WarioWare: Snapped!

Last updated
WarioWare: Snapped!
WarioWare - Snapped! Coverart.png
Developer(s) Nintendo SPD
Intelligent Systems
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Taku Sugioka
Naoko Mori
Producer(s) Katsuya Yamano
Toshio Sengoku
Designer(s) Yohei Kubotsu
Programmer(s) Masahiro Oku
Kazuhiko Furukawa
Misuzu Yoshiba
Tetsuya Sato
Artist(s) Ko Takeuchi
Composer(s) Yasuhisa Baba
Series Wario
Platform(s) Nintendo DSiWare
Release
  • JP: December 24, 2008
  • AU: April 2, 2009
  • EU: April 3, 2009
  • NA: April 5, 2009
  • CHN: March 11, 2010
Genre(s) Action, rhythm
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

WarioWare: Snapped! [a] is a minigame compilation party video game developed by Nintendo SPD Group No.1 and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DSi's DSiWare digital distribution service, and is part of the WarioWare series of video games. It is the sixth game in the series. [1]

Contents

It is one of the first video games released for the DSiWare service in Japan, North America, and PAL regions. This is the first time that Wario has been featured for a console launch instead of Mario and one of two consecutive Wario Ware games for a handheld launch; the second being Wario Ware DIY being released during the DSi XL release in late March 2010. It contains only a fraction of the mini-games featured in previous entries in the WarioWare series, and does not feature any boss stages. It stars five of the characters from the WarioWare series, including Wario, Mona, Jimmy T., and Kat & Ana.

Gameplay

WarioWare: Snapped! shows a silhouette of the player as seen by the camera. This screenshot shows the player about to pick a nose. UtsusuMadeinWario2.PNG
WarioWare: Snapped! shows a silhouette of the player as seen by the camera. This screenshot shows the player about to pick a nose.

WarioWare: Snapped! is set in a theme park. [2] There are four sets of minigames – one featuring Wario, one featuring Mona, one featuring Jimmy T., and one featuring Kat & Ana. 2 sets were added by an update. [3] It only has 20 minigames, a fraction of the minigames found in the average WarioWare title. [4] This title also allows for more time to play the minigames. [5] It uses the Nintendo DSi's built-in digital camera to make a silhouette of the player to use as a character in the microgames with the Nintendo DSi placed on a flat surface. [6]

The player must put their head and hand to match head and hand outlines on the screen to make sure that the player is at an ideal distance from the DSi. Once the player keeps their pose for three seconds, the game begins. [7] Before each minigame, the player must match their head and sometimes hand or hands with the silhouettes shown on the screen. Once the player gets into the pose, it proceeds to the minigame, and the player must move per what the minigame requires – for example, one minigame requires the player to dry a dog's fur by shaking their head back and forth. [7] Kat & Ana's stages require two players.

At the end of the minigames, pictures of the player's movement are displayed in a slideshow unique to the character. For example, Mona's adds stuff to the player, Jimmy T's throws them into a comic strip, Kat & Ana have fighting practice, and Wario animates their actions. Footageplay antics also show up on the title screen afterwards.

Development

Proposal given during WarioWare: Snapped!'s development, with a caption of "WarioWare: Don't Touch?!" WarioWareDontTouch.jpg
Proposal given during WarioWare: Snapped!'s development, with a caption of "WarioWare: Don't Touch?!"

WarioWare: Snapped! was originally announced as Utsusu Made in Wario for the Japanese version of the DSiWare service in October 2008 upon the announcement of the Nintendo DSi. [8] It was eventually released in Japan on December 24. The game was later released in North America on April 5, 2009 for the same platform. [9] It was developed by Intelligent Systems under Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo. [7] Its designers included Naoko Mori, Goro Abe, and Taku Sugioka. [10] The developers intended on making Snapped! a game that could be played and enjoyed by people who don't play games. [11]

