newest addition doesn’t disappoint. With 180 new minigames, and plenty of 'unlockables,' you’ll be slicing vegetables, solving math problems, exploring huge nasal cavities, tickling armpits, wasting toilet paper, correcting homework, writing kanji, and, well, you get the idea. For insanity at its best, look no further.

Sawaru features ten characters, each possessing a set of minigames and a boss stage. After you beat the boss stage, you move to the next character. Although the main game takes but a few hours to beat, once you’ve beaten it, you’ve only scratched the surface of what’s inside (after you’ve beaten it the first time, you’ve probably only seen around half of the minigames). Part of the fun is to go back to each character and replay his/her level until you’ve found every game.

As in the original, there are plenty of side games to unlock (most of which are just as wacky as the minigames). Some include observing micro-organisms, poking at pudding, painting with the stylus, and – my personal favorite – playing a harmonica by blowing into the microphone.

The biggest thing that holds back Sawaru is also its main selling point: the touch screen. The emphasis on using the touch screen could be seen as a step backwards in the series. Mawaru uses the D-pad, the buttons, and a motion sensor built into the cart. All of these options add variety and requires more quick thinking from the player. Sawaru uses only the touch screen and, occasionally, the microphone. Even though the touch screen is a new way to play games, it gets repetitive when it’s the only means of control. Granted, the microphone-based minigames break up the monotony, but they are few and far between.

Sawaru also seems like it is missing some of the creativity that was so prominent in the previous Made in Wario titles. Don’t get me wrong, it is a funny game, but there are only a few unforgettable minigames when compared to the rest in the series.

multiplayer

N/A

overall

Sawaru Made in Wario barely missed becoming the first must-have title for the DS. It is however, the best game that honestly requires the touch screen to play and the first game that really shows that the touch screen is not a gimmick.

Fans of the series will love this game, but it is a step behind Mawaru Made in Wario in terms of both gameplay and creativity. If you’re still begging for more Wario after you finish Mawaru Made in Wario, by all means, pick this up.

8.5/10