Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Worms: A Space Oddity stays true to the classic turn-based artillery formula fans expect, while introducing fresh mechanics tailored to the Wii Remote. Each team of worms takes aim using familiar tools—bazookas, grenades, and holy hand grenades—but now you can physically steer rockets and guide sheep with a flick of the wrist. This hands-on control gives projectiles more personality and makes every shot feel weighty and deliberate.

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Beyond the standard armory, Space Oddity adds new toys like the Gravity Well and Poisonous Truffle Bomb, bringing inventive tactical layers to each skirmish. The six varied planets offer hazards—acid ponds on the industrial world, shifting gravity on the asteroid field—forcing you to adapt weapon choice and landing spots on the fly. These environmental twists keep matches unpredictable, with each round feeling distinct.

Local multiplayer supports up to four human opponents in classic deathmatch style, plus a suite of single-player challenges and minigames. Whether you’re mastering a timed obstacle course or outlasting waves of AI worms, there’s always a mode to test your skills. Customization is also robust: you can craft up to 16 bespoke maps, setting gravity, terrain type, and hazards to fine-tune your perfect battlefield.

That said, this iteration omits online play—a notable departure from some previous entries. If your friends can’t gather in the same room, you’ll miss the thrill of remote competitions. However, for parties and family gatherings, the local couch-coop remains a lively experience.

Graphics

Visually, Worms: A Space Oddity embraces a colorful, cartoonish aesthetic that pops on the Wii. Each planetary environment feels distinct, from the fiery geysers of the volcanic zone to the starlit silence of the ice world. Dynamic backgrounds—meteor showers, drifting comets, even occasional UFO flybys—add cinematic flair without distracting from the core battle.

The animation of the worms themselves is delightfully expressive. Victory dances, taunts, and exaggerated flinches upon impact bring personality to every battle. Effects for explosions, weapon trails, and environmental hazards are crisp and readable, ensuring you can always tell what’s about to obliterate your worm.

Performance is generally smooth, with stable frame rates even when multiple explosives go off in quick succession. Load times are minimal, though loading a custom map can take a few extra seconds. The user interface, designed for the Wii Remote, uses clear icons and responsive cursors, making weapon selection and map editing intuitive—even for newcomers.

Story

Like most Worms titles, Space Oddity doesn’t weave a deep narrative, but it sells a charming sci-fi setting through humorous text bubbles, mission intros, and planet descriptions. Each world’s environmental hazards come with a tongue-in-cheek backstory—whether it’s the toxic sludge festering on BioWorld or the mysterious ancient ruins on the cryptic moon.

Dialogue is minimal but effective: the worms quip between turns, bark out taunts, and celebrate victories with short, catchy voice clips. This light storytelling approach keeps the pace brisk, focusing your attention on the action rather than lengthy cutscenes or exposition.

Overall, the game’s theme of interplanetary worm warfare is simple but engaging. It provides just enough context to make each planet feel like a distinct chapter in your campaign, without bogging down gameplay with complex lore.

Overall Experience

Worms: A Space Oddity nails the core appeal that made the series a household name—satisfying physics-based weaponry, strategic depth, and goofy charm—while leveraging the Wii Remote to inject new life into every battle. Whether steering a homing missile or delivering a well-timed blow with the Super Sheep, you’ll find plenty of moments that make you grin.

The absence of online multiplayer is a missed opportunity, but the rich local modes, customizable maps, and inventive planetary hazards more than compensate when friends are on the couch. For solo players, the single-player challenges and minigames offer a solid diversion, though they can feel repetitive after extended play sessions.

If you’re looking for a party-friendly artillery game with approachable controls and plenty of strategic wrinkles, Worms: A Space Oddity is a worthy pick for Wii owners. Its blend of humor, accessible gameplay, and creative level design ensures that even newcomers can jump in and enjoy the mayhem from the very first turn.

Retro Replay Score

6.5/10