Due to his focus on the development of WarioWare D.I.Y. , director Sugioka left the development of WarioWare: Snapped in Mori's hands. It was conceived when the idea of creating a WarioWare title that makes use of a camera, similar to DS Face Training for Adults, which Intelligent Systems was invited to the development of. The camera included with DS Face Training for Adults was used to make the Nintendo DSi Camera application before the Nintendo DSi hardware existed, and the developers used the camera to create a test model. Abe found the first test model to be strange. It involved players having to hold the Nintendo DSi in either hand and holding the opposite hand in front of the camera. To increase the game's processing speed, the developers made the hand appear on screen as a silhouette. A minigame was provided as an example of something that could be played with this model. In it, players had to cross a ravine, and to do so, they had to put their hands over the ravine to create a bridge for them to cross. [10] When they began testing this model, they found that it was having trouble detecting the hand due to problems with the illumination. At times, shadows would form which the camera would detect by accident. To fix this, the developers laid a black mat underneath so shadows couldn't form. However, someone with a dark suntan would not be detected by the camera, as they would blend in with the mat. They considered a finger sleeve for the player's index finger, which would allow the camera to detect the person regardless of skin tone. They also used a glove at one point. Bundling the game with the finger sleeve and black mat was considered at one point, though Abe stated that it was bound to fail. [10] They moved onto other models, including one that captured the player's feet on camera so that the player could hold the Nintendo DSi with two hands. They however were unsure it would make for good gameplay, thinking it would look weird. Another idea involved secretly taking a picture of someone's face who is standing in front of the Nintendo DSi and using the person's face in-game, such as sticking it up a nostril, but this also did not feel right. At this point, the developers focused on the inside camera of the DSi rather than the outside one, using it to capture the player's own face. The test model for this involved players setting the Nintendo DSi on a flat surface, which the developers found alright, but lacked the sense of speed the WarioWare series has. The catchphrase for this version was "WarioWare: Don't Touch?!". [10]

The project was bogged down and teetering on the edge of an abyss when they were going to submit their final proposal. Mori ran into a programmer on her way home, who told her that the camera was actually running the whole time someone was playing the game, displaying a silhouette but also capturing the player in full detail. She thought that people would be happy to see that at the end, and they added it to the final proposal on the last day. The scenes replaying the players' actions were created as a way to make players say "You got me!" and as a neat way to play the game without touching the DSi. The developers thought that the idea was neat, and though games like it have been done before, they've been a little embarrassing. Due to this, the players' responses are "Oh, I see" as opposed to "Oh, this is interesting..." The proposal also mentioned that players could make funny faces while playing to add to this feature, which the developers sounded like a lot of fun. The developers went on a trip to Okinawa, Japan and took pictures using an underwater camera. While no one wanted to have their picture taken at first, people came to see what was going on. The developers found the psychology of this to be interesting, and it connected to WarioWare: Snapped!. The finale scenes were not implemented into the game yet, one developer commenting that if no one had implemented it, the project would have been cancelled. It couldn't implement it simply from a proposal, and had to make a working model first. When they tested it, they found it very fun, and decided to show it to Iwata as soon as possible. The response from other Intelligent Systems employees to this feature was positive, with people bursting out laughing. Sugioka commented that even the serious employees, practically "busted a gut laughing". [12] While the developers designed the minigames, they also thought of what kinds of gestures would be good for resulting in funny videos. An example of a minigame is one in which players shake their heads from side to side. This was something people do not want others to see them do, and rarely are able to see themselves doing it, so they wanted to implement a game that involves this. They had people test the minigames, watching them as they played. [11] Because some people do not enjoy having their pictures taken, they made it so that the game does not save images from game to game or when the system is closed. The guidelines for the Nintendo DSi were that if a picture is taken, the camera has to make a sound. However, if the game kept making a sound while players played it, it would interfere with the gameplay. The problem was addressed by erasing the videos and photos. If the player does not successfully complete a game, no photos will be taken. Abe stated that if it were a retail game, it may never have been released. Because a game must have a certain amount of content to justify being sold at retail, it was distributed through the DSiWare service for 500 points. [11]

