Catch-Up Team: WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! – “Mona’s backstory involves her killing a lot of people”
Welcome again to The team caught upwhere the staff of Nintendo Life gathers on a mission to explore an old classic, with veterans leading new recruits into the unknown.
Last time We tested Rareware The country tricked Kong on SNES. For today’s task, we will look WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!or Mini game mania! as it was known in Europe.
This winning 21-year-old GBA classic is Wario’s first foray into the world of microgaming, and is available to play on Switch if you’re subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
As is customary for various promotions and demotions, this is the team we assembled for the mission to Diamond City circa 200X:
- Captain Gavin Lane – WarioWorn
- Cmdr. Alana Hagues – WarioWise
- Lieutenant Ollie Reynolds – I a$$ed this
- Yes. Jim Norman – WarioWhere?
Gavin: Good afternoon, crew. Are we all gathered?
Alana: True and present, sir.
Jim: That’s right now, Captain.
Ollie: A’up!
Gavin: Good. We arrived here a little later than expected following our mission to support terraforming efforts in the Ro’stk system, and I wanted to keep today’s meeting as short and sweet as possible given the nature micro of the task.
First, let’s learn some basic information. Lieutenant Norman, is this your first encounter with the WarioWare series?
Jim: With the series? No, sir. I dug into the Wii’s excellent entry, WarioWare Moves smoothlyold days, and I also have a particular soft spot for the DSi WarioWare: Captured! (although in retrospect it wasn’t very good, was it?). But this is the first time I’ve encountered the place where it all began.
Gavin: Well, so is Smooth Moves – my first brush with this series! I first played this GBA game during my time as a 3DS Ambassador. Are you familiar with the other entries in this series, Lieutenant Reynolds?
Ollie: Okay! I’ve been in and out of the WarioWare franchise and if my memory serves me right I’ve played do it yourself And Yellow the most. I have very vague memories of the original, but I don’t think I actually played it; maybe I watched a friend play it during class or something. Who knows? Still, this is a fun series!
Gavin: And you’re a seasoned veteran, Commander?
Alana: Seasoned is a generous term, sir, but I played Mega Microgame$ when it launched on the GBA. I haven’t played any of the WarioWare titles on the 3DS or Switch – it’s a series I’ve abandoned. But I have some fond memories of this and Moving!special.
Gavin: Interestingly, you are the only one playing this game on the original hardware. Okay, you should start with some constructive criticism, because I believe I speak for the crew when I say this is extremely good. I only intended to briefly browse NSO to refresh my memory, but ended up playing it all.
So negative. Whoever?
Ollie: Heh… Honestly? Not really. Like yourself, I think it works very well. The ability to convey exactly what the player is asking for in just a few seconds is amazing. I also love the whole vibe of this one. It reminds me of the early MTV Animation shows, but that was also before Wario was known, you know… Farting and stuff.
Alana: I’m on the same page as both of you. I really like how less gimmicky the original was. It’s really just a bunch of mini-games packed together, no microphone, no touchpad, no motion controls… just you, two buttons, and a d-pad.
Jim: God, I better think of something negative to say. Um… the Paper Plane minigame seems a bit addictive, right? My hands got a little sweaty at the last level? I have nothing! I expected to play this over the course of a week, but ended up playing it from start to finish in one sitting. How much more.
Gavin: Indeed. The simplicity of the input works very well. If you misunderstand the instructions due to speed, next time there will be almost no confusion. On the negative side, hmm. Compared to other games, Orbulon’s observation game doesn’t quite match my Earl Grey. And the very slow ‘loading’ bar when you unlock the next round is pointless. That’s all I have.
Moving on, let’s talk about favorite characters and specific mini-games. I personally have sympathy for Jimmy T..
Jim: Jimmy is great and probably the most well-defined character in the game, but 9-Volt’s choice is a standout for me. After playing the later installments of the series, I wondered when all the Nintendo references would appear, and here they are! I also like the Shameless plug for the GBA SP when completed.
Alana: Nintendo games are always A highlight, isn’t it, Lieutenant? I will thank Mona because she is a funny and energetic character. She also has some classic WarioWare games like eye drops, nose pick, fried eggs. I love when WarioWare gets stupid. But I hate the boss’s hammer and nail game.
Ollie: Nintendo’s games are really neat, but I have to admit that I prefer the more original, bespoke games. There’s a feeling of the unknown when you play them for the first time that long-established Nintendo-themed games have lacked. My favorite characters are Dribble & Spitz, purely because I love the effect of the rain on the taxi’s windshield as the wipers clear it. It looks great!
