WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!

• Release Date: May 22, 2003
• Genre: Action
• Style: Multi-Genre Action
• Similar Games: Game & Watch Gallery 4 (Game Boy Advance), Jim Henson's The Muppets: On With the Show! (Game Boy Advance)

Game Description

Money-grubbing Wario decides to make a name for himself (not to mention some cash) as a video game designer in this unusual cartridge from Nintendo. The newly created company, Wario Ware, Inc., challenges players to beat all of its developers' games within the time limit. The catch? There are more than 200 games in the library, none of which have any instructions, and the allotted time to beat each title is a mere five seconds. Games range in scope from putting a golf ball to snapping a log in half with a karate chop, cracking an egg over a moving frying pan, or training a spotlight on a criminal during an escape attempt.

There are also abbreviated versions of classic Nintendo games, including takes on Punch-Out!!, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, F-Zero, and the R.O.B.-powered Stack-Up. Completing a random set of mini-games from each developer opens up a boss encounter, which is fought without a time limit. A number of two-player games can also be unlocked by defeating certain game developers, all of which are played using a single Game Pak. Progress during the adventure is automatically saved to battery after completing a developer's set lineup of games.

Review: Overall

One of the strangest games from Nintendo yet released, WarioWare, Inc. is packed with so much buoyant energy and imagination that you can't help but be drawn into its surreal world. Instead of Wario taking a starring role, the mustachioed moneygrubber is merely an emcee to a wild assortment of "microgames." If mini-games are abbreviated versions of full games, then microgames are four-second snippets of mini-games -- in other words, the perfect solution for those suffering from Hypoglycemia or Attention Deficit Disorder. Offering an incredible selection of 213 microgames and a bevy of unlockable secrets, WarioWare, Inc. is a deceptively addictive title that rewards not only quick thinkers but also those with a lighthearted sense of humor and whimsy.

Each microgame is thrust onto players with little warm-up time or introduction. The theme behind this madcap collection is that Wario is trying to cash in on the video game craze and decides to hire his friends to come up with as many offbeat titles as possible. They succeeded. Though many are intentionally designed to be "bad," the microgames are infinitely more playable than some of the efforts put forth by Acclaim and Midway on the handheld. Random groups of themed microgames are bundled together in a series of 15 to 25 segments and are overseen by the character or duo that designed them. The themes range from reality, nature, and sci-fi to Nintendo, sports, and strange.

The game's rapid-fire pace demands excellent hand-eye coordination and reaction time, and the varied graphic styles, eclectic sound, and unusual approach to game design make WarioWare, Inc. a must play. The majority of games emphasize timing and dodging, though there are several formats (except for button mashing, which thankfully is almost completely absent). What's remarkable is how creative the developers were in selecting game types. Players, for example, must pound a nail while a hammer is moving left or right -- slightly miss to the left and the nail head will bend to the left, requiring players to straighten it out by hitting the right edge. Another game has players attempting to shake a digitized collie's paw by pressing a button when the outstretched leg passes over an onscreen hand. Complete it and a cute animation will play.

Games such as basketball simply require players to press a button at the top of an athlete's jump, while others involve dodging obstacles with characters or vehicles. Not all games require completion of an objective to win -- some challenge players to merely survive until time expires. Players might have to avoid giant soccer balls while guiding a miniature car inside a square arena, for example. There's a Superman-inspired game, where players swoop past buildings, as well as side-scrolling shooters where players must avoid incoming fire. One of the best themes is Nintendo's group, but it also represents one of the game's flaws: levels offer players a juicy morsel but not the full-course meal. Players will shoot a duck in Duck Hunt, avoid cars in F-Zero, squash Goombas in Super Mario Bros., and even toss a Koopa shell at a target in an impressive rendition of Mario Clash on Virtual Boy. That's it though -- one shot, jump, bounce, or grab and you're done.

