For years, worms have played unlikely heroes in their quirky but tactically sophisticated series of turn-based strategy games. Worms World Party brings the insidious invertebrates to the N-Gage in a blend of classic Worms gameplay and multiplayer options via N-Gage Arena and Bluetooth connectivity. Even without these components, Worms World Party is a solid game with the right combination of variety and challenge that will keep you entertained for hours. Although it neither deviates from nor plays as well as the previous iterations of the series, Worms is still pretty fun.
The Worms series is as prolific as it is bizarre. For years, players have been afforded the opportunity to control a tactical team of worms and to take out an opposing faction through a host of destructible environments. Even though the affront is usually in the form of some truly bizarre weapons (the sheep gun immediately comes to mind), the strategy is still quite complex.
At the beginning of each match, you are presented with at least eight randomly positioned worms (or more, depending how many teams are playing) in an environment replete with hills, bridges, land mines, and water. You take turns with your opponent, choosing a move for each worm that will maximize the damage inflicted upon the enemy. Sometimes this requires repositioning the worm, using one of your many weapons to alter the environment around a worm, or just going right after the target itself. Extra damage is done if you inspire a nasty fall or if you can blow a worm into hazardous environments--particularly into water, because anyone who has been outside in the rain knows the relationship between worms and water. Because of the plethora of available weapons and moves, as well as the numerous possible scenarios, each game is unique and challenging within itself. The depth of the gameplay, however, makes it a little overwhelming for a newcomer, and you will likely suffer many injuries before figuring out exactly how to use all the weapons to their greatest potential.
Thankfully, there are several different ways to get acclimated to the game. The most obvious is through the extensive training mode. Training provides practice for both weapons and movement-aided tools, such as the ninja rope, which can be used to position your worm carefully before using a weapon. Although each turn in-game allows you only one chance to use a weapon, you can move for as long as time permits. However, as with the weapons, most of the tools in-game are in limited quantity by default, so you'll have to use your teleports and parachutes frugally lest you leave a worm stranded on an area of the map with no way to attack or defend itself. The weapons vary from standard weapons, like the shotgun, battle-axe, and grenade, to the offbeat skunk, sheep, and air strike. Not only do the weapons vary in style, but also in damage and range as well, so you can often find a weapon that will fit your exact situation, no matter how unconventional it may be. Some elements of the gameplay simply require practice, however, like using the wind (as indicated by an onscreen meter) to help guide your weapons. If you want to jump into gameplay, you can select either quick game or mission mode. Quick games are just single instances of gameplay, but missions offer specific challenges that usually involve maneuvering around certain hazards and getting to an enemy worm before he gets to you.
