Wario Ware: Smooth Moves - Reception

Reception

WarioWare: Smooth Moves was released by Nintendo for the Wii in Japan on December 2, 2006, in Europe on January 12, 2007, in North America on January 15, 2007, and in Australia on January 25, 2007. The game was given generally favorable reviews, receiving aggregated scores of 83% from Metacritic and 82% from GameRankings. Praise focused on the game's entertainment value, especially at parties, while criticism targeted its length. WarioWare: Smooth Moves received a ToyAward in the Trend and Lifestyle category from the 2007 Nuremberg International Toy Fair. It was also given the award for Best Action Game at IGN's Wii Best of E3 2006 Awards; the website later named the game their Game of the Month for January 2007. WarioWare: Smooth Moves was the United States' 4th best-selling game in its debut month of January 2007. It dropped to 8th the following month, selling 109,000 units. In Japan, WarioWare: Smooth Moves sold 63,954 copies in its debut week of November 27 – December 3, 2006, making it the 4th best-selling launch game for the Wii after Wii Sports, Wii Play, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It dropped to 20th for the week of December 18–24, 2006.

Several reviews praised the game as one of the Wii's best. The Official Nintendo Magazine said that Wario should "now take his place alongside Mario and Link as a true Nintendo great". Appreciating the game's "terrific use of the Wii's unique control features", GameSpot remarked that the game also had "amazing" graphics, concluding that it belongs in the game libraries of Wii owners. This sentiment was shared by GameTrailers, which said that WarioWare: Smooth Moves was "without a doubt" the best collection of minigames for the Wii. GameSpy found that the game had "a lot of value", especially for people who host parties or have groups of friends or family who already enjoy games such as Wii Sports or Rayman Raving Rabbids. Naming WarioWare: Smooth Moves the Game of the Week from January 28 – February 4, 2007, The Observer gave particular praise to the game's graphics, stating, "There are nicely colourful cartoon intros to each level, and the microgames utilise a plethora of visual styles. You'll notice snippets of favourites from yesteryear, whether it be pulling the Master Sword out of the stone in the Nintendo 64's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or jumping to collect coins as NES-era Mario." Australia's The Age found the game "as entertaining to watch as it is to play", rating it four stars out of five. The Sunday Age newspaper predicted that WarioWare: Smooth Moves, which is "totally unlike anything else out there", could convert non-gamers into fans of video games.

Computer and Video Games predicted that the game "will be the one you come back to when you've got a full house", and appreciated its "crazy genius" gameplay. Nintendo World Report was pleased with the game's variety, but found the small number of unlockable items and lack of high scores disappointing. Although video game review website IGN noted that the game was not the best in the Wario series of video games, they still considered it an "essential piece of the Wii collection". The website was also entertained by the single-player mode as well as the multiplayer, especially when "shov the controller off on unsuspecting houseguests or non-gamers months and years down the road". They considered the game's use of the Wii Remote to be "slick and intuitive", the graphics to be "nearly inexplicable", and the sound to be "totally off the wall". GameZone called the game "original and addictive", but noted that it would not appeal to everyone. The Courier-Mail praised the game's use of the Wii's motion-sensitive controllers as one of its best features, which helps push it "over-the-top" as "one of the most inventive games designed for the Wii's interactive controls". Canada's Toronto Sun also appreciated its "novel use" of the Wiimote.

A lack of "eye-popping unpredictability its predecessors" and difficult controller positions disappointed 1UP.com, but the website still called WarioWare: Smooth Moves a "welcome addition to any Wii library". Described as a "certifiably insane party game that is a must buy for any Wii owner", GamePro felt that the game further proves that the Wii is the "must-have" console when playing with friends. GamesRadar shared this sentiment, noting that although the game's single-player mode is only several hours long, its multiplayer mode is the "definite Wii party experience" for up to 12 people. Game Informer felt excited, surprised, and a "little stupid" when waving the Wii remote with the game, concluding that the game will make "friends laugh pretty much non-stop for an hour or two, and that may very well be worth the price of admission". Despite writing positively about how the game utilizes the Wii remote, Eurogamer was disappointed with its weak long-term appeal because "it never really dares to test players".