Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Wacky Wednesday: Wario Ware: D.I.Wily

Presenting Wacky Wednesday, a weekly article in which 3RM brings out the weird, the wacky, the whimsical, the wild, the wildebeest...wait. No, not that. We here at Third Rate Minion take the time to help spread the oddities of the Internet, whether they are extremely unique Rom Hacks, independent games, odd gaming-related videos, or any other intriguing media for the 3RM audience.

Wacky Wednesday #1: Wario Ware: D.I.Wily



In March 2010, Nintendo released WarioWare:D.I.Y. in North America. D.I.Y. is a WarioWare title for the Nintendo DS which allows, for the first time in the series' history, to develop their OWN microgames using the game's engine. Every microgame made available in it was made using the same toolset, even the main development team's. There is also a WiiWare title, WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase, in which the games can be made playable using the Wii Controller's IR Pointer instead of the DS Stylus.

While the game's only input method for microgames is tapping the screen, the amount of flexibility the game provides, from graphics to music and even gameplay variations, is astounding. What a better way to demonstrate the abilities of microgame creators than with a throwback to one of the most retro-looking franchises of today: Mega Man!


Youtube user and member of the NeoGAF forums, Jarosh Barksdale had a vision: create a collection of microgames which depict the evil Dr. Wily as he prepares for another fight against the Blue Bomber. The result is a collection of nine microgames, all shown off in the video below, followed by a playthrough of the games randomized.

Here is a list of the games, as given in his video page:
Spikes! - Dr. Wily tests the spike shafts
Dumpster Claw - Dr. Wily steals old robot masters from Dr. Light's dumpster
Door Jumping - Dr. Wily tests the boss doors for their... "jumpability"
Blocks! - Dr. Wily and Guts Man collect disappearing blocks
Eyebrows - Dr. Wily gets a much needed eyebrow trim (with some help from Cut Man)
Teleport - Dr. Wily tests the teleport hatches and tries not to turn into THE BEE
Fueling up - Dr. Wily gets gas for his saucer
Wily shops - Dr. Wily gets some shopping done before the big day
Revenge - Dr. Wily finally defeats Mega Man
Note that everything is made from scratch using WarioWare's engine and not uploaded sprites onto the DS itself. It is quite a feat, and Jarosh certainly deserves credit for this extensive project.

VIDEO

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