Reception

In IGN's Japanese DSiWare impressions, they commented that they found the camera not up to the task of making this game entertaining. They disliked that the player's head and hands are shown as silhouettes, and how difficult it was to get the right lighting. They also commented that even when the game works, that it's not fun. They criticized the minigames for giving the player a lot of time, saying that it loses the intensity of its predecessor as a result, which was praised for allowing the player to play them in short bursts. [5] In Anoop Gantayat's impressions, he commented that because it shows himself in silhouette form, it's hard for him to tell the difference between his head and hand sometimes, and that the game often couldn't tell either. He said that he was not able to complete a full game of it because of this problem, and that the minigames weren't very fun anyway, suggesting that gamers save their yen. [7] Tiny Cartridge found the "goofy microgames" to be enjoyable, as well as the slideshow at the end showing the player acting silly at the end of a set of minigames, but criticized it for having difficulty in getting the camera to work due to the lighting. [4]

On the western market, it received very mixed reviews. GameRankings calculate an average of 51%, based on 14 reviews. [13] GameSpot gave a "poor" 4 out of 10, criticizing the number of minigames and the sensitivity of the camera, ending the review by saying that "you can get much better value from your 500 Nintendo points than spending them on Snapped". [15] IGN on the other hand gave a more positive review, 7.8 out of 10, praising the fun of the minigames, but saying that the lack of saving feature to the pictures taken on the game is a weak point of it, while also criticizing the camera. [16]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Photographing Made in Wario (Japanese: うつすメイド イン ワリオ, Hepburn: Utsusu Meido in Wario)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wario</span> Video game character

Wario is a character in Nintendo's Mario franchise that was designed as an archnemesis to Mario. Wario first appeared as the main antagonist and final boss in the 1992 Game Boy game Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. His name is a portmanteau of the name Mario and the Japanese word warui, meaning "bad". He is usually portrayed as a greedy treasure hunter who routinely loses the treasure or artifacts he ultimately finds. Since his debut, he has appeared in the majority of Mario video games. Hiroji Kiyotake designed Wario, and Charles Martinet voiced the character from 1993 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Game & Watch</span> Fictional character and representation of the Game & Watch

Mr. Game & Watch is a 2D generic stick figure-styled silhouette character, created by Nintendo as an amalgamation of various characters that appeared in the Game & Watch handheld consoles. He was created by Gunpei Yokoi, with an intention of representing the Game & Watch collection, as the consoles had no main mascot, rather characters designed for the minigames. He debuted in Ball from Game & Watch. Mr. Game & Watch has appeared as a cameo in several other Nintendo games, such as Donkey Kong Country Returns, WarioWare: Touched!, Rhythm Heaven Fever and Super Mario Odyssey.

<i>WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!</i> 2003 video game

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!, known as WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania in the PAL region, is a minigame compilation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The debut title in the WarioWare series, the game is about rapid completion of "microgames", short minigames given to the player consecutively and with increasing speed per each game complete. The game's concept was inspired by the "Sound Bomber" mode of Mario Artist: Polygon Studio for the Nintendo 64DD. The music and sound effects were recycled from Wario Land 4. The game was produced by Takehiro Izushi and directed by Hirofumi Matsuoka. Matsuoka was also the director of Polygon Studio. Mega Microgames! was released in 2003; in Japan in March, in North America and Europe in May and in Australia in June.

<i>Mario Paint</i> 1992 video game

Mario Paint is a 1992 art creation video game developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1 (R&D1) and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Mario Paint consists of a raster graphics editor, an animation program, a music composer, and a point and click minigame, all of which are designed to be used with the Super NES Mouse peripheral, which the game was packaged and sold with. Per its name, the game is Mario-themed, and features sprites and sound effects that are taken from or in the vein of Super Mario World.

<i>Super Mario 64 DS</i> 2004 video game

Super Mario 64 DS is a 2004 platform game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch game for the Nintendo DS. Super Mario 64 DS is a remake of the 1996 Nintendo 64 game Super Mario 64, with new graphics, characters, collectibles, a multiplayer mode, and several extra minigames. As with the original, the plot centers on rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser. Unlike the original, Yoshi is the first playable character, with Mario, Luigi, and Wario being unlockable characters in early phases of the game.

<i>WarioWare: Touched!</i> 2004 video game

WarioWare: Touched! is a minigame compilation party video game released by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. The fourth installment of the WarioWare series, and the first of three on the Nintendo DS, the game involves rapidly completing "microgames" — simple minigames lasting extremely short periods of time — as quickly as possible. The microgames are exclusively controlled with the Nintendo DS's touchscreen and microphone.

