Last year I reviewed a Gamecube version of Warioware, a series which is quickly gaining a huge following and bringing out new and innovative sequels. The original GBA title, Warioware, Inc was a big sleeper hit and the Gamecube port (that's basically what it was) gave the series a larger audience. Japan has also seen a follow up GBA title called Warioware Twisted, in which you have to tilt the handheld unit to win the games (due out later this year). The new Nintendo DS is not being left out of the Warioware fun either and continues to help the series try new and unique things.

The game starts off interestingly enough, as you follow Wario's attempts to think up some more get rich schemes. After munching down a couple of chocolate bars, Wario rushes to the dentist where you get your first taste of microgame action (for details on the whole microgame concept please refer to my review of Warioware, Inc: Mega Party Games.) From here Wario heads off on his motorbike, which is where a large assortment of microgames are thrown at you at rapid pace. Once you complete the boss level, you're taken to the main menu.

Everything in this game is interactive, from the main menu to the credits. The microgames are split up by characters who wander around on the main title screen until you select one. For instance, one character's games may all involve retro-themed microgames, while another may involve nothing but blowing into the mic, or maybe they involve making circular motions with the stylus. Once you play a game you can unlock it in the album section, where you'll be challenged to set high scores on each game. You may think that sounds boring and plain stupid, playing the same one over and over, but every game in Warioware has multiple variations, differing in speed and challenge.

When you set high scores in each character's game list, you'll unlock toys, which are gathered in the toy room to play with whenever you want. They vary from completely useless to incredibly amusing. One toy is a calculator, one is a kitchen timer, one is a two-player game of ping pong, there's a wind chime, a set of clackers, even a yo-yo toy and a party tooter. They're amusing only for a few minutes at a time but when you're bored they make great distractions and collecting them all is a lot of fun. Some of them feel like simple demos of the DS's abilities, which is no bad thing.

The presentation is great and much different to previous installments. The lift set up from before is still here but only on a couple of character's game lists; every other character has a different set up. For instance, between Wario's games you see him riding his motorcycle, or between Mona's you'll see her on a classic GBA. Also, this is rarely mentioned in reviews, but the instruction manual included with the game is, in traditional Nintendo fashion, very good to the point where it feels more like a collector's item than an instruction manual.

But, the reason anyone would buy this game is for the microgames and since all of them use the touch pad, even Warioware fans are in for a surprise. Almost all of the games are new and some old favourites have been revamped to make use of the new touch pad and mic setup. For instance, the nose picking game from Warioware, Inc is now shown on a picture of the classic GBA in which you have to push the A button on it with your stylus. Some games from the GBA Warioware Twisted have also made it over, except instead of tilting the handheld you simply use the stylus. Some of the more memorable new games include:

-Fruit and other items fly across the screen as you try to slash them in half with the stylus
-You roll a toilet paper roll down until it is gone
-You blow into the mic to make someone on the upper screen blow bubbles in his drink
-A game where you aim a urinating statue over a fire to extinguish it
-You draw a path for a skier to take towards a finish line
-Twirl a black hole in outer space that sucks up planets
-Smash flies by cracking glass but try too much and the glass breaks
-Wake a person up by banging on drums
-A simple bowling game with various pin setups
-Catching a falling item with your stylus
-Attempting to draw what you see on the top screen
-Whipping a horse with your stylus to make him run faster
-Shooting down a setup of barrels, bricks and action figures
-Put a disc into a Gamecube
-Capture a fairy from The Legend of Zelda
-Scratch a white piece of paper to reveal a coin underneath
-Lead a thread through the top of a needle
-Drag a paper clip across a desk without attaching it to a magnet
-Tune a radio into a clear station
-Breaking jail cell walls to let someone escape

I'm not even scratching the surface here, either. There are over a hundred of these addictive, quick, fun games and they all have dozens of variations, so you really never know what you're going to get. Of course, Warioware wouldn't be fun if you simply selected a game one by one and tried it out. The magic in the series is the fact that they're all thrown at you at rapid pace, giving you barely a second between games to catch your breath. Like the other Warioware games, this one requires you to be FAST and don't be surprised if you catch yourself tensing up and just having a major brain fart on some of the games, especially when you're first starting.

Also, a bit of a warning; a specific set of games require you to blow into the mic quite heavily, which, when doing them back to back, can really start to make you feel a bit dizzy and ill! [Ah yes, it's that pre-party, I've blown up too many balloons feeling! Ed] You could simply avoid these games if they give you a problem, however some playlists compile games from various sets so they can pop up at anytime.

The game can be paused at any time with the start or up button and the triggers make text scroll quicker. Other than this, the controls are exclusively the touch screen and the mic. For the left-handers out there, don't worry as the game has the option to specify what hand you use as soon as you turn it on. An autosave feature is in full effect, as well as a standby mode when the screen is shut.

Graphically the game remains very similar to the other version, however you'll find a large assortment of different styles. Some games have impressive 3D graphics while others have intentionally primitive setups. A Yoshi's Island looking display is used on the top screen when going between different locations and impressive pixel art is utilised during cut scenes. The sound is impressive, with some play lists offering some great tunes and the quick Wario voiceovers are usually pretty amusing. The music fits with the very fast nature of the game well, making it seem even faster.

One of the title's downfalls is its incredibly short nature when it comes to unlocking things. While some of the toys are hard to get, you can probably unlock almost all of the microgames and a good number of minigames in a day, though each one has so many variations you won't experience everything the game has to offer in that day. The difficulty level starts out slow and gets increasingly hard, especially when you unlock a play list that ends after only one screw up instead of the usual four.

Fans of Warioware will feel right at home with the series' first DS outing. It all feels very familiar, yet completely different at the same time. The microgames and mini-games (also known as toys) are almost always a lot of fun and amusing, sure to keep you entertained for a while. Even when you start to get bored of playing it in long bursts, the game makes an absolutely fantastic time killer or a great distraction for those long visits to the toilet. This is the first great game on the DS to really utilise the touch screen and mic; as fun as Super Mario DS is, it doesn't show the true potential like WarioWare Touched! does. If you loved the other Warioware titles you'll love this one and if you hated them you'll most likely hate this as well, though the touch screen may bring some gamers around. This is a great time to get on the Warioware boat, too, as every gamer with the reflexes for it needs to experience Warioware.

Reviewed by Christopher Martin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).