WarioWare: D.I.Y. (Hands-On) (Nintendo DS) Preview

Of course, it’s only WarioWare-esque micro-games that you can create in the latest offering of one of the most bizarre series in gaming. With a simple editor you can get started on your masterpiece straight away - and you control every single thing about it, from the visuals to the sound, and of course the way it all plays out. Once you’ve decided on your idea, the next step is to create a background and an object or two that players will interact with in an interface that was developed with Mario Paint as a guideline. You click through some easily-manoeuvred menus and specify what will happen when the player taps the screen; an object might move about, or it may cause a new object to appear, for example. Finally, to complete your game in basic form, you just have to set a win condition…and that’s all there is to it. If you’re concerned about your creative abilities, worry not - you can bring in elements that exist from any of the pre-packaged micro-games, or use clipart-like stamps.

You can, naturally, spend as long as you like perfecting your game, but you only need a few minutes to come up with a fully working stage, and a few more to add polish and soundtracks. That said, for all its simplicity it is best to go through the included tutorial before attempting to do anything. For my debut concept I envisioned a forest fire, and when you tapped a bird escaped from the burning trees. Sadly, I couldn’t get the win to register properly at all, so even if the bird didn’t end up charred it was considered to be a loss. I’m certain this could have been avoided had I taken the time to listen to what the tutorial had to say.

Once your opus is complete you can share it with friends, locally or via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and each cartridge can store a hundred or so created games. Plus, you can also draw four-panel black and white comic strips and compose your own music either by using the 90 sample songs as a guide or by drawing on your own creativity and then pass those to others. Nintendo will even be holding Design Challenge contests, asking users to design games based on a certain theme - though Nintendo has yet to mention exactly how regularly these will be - and winners will have their game put on the online ‘store’ for others to download. It’s doubtful that some of the more…’inappropriate’ games that Japanese owners had created within 24 hours of release - think bodily functions and use your imagination - will win any of these competitions. Players can download new micro-games and comics directly from Nintendo, too.

This wouldn’t be a WarioWare game of the truest sense without Nintendo and Intelligent Systems contributing some of the series’ trademark insanity, though. Therefore, right from the off there are more than ninety microgames pre-included in the DS version to ensure that those without the skill or patience for game creation can still grab a great degree of enjoyment from the package. Additionally, there is a separate version of the game that is set to be made available for download on WiiWare on the same day the DS game gets release. In this version, WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase, gamers cannot actually create new games on the Wii, but there is the chance to play a further 70+ in-built games, as well as transfer your creations - games, music, comics, the lot - between handheld and console to play on the big screen.

The user-generated content only uses the tap mechanic - you can’t drag objects across the screen in your creations - to ensure simplicity and that everything is cross-compatible with the platforms. However, put a bit of time in and you’ll more than likely be able to create some complicated 10 second long games by making use of multiple triggers and objects. The latest Iwata Asks interview, based on the game, mentions that things have been done with it that they never expected by combination of the tools. Finally, there WiiWare version of WarioWare: D.I.Y. includes something for fans of multiplayer gaming - a four-player competitive mode where players try out microgames against each other, as well as taking part in a special version of Balloon Fight from the NES that has the main objective of collecting musical notes to achieve the highest score.