and the initial response is always utter confusion. Why have two screens? What you mean its in

3D? That looks like a TV remote. Of course, in the past, this confusion stage hasn't lasted

long, because...Nintendo always shows us.

They always prove the hardware with great software.

We still haven't gotten to that point with the Wii U.

At least, not yet. Not fully. Nintendo Land came close, but...we need more. We need a

series that's custom-made for really weird controllers, a series that thrives on creativity,

a series that's proven weird hardware in the past. We need WarioWare, you might say, but

there's just one problem.

Game and Wario is not WarioWare.

Believe me, this game may look like WarioWare. And it even sounds like WarioWare, but...it's

only a disguise. I mean, there's a yellow biker helmet, but it's a cheap one. There's

a denim vest, but it doesn't have the same lovable stench. See, Game and Wario is not

the celebration of outright chaos you might expect.

It's just a minigame collection. And more specifically?

It's a minigame collection with more problems than minigames.

Game and Wario is a collection of 12 minigames and four multiplayer games. And the term "minigames"

is important, because this is not about microgames. See, WarioWare games normally hit you with

one "microgame" after another, none lasting longer than a few seconds, each one more creative

and bizarre than the last...each one fun. All too often, Game and Wario is none of those

things. And most disappointing of all?

It's not the proof of concept the Wii U needs.

And in a way, it's kind of unfair. Because it's really a product of expectation. The

Wii's WarioWare game was bursting with ideas for the Wii Remote. Stuff you never would've

imagined. In this case, Nintendo didn't seem to imagine them, either. This isn't really

a bad game, per se...but of its 16 games, only a handful come close to that WarioWare

brilliance. And the troublesome part is...some are rehashing old ideas.

On a system that's not even a year old.

So what works? Well, there's Patchwork. This is a simple puzzle game that has you moving

patches with the stylus to solve pixelated puzzles. It's a lot of fun, and it's also

addictive enough that you'll definitely want to come back to it. And there's also Pirates,

which is this insane rhythm game that has you blocking pirate attacks by moving the

GamePad. Not only is it fun to play, it's equally fun for spectators.

Who are gonna laugh at you.

But by far, the best of the bunch is Gamer. It's the most fun, it's definitely one of

the coolest examples of asymmetrical gameplay to date...and fittingly, it's the only game

that uses microgames. So it's basically WarioWare as usual, but with an awesome catch. You're

supposed to be in bed, and if your mom catches you.

So you're playing microgames on the GamePad, but you also have to listen for your mom on

the TV. Footsteps, doorknobs, things like that. So you have to pay attention to two

screens at once, and that's a brilliant example of what Wii U is all about. But...it's, like,

one of the only ones here.

It ends up feeling like a teaser for something that never comes.

Fortunately, things pick up a bit with the multiplayer games. One, in particular, is

just awesome. Even though it's basically just Pictionary for the Wii U. So one player has

to draw pictures on the GamePad, and the others have to guess. It's so simple, but it's a

real highlight of Game and Wario. And that's a great taste of Wii U, as well. To have people

playing with no controllers necessary?

That's such a great idea.

And that's where we are with Wii U. Lots of great ideas, but no great moment. No epiphany.

Unfortunately, it's not coming from Wario. To be fair, you can't exactly toss around

the GamePad like the Wii Remote. There are reasons this game is what it is, but...that's

the part that worries me.

If Wario doesn't have any better ideas, who does?