<i>Mario Artist</i> 1999–2000 video game suite

Mario Artist is an interoperable suite of three games and one Internet application for Nintendo 64: Paint Studio, Talent Studio, Polygon Studio, and Communication Kit. These flagship disks for the 64DD peripheral were developed to turn the game console into an Internet multimedia workstation. A bundle of the 64DD unit, software disks, hardware accessories, and the Randnet online service subscription package was released in Japan starting in December 1999.

<i>WarioWare: Smooth Moves</i> 2006 video game

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is a party video game developed by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo on the Wii. It was released in Japan in December 2006, and in Europe, North America, and Australia in January 2007. It is the fifth game in the WarioWare series of games, and the only game in the series to be physically released for the Wii. Like its predecessors, WarioWare: Smooth Moves is built around a collection of microgames that last about five seconds each, and which require that the player hold the Wii Remote in specific positions. The game offers the microgames to the player in rapid succession, by first instructing the player to hold the Wii Remote in a specific manner, and then showing them the microgame. The microgames are divided into several stages, each of which loosely connects the microgames with the help of a story. Additionally, this was the first spin-off Mario game to be released for the console.

<i>Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!</i> 2005 video game

Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!, known as More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain? in PAL regions, is an edutainment puzzle game and the sequel to Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! (2005). It was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. Before the game begins, the player must perform a Brain Age Check to determine their brain age, which ranges from 20 to 80, to determine approximately their brain's responsiveness. A brain age of 20, the lowest age that the player can achieve, indicates that the player's brain is as responsive as that of an average 20-year-old. After the player is told their initial brain age, they can complete a series of minigames to help improve their brain's responsiveness, after which they can run Brain Age Check again to determine their updated brain age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classic Controller</span> Game controller for the Wii by Nintendo

The Classic Controller is a game controller produced by Nintendo for the Wii home video game console. While it later featured some compatibility with the Wii U console, the controller was ultimately succeeded by the Wii U Pro Controller. In April 2014, Nintendo discontinued production of both the Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro.

<i>Wario</i> (series) Video game series

Wario is a video game series, a spin-off of the Mario franchise. It comprises various video games created by Nintendo, starring the character Wario. The series began with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, the first game to feature Wario as a playable character. The Wario series includes mostly platforming video games and minigame compilations, but also includes other genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Software Planning & Development</span> Former division of Nintendo

Nintendo Software Planning & Development Division, commonly abbreviated as Nintendo SPD, was a Japanese research, planning and development division owned by Nintendo and housed inside the Nintendo Development Center in Kyoto, Japan. The division had two departments: Software Planning & Development Department, which primarily co-produced games with external developers; and Software Development & Design Department, which primarily developed experimental and system software. The division was created during a corporate restructuring in September 2003, with the abolition of the Nintendo R&D1 and Nintendo R&D2 departments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo DSi</span> Handheld game console

The Nintendo DSi is a dual-screen handheld game console released by Nintendo. The console launched in Japan on November 1, 2008, and worldwide beginning in April 2009. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival was Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP). The fourth iteration, entitled Nintendo DSi XL, is a larger model that launched in Japan on November 21, 2009, and worldwide beginning in March 2010. Development of the DSi began in late 2006, and the handheld was unveiled during an October 2008 Nintendo conference in Tokyo. Consumer demand convinced Nintendo to produce a slimmer handheld with larger screens than the DS Lite. Consequently, Nintendo removed the Game Boy Advance (GBA) cartridge slot to improve portability without sacrificing durability.

<i>WarioWare D.I.Y.</i> 2009 video game

WarioWare D.I.Y., known as WarioWare: Do It Yourself in the PAL region, is a minigame compilation and game creation system by Nintendo SPD and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the seventh title in the WarioWare series and the last to be developed for the Nintendo DS family of systems. Formally revealed at Nintendo's conference in October 2008, the game was released in Japan on April 29, 2009. It was released in 2010 in North America, Europe, and Australia respectively and was accompanied by a separate WiiWare title, WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase.

<i>Brain Age Express</i> Series of educational video games

Brain Age Express are three educational puzzle video games developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DSi's DSiWare download service. They are the third series of games in the Brain Age series, and are repackaged versions of both Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! and Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! games, featuring both old and new puzzles.

