When it was conceived many years ago, some might have thought that Wario Ware would be nothing more than an attempt to try and cash in on the "party game" craze, much like Mario Party had been doing on consoles for years. But Wario Ware was in fact a completely different styled game, one made up of simple yet insanely designed mini-games that worked well with all kinds of gamers, both kinetic ADD-types and those who liked a long-term challenge. The series has since gotten a great deal of attention in a motion-reading GBA release (Twisted), a GameCube iteration, and a Nintendo DS release that made great use of the touch-screen. So...what next?

Obviously something for the Nintendo Wii. A game system that uses a motion-sensitive controller must have some kind of potential for Wario Ware, and Nintendo knows this. That's why the company is prepping the console-specific Smooth Moves chapter for the Wii, a game that could very well break off the usual play from the series and involve gamers much more than they could have possibly imagined. That's because a great deal of the 200+ mini-games included in this edition will be using motion sensitivity as its main tool.

The plot's pretty flimsy, but sets up the framework for the mini-games at hand. Wario and his crew of friends, both returning from previous Wario Ware entries and a few new faces (including a strange Napoleon-dressed lady), discover a strange book and a mythical device known as the Form Baton. Through this discovery, they find themselves challenged through a series of events that the gamer must work with them on in order to restore balance. Then the mini-games start, with Wario hosting the initial set and many other faces coming into play for other sets.

The game's structure is similar to the original games. You go through a process of having to complete 20-25 mini-games in a certain string, with the difficulty picking up after you successfully complete a few. Screw up too many times, and you run out of turns, and your game is over. Complete them, and you gain access to a boss stage, a specialized challenge depending on the theme at hand that requires just a bit more thinking than the usual mini-game.

So what's different then? Simple- control. This time around, the Wario Ware series takes full use of the Wii-mote, even forcing gamers to hold it in different ways in order to complete the tasks at hand. Some games require a "handlebar" hold, where the player has to hold the Wii-mote lengthwise with both hands and perform pumping motions to blow up a balloon or maneuver an object on-screen successfully. Others may involve a "waiter" hold, where you have to balance it in one hand to avoid a tray falling over or to tip over a cup so a ball can roll into a hole. There's other positions as well, ranging from a typical remote control hold to a "hula" grip, where you have to strap it to your side and successfully keep a hula hoop from hitting the ground. This is the kind of control scheme that isn't really for non-active players, but rather those who have been looking for a twist on the action- literally.

The graphics look great. They're nothing next-gen, mind you, and some of the mini-games are drawn out in a pedestrian manner, some on purpose to match the old-school flavor of some of the stages scattered throughout. But they do represent a great style of party gaming without necessarily bowing to any kind of board game feature, breaking away with its wild mini-game design and its creative touches throughout. They go all over the place, too, from a runner that looks like he was torn out of the 8-bit universe to a classy half-globe where you have to roll the ball around carefully.

Part of the joy in Wario Ware is that you have to work through it in order to unlock some more goodies, like bonus mini-games and collectible items to show off, and Smooth Moves is no exception. Going through stages in succession gives you access to these unlockables, and adds greatly to the longevity. And let's not forget that there's also the fact that the game is great for multiple players, and while it may not have a direct multiplayer feature, it's fun to watch others play it when you're not at the controls. Watching your beer buddy try to hold the controller like an umbrella is probably a hilarious sight, depending if they can keep their balance after obtaining their buzz.

Wario Ware: Smooth Moves looks to be another must-have for the Nintendo Wii line-up, strange mini-game design and all, and it shows the series has a long way to go in its creative run to get a few more installments in production. We'll be back with the full review when it's released later this year, and we'll also be working on our "waiter" and "handlebar" skills. You'd think we'd learn balancing a bit easier than we have.