THIS game is rendered beautifully in meticulous 2D hand-drawn graphics - a rare thing these days.
Wario, a ridiculous-looking anti-hero to Mario, stars in this traditional side-scrolling platform adventure where he crosses treacherous chasms and frisks enemies to find a bottomless coin sack that spits out coins when shaken.
Wario Land: Shake It!
RATING 7/10
$73
2D platforming (genre)
Nintendo Wii (platform)
Controls are an intuitive mix of old-school elements and new. You hold the Wiimote sideways, using the directional pad as well as the 1 and 2 face buttons to move and dash and jump respectively. There are also context-sensitive actions, which are performed by shaking or tilting the Wiimote.
For instance, you could summon all of Wario's strength into one stupendous effort by giving the Wiimote a short, sharp shock. Or, when you find a sack of silver, shake your newfound booty to unleash a massive shower of coins.
You also aim cannons and other such weapons and machinery by tilting the Wiimote, an action which doesn't produce very accurate results.
However, it's not as if this tiny setback in the controls will mess up your chances of winning. Apparently, the game's difficulty level is made with the aged-12-and-above group in mind.
Afraid you might fall off a set of invisible platforms that you need to cross? Worry not - their exact positions have been marked with floating coins.
See a switch you can't reach? Look nearby for a ball that you can hit it with.
In later levels, the ball is replaced by a hapless enemy whom you can stun, pick up and throw. At the advanced levels, though, the enemies fight back.
Every now and then, the game does offer something that won't put regular platforming adventurers to sleep. For instance, the escape sequence at the end of every level will have you dodging and diving through obstacles at top speed, a la Sonic the Hedgehog.
Just be advised: Shake It is designed for the casual crowd despite what its old-school visuals and gameplay suggest.
This article was first published in Digital Life, The Straits Times on Oct 1, 2008.
