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      Screens: Wario: Master of Disguise

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Text Box:   Wario: Master of  Disguise (DS)   After a whole string of Warioware games, Wario is back where he belongs- platform games! But can he recapture the magic of the Warioland series of games? Read on to find out... In the tradition of all the other Wario games, platform or otherwise, the premise of this game revolves around a hare-brained money-making scheme. Wario sees a TV show where a fat, bumbling idiot named Cannoli magically turns into the world's greatest thief. Wario concludes that if he steals Cannoli's source of power- a wand named Goodstyle- he can become the world's greatest thief and steal all the treasure he wants. So, he builds a device which allows him to enter the TV and steal Cannoli's wand, and so begins his quest to become a MASTER OF DISGUISE. There are some things to like about this game. Firstly, the graphics are very good, full of colour and detail. Secondly, using the touchscreen to change disguises is an inventive concept which is fun to experiment with. By drawing certain symbols, you can switch to a corresponding disguise, and most of the puzzles are solved by working out which is the correct disguise for that situation and using it appropriately. You can level up your abilities by collecting gems left behind by enemies, and certain gems, held in rare treasure chests, will give you a whole new ability which will be required to progress and solve new puzzles. The other big touchscreen implementation is the mini-games that are required to unlock treasure chests. Every time you attempt to open a treasure chest, you are greeted with a touch-based mini-game which you must complete to obtain the sweet, sweet treasury goodness. Since there are only 5 or 6 different ones, they get a bit repetitive after a while, but they also increase with difficulty to maintain some sort of variety and challenge. Now, the bad- the game is rather short (10 stages, plus 5 bonus 'time trial' challenges) and easy to complete. The easiness mostly comes from the fact that you will NEVER DIE (well, maybe once or twice...). This is compounded by a special ability you eventually unlock with Arty Wario which allows you to draw hearts, allowing you to recharge whenever you want. Also the level design is rather inconsistent. Sometimes you'll be exploring a stage and marvelling at the clever layout and puzzles, other times you'll be bored out of your brain as you trudge through corridors solving the most basic progression puzzles. The final stage is the most challenging and inventive, which is a bit of a shame as it feels like the game ends just as it kicks into top gear (maybe the challenge level is aimed at kids). Another thing is, even though the graphics are excellent, the sound is not. The music is dull and repetitive, the sound effects are serviceable but no more, and Wario only has one soundbite (cackling) which is repeated every time he finds something amusing. Also, while the costume changing works perfectly most of the time, it occasionally screws up, which is very frustrating (to be fair, it's not hard to figure out why it screwed up, but it's still frustrating when it happens). Beware of Astronaut, Genius and Arty Wario- they have some weird, mystical connection to each other... I've put in a separate paragraph for the story/dialogue (which is text based) because I feel it is large enough to warrant it’s own paragraph. As far as the story goes, it is nice that the developers (Suzak) put some effort in, but I feel that they have overcomplicated things. Wario games are about collecting treasure and maybe one peripheral character (ie. the guiding spirit/treacherous bastard in Warioland 3), but Master of Disguise has two thieves competing with Wario, along with Goodstyle, a story about five Wishstones and a demon who is connected to all the aforementioned factors... it's not that it doesn't make sense, but it feels too unnecessary for a game that is supposedly aimed at kids. Plus, it leads to a lot of dialogue- and I mean A LOT. You'll be plowing through heaps of it, especially in the first few stages. It's a shame because, in those crucial first stages where the game is supposed to be getting your attention, you're being interrupted by too much boring, unnecessary dialogue and interruptions and such (no coincidence that the game gets a lot better around the 3rd or 4th stage when the characters shut up and let you explore freely). There is a nice sense of humour throughout the game, especially from Wario. He constantly rubbishes the other characters, making fun of them and whipping out some funny one-liners such as 'Cry me a river!' or calling the Sphinx 'half-man, half-stupid'. But at the same time, a lot of the humour is aimed at kids. Wario's thief name is 'Purple Wind', which results in fart jokes being made every time the name is mentioned. The other main characters, Cannoli, Carpaccio and Tiaramisu, are all named after food, which is mildly funny if you get the references, but not as funny as Wario actually making fun of the names. Overall, Wario: Master of Disguise is a middle-of-the-road kind of game. It has an excellent concept that shows lots of potential, but it is not fully exploited, and in the end the game feels like it is aimed at younger kids. This is a disappointment for those who grew up with those challenging Warioland games (rose-coloured glasses? Maybe). The best reason to play this game would be to experience a new and innovative touchscreen implementation, one that has been incorporated directly into the gameplay instead of being poorly tacked on. Just don't expect a particularly long, involving experience. By Mr_M new_coast_2003@hotmail.com     Text Box: Graphics: A- The environments are gorgeous and the characters are full of life. Rich with detail and colour.   Sound: D- Sound effects are serviceable, but the music is lacklustre and the character noises are too repetitive.   Gameplay: C+ An excellent idea is hamstrung by a lack of challenge. Level and boss design ranges from genuine fun to mind-numbing dullness.   Overall: C- The game has it’s moments, but overall doesn’t do the concept justice. Maybe a sequel will fix things up?
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