Gaming genius.

Game Info.

Genre Mini-games

Publisher/Developer Nintendo/Nintendo

Release 6/03

In recent years, it's become somewhat of a "thing" to produce games that challenge the definition of what a video game can be. Back in 2003, Nintendo's Wario Ware did just that in a very big way. Gamers of all types were drawn toward its wacky, irreverent humor and stylishly low-tech presentation. It's taken Wario's character down a completely separate path from Mario's, and, although I enjoyed the Wario Land series, I couldn't be happier he's found his own niche - especially one as remote and unexplored as this.

Gameplay
As with almost every other game that meets this description of a pioneering effort, Wario Ware's concept is very simple and still refreshingly different. The game presents you with what are called "microgames" - relatively simple challenges that end in a small amount of time. Your goal is to fire through as many of these microgames as you can before screwing four of them up. That's really it.
A cast of nine original characters join Wario in presenting these microgames to you in 9 distinct styles. Once you achieve a certain score in each style, you can move on to the next. Wario himself introduces the simplest games in the beginning and the extremely challenging Wario-themed games at the end. Jimmy T., disco dancer extraordinaire, throws in sports-themed games. Dribble and Spitz, a dog and cat cab driver duo, give us sci-fi games. Mona, just your regular teenage girl, plays "wacky" microgames with themes like nose-picking and catching flying toast. Fan favorite Nine-Volt, an amateur DJ with a fetish for all things Nintendo, lets us play a selection of classic Nintendo games in microgame form. Extraterrestrial Orbulon presents "IQ" games in which spelling words and counting are important. Dr. Crygor, a flamboyant mad scientist, shows off games in which claymation and real-life photos are used for the graphics. And lastly, young samurai Kat and Ana (put 'em together and you get "Katana") have nature-themed games.
Each character has about 20 or so microgames to their name with one exceptionally longer "boss"-like minigame stage. In addition to all these are extra distractions that are almost a whole package unto themselves. Three microgames are expanded in endless form with less simplistic visuals; jumprope, skate boarding, and what can only be described as a paper airplane flight simulator. Two original games also make their way into the set with Pyoro and Pyoro 2, which are said to be popular titles in the fantasy real world Wario and his friends live in. In these you play as a duck-like creature either licking up (Pyoro 1) or spitting at (Pyoro 2) the falling vegetables that are pelletting the land he's standing on. There are also versions of old-school games Sheriff and Dr. Mario (renamed "Dr. Wario") with Wario standing in the main characters' shoes, and even a remake of Fly Swatter from the Super NES game Mario Paint (if only a full version of this were included with Wario Ware Touched for DS!). Lastly come four minigames that are each designed to be played with one player pressing the R button and one player the L button, putting a new spin on multiplayer gaming - naturally, anyone can play along with you, regardless of whether they own a Game Boy or not. Although it's not taken to any great heights in this game, I'd like to see more moves like this on Nintendo's part. So many ridiculous ideas come together so unbelievably well in Wario Ware's game design. It's like listening to a good album - it's hard to pick out all the individual songs you've just heard, but MAN, did it rock!
In terms of gameplay, I'm gonna' have to say I find no fault in Wario Ware. It's all original, always exciting, and most importantly, all good. This is the first perfect score I've given anywhere in my history of 39 reviews.
10/10

Control
The real trick to Wario Ware that most people seem to have trouble with is this: every microgame starts with just a simple command like "brush!", "escape!", or "destroy!". No instructions, no practice time, just "GO GO GO!". It can be incredibly difficult to determine in a time span as little as a second or two what exactly you're supposed to be doing if all you have to fall back on are one-word commands flashed on the screen. That's where the gamer instinct Nintendo has built into you for two decades finally comes in handy. When 8-bit Mario on a stage with goombas shows up on the screen, you know what to do. When a monkey clings onto a tree with a bunch of bananas dangling just above his head, you should also know what to do. When a flashlight shines on a rapidly tilting mirror floating over a big question mark, maybe you're not expected to know quite what to do the first time. But by throwing you into the more difficult microgames like this, Wario Ware forces you to teach yourself the controls, and soon enough you'll feel like it couldn't have worked any other way. This isn't a cop-out at all. The controls being so difficult at times really adds a spice to the game, even if it sacrifices totally universal appeal.
9/10

Graphics
The visuals are definitely different, but lack any sort of cohesiveness. A few recurring characters like Wario and the little yellow fuzzy guy named Shag (who is actually NOT the weird creature in the screenshot to the right) reappear in all 9 microgame categories, but aside from that, each category takes its own route with the visuals, and none are on their own anything worth shouting about. The extra effort in making clay figures for a few of Dr. Crygor's microgames is greatly appreciated. Definitely the nicest-looking stuff in a game with otherwise average graphics. It makes me wonder, why did clay games stop at Clay Fighter, Neverhood, and Claymates?
7/10

Sound
Overall, the music is very catchy and appropriate for the addictive nature of the gameplay. Funk, rock, and 16-bit pop come together in a wonderfully unique way for the bulk of the soundtrack. This stuff remains throughout the rest of the series (at least up to the point at which this review was written) and helps unite the Wario Ware games thematically, which feels necessary given their otherwise chaotic tone.
Two live, vocalized recordings also make their way onto the soundtrack as Kat & Ana's and Dribble & Spitz's themes. Kat & Ana's is like a modern ballad crossed with classical Japanese music. It gives their microgames a shade of melancholy that's an interesting change of pace for Wario Ware altogether. Dribble & Spitz's vocalized J-pop theme is somewhat more consistent with the rest of the soundtrack. Both songs are well-composed and add a certain credibility to the game, strangely. For those that enjoy them as much as I do, there's even a hidden jukebox in the game's menus that'll play them for you. Frankly, Dribble & Spitz's theme is one of my favorite parts of the Wario Ware experience. I only wish it weren't so distorted by the GBA's hardware.
8/10

Replay Value
Wario Ware offers substantially higher than average replay value. If you understand the concept behind the gameplay, I shouldn't have to explain why. As if trying to play as large a string of randomly distributed microgames as you possibly can weren't enough fun, there's also the option to play each individual microgame over and over, faster and faster until your brain pops. Let's also not forget the wealth of extras. Fly Swatter did wonders for Mario Paint's replay value, in mine and many gamers' opinions, as it continues to ten years later in Wario Ware. The day a full-blown Fly Swatter game comes out will be the day I become a man of faith.
9/10

Overall
While its lack of a proper review for 2 years wouldn't indicate the fact, Wario Ware is now in my top 5 video games of all time. In terms of presenting a complete video gaming package with very little left to be desired, the first Wario Ware is an absolutely fantastic game. But also from a broader standpoint, Wario Ware succeeds in creating a gameplay experience that's perfectly suited to the nature of a handheld system. Not to get too sappy here, but think back through the library of Game Boy titles. Besides puzzle games like Tetris and Tetris Attack, not very much comes to mind that can deliver a fully satisfying 2 or 3 minutes of gaming. I've found this game works exactly that way in my daily life. It's yet another example of Nintendo delivering something we never knew we wanted until we played it. I'd say it's fast become a must-own title for Game Boy Advance owners, so much so that it might as well be firmware. If you own a Game Boy and would consider yourself someone who enjoys playing with it, buy Wario Ware.

FINAL SCORE: 9/10
=Amazing=
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