<i>Picopict</i> 2009 video game

Picopict, known as Pictobits in North America and as Pictopict in Australia, is a puzzle video game developed by Skip Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DSi's DSiWare digital distribution service. It is one of seven games released for the DSi's Art Style series of video games. It was announced on January 26, 2009, was released two days later alongside Somnium, another Art Style game, and was released in North America and PAL regions in the same year, on May 18 and May 22 respectively. In Picopict, players use the touchscreen to move coloured blocks into a formation, such as a four-block line or a 2x2 square. This contributes to an 8-bit image, which consist of various Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) characters, such as Mario, Link, and Bowser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo DSi system software</span> Operation system for Nintendos Nintendo DSi handheld game console

The Nintendo DSi system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions, and a software frontend on the Nintendo DSi video game console. Updates, which are downloaded via the system's Internet connection, allow Nintendo to add and remove features and software. All updates also include all changes from previous updates.

<i>Game & Wario</i> 2013 video game

Game & Wario is a 2013 party video game developed by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems and published for the Wii U console, named after LCD Game & Watch titles. It is the eighth installment in the WarioWare series and part of the larger Mario franchise. The story stars Wario and his friends, who take advantage of a newly released video game console with two separate screens by making games for monetary gain. Game & Wario consists of 16 minigames that exclusively utilize the Wii U GamePad and its functions. Additional modes and collectibles are also unlockable. The majority of the minigames are single-player, although some are designed for multiplayer only.

<i>WarioWare Gold</i> 2018 video game

WarioWare Gold is a minigame compilation developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS family of video game consoles. The ninth installment in the WarioWare series, it was released in PAL regions in July 2018, and in North America and Japan the following month. The game's plot follows the greedy Wario who has organized a gaming tournament for a large cash prize, with the ultimate goal of claiming the money for himself. Meanwhile, various other WarioWare characters deal with other problems which play out in the form of short stories.

References

  1. ↑ "New Nintendo DSi Ushers in Era of Personalization and Sharing". IGN . News Corporation. 2009-04-02. Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  2. ↑ "DSi Ware Launch Guide – A guide to all the downloadable games that drop on Christmas Eve". Anoop Gantayat. archive.is. 2008-12-23. Archived from the original on 2009-01-14. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
  3. ↑ "DSi Ware kicks off on Christmas Eve". Andria Sang. 2008-12-16. Archived from the original on 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  4. 1 2 "Tiny Review: Utsusu! Made in Wario". Tiny Review. 2008-12-24. Archived from the original on 2019-02-17. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
  5. 1 2 Tanaka, John (2008-12-25). "DSi Ware Impressions". IGN. News Corporation. Archived from the original on 2019-07-27. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  6. ↑ Kohler, Chris (2008-10-31). "Camera-Based Wario Ware Leads Downloadable DS Launch". Wired . Archived from the original on 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "DSi Ware Launch: Utsusu! Made in Wario Hands On". Anoop Gantayat. 2008-12-24. Archived from the original on 2009-01-14. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  8. ↑ "Keynote Address by Satoru Iwata, President". Nintendo. 2008-10-02. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
  9. ↑ Kohler, Chris (2009-02-18). "Nintendo DSi Hits America on April 5 for $170". Wired. Archived from the original on 2016-12-26. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Iwata Asks – Nintendo DSi. Volume 5: WarioWare: Snapped! Part 1: WarioWare: Don't Touch?!". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  11. 1 2 3 "Iwata Asks – Nintendo DSi. Volume 5: WarioWare: Snapped! Part 3: Big One-off Performance". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  12. ↑ "Iwata Asks – Nintendo DSi. Volume 5: WarioWare: Snapped! Part 2: "You Got Me!"". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  13. 1 2 "WarioWare: Snapped!". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  14. ↑ "WarioWare: Snapped!". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  15. 1 2 Ramsay, Randolph (2009-04-03). "WarioWare: Snapped! Review". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2009-06-24. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  16. 1 2 Harris, Craig (2009-04-03). "Wario Ware Snapped Review". Archived from the original on 2009-04-05. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  17. ↑ "Warioware: Snapped! Review". Nintendo Life. 2009-04-04. Archived from the original on 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.