Given the basic control scheme (players only use one button and the Control Pad), you would think each game would be easily mastered. Yet WarioWare, Inc. offers enough subtle variation on the majority of games to trick players into thinking they know what's coming before pulling the rug from underneath them. Each game has three basic versions or levels, each slightly more challenging than the last. Each game is also played at different speeds or changes the positioning of characters or goals, making it more difficult to know what's coming. Success is all about first identifying the game, and then quickly recognizing the goal -- a process that must often happen within a split second. Players never know the order of the games they're playing, so it's hard to relax.

At one moment players might be catching apples thrown by a monkey, while the next they may be searching for a cat with a similar coat pattern as depicted in a target box. A pastry will shoot up from a toaster and players must grab it on its way up or down using a hand suspended in midair. Since subsequent visits throw out wrinkles in the action, the same game may have the pastry launching into the air at a different speed or may have a corner bitten out of it, making it harder to grab. The Legend of Zelda, which early on has players simply moving Link into a cave, throws in an enemy or two to dodge while moving the entrance. These ever-changing variations keep the action fresh and significantly add to the replay value.

Alas, there are some missed opportunities within each game. Players never receive bonus points for finishing a game well before the time limit or for doing it "better" -- like catching a robot's falling torso and head so they are in perfect alignment with the legs, pressing a button when a vertical meter hits a perfect 100 percent, or dropping a strawberry precisely in the middle of a cake. There could have been bonus points earned for achieving these tasks, which would have made the title even more compelling than it already is.

The biggest complaint may be that the main game can be completed within two hours, which goes by so quickly it seems more like ten minutes once you start getting into the zany fun. Yet there are many different incentives to keep playing and different modes that open up once the main game is complete. Players will access different difficulty levels that not only dictate how slow or fast each microgame is played, but the number of lives players have to continue. Players will be challenged to complete as many consecutive games as possible without making a mistake, which is extremely difficult with the short time limit, unpredictable lineup, and subtle changes made to each variation. Complete each microgame and a point is added to your score (which is automatically saved to battery for each group), with the action moving faster and faster the longer you play.

While there's no two-player link cable support, there are four separate versus games that can be played using the same system, with each participant controlling one of the shoulder buttons. As expected, they are rather simplistic in design and quickly grow tiring. WarioWare, Inc. is designed first and foremost as a solo game that encourages its players to revisit past challenges to improve their high scores, which is the only way to open up all of the games. Once they are all unlocked, each microgame can be played separately to break its specified high score, which unlocks even more bonuses. Players will be able to challenge each of the bosses in order for as long as they can last, as well as open up full versions of Dr. Mario (retitled "Dr. Wario" but featuring the exact same action) and Sheriff as well as six other full games. "Dr. Wario" is easily worth the price of the game alone.

It is a testament of WarioWare, Inc.'s game design that the action never grows stale despite the simplicity of controls, the straightforward objectives, and the hyperactive style of play. While it's a shame more complete NES titles weren't included (only Dr. Mario is available), WarioWare, Inc. is solid enough on its own to keep you occupied and focused wherever you may decide to play, whether it's in the car, on lunch break, or between television commercials. Players won't have to devote hours developing a character or clearing countless levels before being allowed to save, so it is the perfect game for people on the go. Yet most will be surprised at how difficult it is to put down, and many will find themselves thinking about it even after the system is switched off. WarioWare, Inc. is officially open for business, and business is good.

Review: Enjoyment

The fast-paced play and sheer variety of the microgames make for an entertaining time. While the main game can be completed within two hours, there is a significant amount to accomplish in order to unlock everything.

Review: Graphics

The game uses a wide variety of graphic styles, from digitized visuals to LCD, 3D, 2D, monochome, and what could only be described as squiggly lines.

Review: Sound

Some levels feature songs complete with vocals, and each game has its own distinct style of music. Many of the Nintendo games use the same sound effects and tunes found on the NES, and clearing a microgame results in spoken praise from the game designers.

Review: Replay Value

Some won't like the short length of the microgames, but the blistering pace and offbeat humor are hard to resist. Once players complete the main game, a number of new modes open up and players can unlock full versions of various titles.

Review: Documentation

The colorful manual features stickers, puzzles, and comic book-style artwork. Most of the gameplay is intentionally kept secret, but it's a fun read.