WarioWare (series)

WarioWare
Developer(s)	Nintendo SPD Intelligent Systems
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Creator	Goro Abe Ko Takeuchi Kouichi Kawamoto
First Game	WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! (2003)
Latest Game	WarioWare: Move It! (2023)
Genre	Minigame compilation

WarioWare, known in Japan as Made in Wario (メイド イン ワリオ Meido in Wario), is a series of comedy-based party games published by Nintendo and featuring Wario. A series within the Wario franchise, it was introduced in 2003 with the release of Mega Microgame$! for the Game Boy Advance. While the first two games were developed by Nintendo R&D 1 (now part of Nintendo SPD), subsequent games have been co-developed by Intelligent Systems.

The games in the series are collections of very short and simple games, called "microgames" or "minigames," presented in quick succession. The plot centers around Wario founding the video game studio WarioWare, Inc. and hiring numerous friends of his to develop the microgames for him. The WarioWare games often make use of the new technological innovations of the console for which they are released.

Overview

WarioWare is a collection of short, simple games, called "microgames," presented in quick succession. Each of the microgames lasts about three to five seconds and failing to complete it costs the player a life. The games may seem simple; for instance, a microgame may require the player to pop a balloon, pick a nose, zap a spaceship, or make Wario collect coins in a maze styled after those in Pac-Man. The numerous microgames are linked together randomly and steadily increase in speed and difficulty as the player progresses. On each level, players are allowed four losses only. Also frequently appearing are boss games, which are considerably longer and more complex than the other stages; upon completing these, the player can regain a lost life (with a maximum of four). In addition to the microgame stages, WarioWare games also feature unlockable extra modes and "full" minigames.

The plots of these games center on Wario, his company WarioWare, Inc., and his friends in Diamond City who develop microgames for his company. Because of his greed, Wario usually refuses to pay his friends, despite the high success of the games. Most games in the series include short stories in the form of cutscenes dedicated to each of the developers, telling about their adventures or everyday lives. These cutscenes are split into two parts, the first one shown before the developer's respective microgame stage, and the latter part appearing after the player beats the stage.

Development

The Nintendo 64DD title Mario Artist: Polygon Studio featured a side mode called "Sound Bomber" which challenged the player to survive a rapid succession of very short minigames that increased in speed and difficulty as the player progressed. According to Goro Abe of Nintendo R&D1's WarioWare All-Star Team, the first WarioWare came about when the team decided to make a full game around the concept..

"Sound Bomber" was created by Kōichi Kawamoto as his first assignment at Nintendo, though Kawamoto himself was uninvolved in the WarioWare games proper beyond "Concept" and "Prototype" credits for his work on Polygon Studio. Teammate Yoshio Sakamoto continued, "To add on that, we got the idea of using Wario and the other characters because we couldn't think of anyone else who would be best for the role. Wario is always doing stupid things and is really idiotic, so we thought him and the rest of the characters would be best for the game."

The original WarioWare was developed by a team of newer Nintendo staff members, some of whom had previously worked on Wario Land 4. Both games shared the same director: R&D1 veteran Hirofumi Matsuoka, who would leave Nintendo following the game's completion. Abe, who programmed and designed the original game, directed all later entries except for Snapped!. Sakamoto, a longtime member and manager on the R&D1 team, was involved in development of all but the first installment and WarioWare Gold, and took on the role of producer starting with Twisted! Artist Ko Takeuchi designed Wario's "biker" outfit and created the original characters that appear in the series. Other major figures in the development of the series include Intelligent Systems employees Taku Sugioka and Naoko Mori who acted as sub-directors and designers for most of the games.

Since WarioWare launched on Game Boy Advance, every Nintendo system from the sixth generation onwards has contributed an entry of its own to the series, with each new installment often making use of the new technological innovations of the console or handheld for which the game is released.

