Heavy Petting made Portable

Warioware Touched (Nintendo DS; $34.99; Rated E; warioware.biz)

(four stars)

Perhaps the best demonstration of the DS’ new capabilities is shown through “Warioware Touched.” Based on the critically acclaimed “Warioware Microgames” that was released last year for the GBA, “Touched” maintains the same idea- complete a series of very quick minigames within 3-5 seconds, but replaces uses only the touch screen and microphone as its inputs.

All of “Touched’s” 180 minigames are completed by slicing, rubbing, swirling, tapping, blowing, whistling, or singing.

No, this is not a normal game by any means.

The quirky visuals and music set the tone for the rest of the game. This is not about graphics, story, or character development; this is a game about figuring out how to complete the simplest of tasks in the shortest amount of time possible.

For instance, a game may pop up with a picture of a dog accompanied by the command “Pet.” You’ll have to tap your finger or stylus on the pup’s head until he grins. Do it quickly enough, you advance to the next stage; stutter-step, and the game may be over.

Sounds easy enough, right? The problem is that the game tests reaction time and quick thinking more than anything else. The split-second commands before each round are clear, how to accomplish the commands, however, are not; when players only have three seconds before the round is up, “Touched” calls for decisive action.

The “Warioware” series is the truest definition of “portable gaming.” Without the need for story or set up, players can easily get in and out of the game in about the same amount of time as it takes to complete a round. But turning the game off can be as deceptively simple as the “microgames” themselves: the rapid-fire pace, and bizarre challenges induce a lot of “just one more” fever.

The only problem with a gameplay this simple and addictive is that even with 180 rounds, players can easily whip through the game within a day’s play. But if you’re sitting around playing “Warioware” all day, you are probably not playing the way the developers’ intended.

That or you’ve just found the most ironic cure for Attention Deficit Disorder.