| If you've ever had the desire to develop your own | | | | the game's most interesting challenges are waiting to |
| game, or you're someone who can't play an existing | | | | be unlocked. |
| game without thinking about ways it could be | | | | The first time you visit WarioWare Inc., there are |
| improved, WarioWare DIY might be just the creative | | | | only two options available to you: You can work as a |
| outlet that you've been looking for. That's because in | | | | freelance artist creating sprites for games that are |
| addition to the dozens of included microgames that | | | | otherwise finished, or you can take lessons in game |
| you can play back-to-back at a frenetic pace just as | | | | development. Freelance work is fun because it |
| you would those in any other WarioWare collection, | | | | familiarizes you with the simplistic graphics tools and |
| this sizable offering includes powerful but accessible | | | | also affords you a very quick way to see some of |
| tools for creating and sharing your own. It's true that | | | | your creations in action. At the start of each |
| these games are limited in scope and will be played | | | | freelance project you're presented with templates |
| for seconds rather than for hours, but getting them | | | | that clearly show what Wario is after, but you're also |
| to play exactly as you want them to can still be an | | | | told that you're free to completely ignore the |
| enjoyable challenge, and hey, even the world's best | | | | templates if you prefer. You might be asked to trace |
| game designers had to start somewhere. | | | | pictures of rabbits with and without crossed eyes to |
| Download WarioWare D.I.Y. and All Nintendo DSi | | | | appear in a whack-a-mole-style game but instead opt |
| Games For Free! | | | | to fill their roles with zombies whose heads cave in |
| Many of WarioWare DIY's included microgames need | | | | satisfyingly when you hit them, for example. The |
| to be unlocked before you can play or reverse | | | | "DIY 101" lessons are much more time-consuming but |
| engineer them, and you need to spend time exploring | | | | do a great (if occasionally long-winded) job of |
| all of the game's features in order to get all 90 of | | | | introducing you to the concepts of AI (action items), |
| the games. The menu system can take a little | | | | triggers, switches, win conditions, and the like as |
| figuring out, but it makes a lot of sense once you | | | | you're taken step-by-step through the creation of |
| spend some time with it. The main menu takes the | | | | three microgames. |
| form of a small town where any of five different | | | | Download WarioWare D.I.Y. and All Nintendo DSi |
| buildings can be tapped to access submenus. The | | | | Games For Free! |
| DIY Studio is home to the Super MakerMatic 21 | | | | Finish those, and you gain access to the Assembly |
| machine used to develop microgames, record | | | | Dojo, where you're presented with 32 |
| soundtracks, and pen four-panel comics--all of which | | | | work-in-progress games and asked to finish them |
| can be enjoyed up the street in the DIY Shop. The | | | | with only minimal guidance. One, for example, requires |
| Distribution Center is where you go to share your | | | | that you create an AI for a car that causes it to |
| creations with other players (or with the WiiWare | | | | move when tapped, but only if the onscreen traffic |
| game WarioWare DIY Showcase), the Options | | | | light is green. Completing these occasionally challenging |
| Garage is exactly what its name suggests, and the | | | | projects is extremely satisfying, and if you can make |
| WarioWare Inc. building is your one-stop shop for | | | | it through all of them, there's no doubting that you're |
| tutorials and freelance work. It's also where some of | | | | ready to create your own microgames from scratch. |