Games

Title
Cover, original release, and system	Overview
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
March 21, 2003 Game Boy Advance	WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, known as Made in Wario in Japan and WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania in Europe, was the first installment in the series, and the first full-fledged game release to focus on a series of brief games presented in a hectic format. Its success led Nintendo to commission a port for the Nintendo GameCube, called WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!, which was released in 2004 and features multiplayer support.
WarioWare: Twisted!
October 14, 2004 Game Boy Advance	WarioWare: Twisted!, known as Turning Made in Wario in Japan, has its microgames take advantage of the Game Boy Advance's rotation sensor and rumble feature. Its plot centers around Wario and one of his friends inventing a GBA-like handheld system that only reacts when tilted around. It was the first game in the series to organize microgames around the control scheme rather than around specific aesthetic styles. This game was not released in Europe because the gyro sensor was erroneously believed to contain mercury.
WarioWare: Touched!
December 2, 2004 Nintendo DS	WarioWare: Touched!, known as Touching Made in Wario in Japan, was the first game in the series to be developed by Intelligent Systems. Its microgames generally make use of the Nintendo DS's stylus, touch screen controls, and microphone function. The game also features smaller, mostly non-competitive "toys," unlocked after completing a number of microgames, which too require the use of the touch screen for their tasks to be achieved.
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
December 2, 2006 Wii	WarioWare: Smooth Moves, known in Japan as Dancing Made in Wario, features microgames that rely on the Wii's motion controls. Gameplay requires the player to hold the Wii Remote (referred to in-game as the "Form Baton") in different positions. After the player completes all of the single-player stages, the game unlocks a multiplayer mode, in which only one Wii Remote is used, with up to 12 players sharing and taking turns with it after each microgame is completed. It is the only game in the series to be released on the Wii.
WarioWare: Snapped!
December 24, 2008 DSiWare	WarioWare: Snapped!, known as Projection Made in Wario in Japan, uses the Nintendo DSi's camera to control the minigames. Set in a theme park, this is the first time that Wario was featured for a console launch instead of Mario. The player uses a built-in camera to stand-in for a character in-game, with various objectives including mimicking movements to grab objects, opening a mouth, or catching objects with the head.
WarioWare: D.I.Y.
April 29, 2009 Nintendo DS	WarioWare: D.I.Y., known in Japan as Made in Me, allows players to create their own microgames as well as play some premade microgames with the Super MakerMatic 21, a machine that can also make music records and 4-page black-and-white comics. When Wario is amazed by this invention and its potential to make huge fortunes, he restarts his company, but many of his employees have quit, so he decides to have the player make the games for him. The minigames made in the DS game can be uploaded to WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase (in Japan, Play Made by Me), a game available through the WiiWare service. D.I.Y. Showcase features downloadable post-release updates and an unlockable versus mode where minigames are played in a shuffled format. It is the final game to be released on the DS.
Game & Wario
March 28, 2013 Wii U	Game & Wario, described as a "spiritual successor" to the WarioWare series, features various games utilizing the Wii U GamePad, including its touch screen, motion controls, and camera. Instead of the typical microgames, this particular entry features a set of sixteen more elaborate minigames (12 single-player titles and 4 multiplayer ones), as well as a capsule machine called the "Cluck-a-Pop" which can be used to unlock additional content. Game & Wario also introduces a new artistic direction, under which most characters are slightly redesigned. It is the only game in the series to be released on the Wii U.
WarioWare Gold
July 27, 2018 Nintendo 3DS	WarioWare Gold, named Made in Wario Gorgeous in Japan, was the first entry in the series to see its first release in a Western territory, in its case in Europe. It is also the only the in the series to be released on the 3DS. It features a total of over 300 microgames (the most featured in any series entry to date), consisting of microgames returning from each of the previous games in the series in addition to new ones. The games involve multiple functions: from pressing buttons to tilting the system, from touching the touch screen to blowing on the microphone. Gold also features full voice acting, the first WarioWare game to do so, with an additional feature allowing players to overdub their own voice over the game's cutscenes. This game is also notable for having a more unique plot compared to other WarioWare games. It begins with Wario stealing a golden pot from the village of "Luxeville". Realizing that he is completely broke, he views a TV report on the success of a new video game, then capitalizes on this by hosting a video game tournament with a huge reward to the victor. Unbeknownst to him, a small girl named Lulu is pursuing him in an attempt to retrieve the pot he had stolen, which at the end of the game is revealed to be nothing more than a toilet.
WarioWare: Get It Together!
September 10, 2021 Nintendo Switch	WarioWare: Get It Together! is the first entry to get released on the Nintendo Switch, with the first global simultaneous release. The game changes the control method to that the player controls a character and the player has to complete microgames using the different properties of each character. For instance, Wario can move freely around the microgame using his jetpack while Mona controls a boomerang. The game also features simultaneous multiplayer in which players can work together or get in the way of each other.
WarioWare: Move It!
November 3, 2023 Nintendo Switch	WarioWare: Move It! is the second entry on the Nintendo Switch. The game is focused on particular body movements using the Joy-Cons, reminiscent of Smooth Moves. It features a 2-player cooperative mode on top of the various competitive multiplayer modes of a standard WarioWare.

Remakes of individual minigames

Title
Profile picture, original release, and system	Description
Bird & Beans
December 24, 2008 DSiWare	This DSiWare game is a remake of the minigame "Pyoro" that appears in Mega Microgame$! In the game, the bird Pyoro uses his long tongue to eat beans which can destroy parts of the ground, while also trying to avoid getting hit by them. This game also remakes the original minigame's sequel, in which Pyoro spits seeds at the beans instead.
Paper Airplane Chase
December 24, 2008 DSiWare	Paper Airplane Chase is DSiWare game that is a remake of the minigame Paper Plane from WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!. There are three modes unlike in the original minigame: Endless Mode (similar to the original), Time Attack, and Race Mode. In Endless Mode, the paper plane avoids obstacles and gains points. In Time Attack, the paper plane needs to finish the course as quickly as it can. Finally, in Race Mode, two players attempt to race their paper planes.

Cast

The WarioWare series has a consistent cast that continues through the series.

• Wario
• Jimmy T.
• Ashley
• Mona
• 9-Volt
• 18-Volt
• Mike
• Kat and Ana
• Dr. Crygor
• Spitz and Dribble
• Orbulon
• Young Cricket
• Master Mantis
• Penny Crygor
• Fronk

Trivia

• A stage based on the WarioWare corporation is featured in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
  • Wario in his WarioWare outfit is seen in Wario Factory Court in Mario Power Tennis.
• All the European game covers of WarioWare are yellow, except for WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania. Other regions have a different cover color for each game.
• In the early WarioWare games, Wario's voice clips were recycled from Wario Land 4 while in the later WarioWare games, Wario has a set of unique voice clips.

External links

• WarioWare (series) at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia