Catch-Up Crew: WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! - "Mona’s Backstory Involves Her Killing A Lot Of People"

Welcome once again to Catch-up Crew, where Nintendo Life staffers assemble for a mission to explore an old classic, with veterans leading new recruits into the unknown.

Last time we examined Rareware's Donkey Kong Country on the SNES. For today's mission, we're taking a look at WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, or Minigame Mania! as it was known in Europe.

This winning 21-year-old GBA classic was Wario's first venture into the world of microgames and is available to play on Switch if you've got a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.

Following the customary various promotions and demotions, this is the crew we assembled for this mission to Diamond City circa 200X:

• Capt. Gavin Lane - WarioWorn
• Cmdr. Alana Hagues - WarioWise
• Lt. Ollie Reynolds - Mi$$ed this one
• Ens. Jim Norman - WarioWhere?

Gavin: Good afternoon, crew. Are we all assembled?

Alana: Correct and present, sir.

Jim: Presently correct, captain.

Ollie: A’up!

Gavin: Good. We’re here a little later than expected following our mission to assist with terraforming efforts in the Ro’stk system, and I’d like to keep today’s briefing as short and sweet as possible given the micro nature of the assignment.

First up, let’s get some background. Ensign Norman, is this your first encounter with the WarioWare series?

Jim: With the series? No, sir. I dabbled in the wonderful Wii entry, WarioWare Smooth Moves, back in the day, and I also have a particular soft spot for the DSi’s WarioWare: Snapped! (though, in retrospect, it’s not very good is it?). But this was my first encounter with where it all began.

Gavin: Ah, Smooth Moves - my first brush with the series also! I first played this GBA debut during my time serving as 3DS Ambassador. You’re familiar with other entries in the series, Lt. Reynolds?

Ollie: Yep! I’ve dipped in and out of the WarioWare franchise, and if my memory is correct, I’ve played D.I.Y. and Gold the most. I have very vague memories of the original, but I don’t think I actually played it myself; perhaps I watched a friend play it during school or something. Who knows. It’s a cool series, though!

Gavin: And you’re a seasoned veteran, Commander?

Alana: Seasoned is a generous term, sir, but I played Mega Microgame$ back when it came out on GBA. I haven’t played any of the WarioWare titles on 3DS or Switch - it’s a series I sort of dropped off. But I have some fond memories of this one and Touched!, in particular.

Gavin: Interesting, you're the only one to have played this on original hardware. Okay then, it’s worth beginning with constructive criticism, because I believe I speak for the crew when I say this one holds up exceptionally well. I only intended to dip in briefly via NSO to refresh my memory, but ended up playing the whole thing.

So, negatives. Anyone?

Ollie: Heh… Honestly? Not really. Like yourself, I think it holds up very well. The ability to communicate exactly what’s required from the player in literal seconds is astonishing. I also love the whole vibe of this one. It kind of reminds me of early MTV Animation shows, but it’s also before Wario became known for, y’know… farting and stuff.

Alana: I’m on the same page as both of you. I actually love how gimmick-less the original is. It really is just a bunch of little minigames all bundled together with no microphone, no touchpad, no motion controls… just you and two buttons and a d-pad.

Jim: Gosh, I better come up with something negative to say, then. Erm… the Paper Plane minigame is a bit too addictive? My hands got a little too sweaty in the final level? I’ve got nothing! I was expecting to play this one over the course of a week, but ended up playing it from start to finish in a single sitting. How moreish.

Gavin: Indeed. The simplicity of the inputs work so well. If you misunderstand an instruction due to the speed, there’s almost zero confusion the next time. In terms of negatives, hmm. Compared to the others, Orbulon's observational games aren't quite my cup of Earl Grey. And the very slow ‘upload’ bar when you unlock the next round of games is pointless. That’s all I’ve got.

Moving on, let’s talk about favourite characters and specific minigames. I’ve a soft spot for Jimmy T. myself.

Jim: Jimmy is great, and perhaps the best-defined character in the game, but 9-Volt’s selection was a highlight for me. Having played the later series entries, I was wondering when all the Nintendo references were going to pop up, and there they are! I love the shameless plug for the GBA SP on completion, too.

Alana: The Nintendo games are always a highlight, aren’t they, Ensign? I’ll give a shoutout to Mona for being this kooky, energetic character. She’s also got some of those classic WarioWare games, too, like the eye drops, nose picking, fried eggs. I like it when WarioWare gets stupid. But I do hate the nail and hammer boss round.

Ollie: The Nintendo games are really neat, but I have to admit that I prefer the more original, bespoke games. There’s a sense of the unknown the first time that you play them that is missing with those established Nintendo-themed ones. My favourite characters are Dribble & Spitz, purely because I love the effect of the rain on the taxi’s windscreen as the wipers clear it away. It looks so cool!

Jim: I’ll give a little shoutout to those microgames that use a real image in the background. Getting the cat to sleep or the dog to shake made me laugh. Every. Single. Time.

Alana: It’s a very cool-looking and sounding game with a lot of different art styles, vocal songs, and colour. It really stands out on the GBA, honestly. I remember the first time I saw those animated photograph games and it reminded me of the Game Boy Camera.

Gavin: Yep, the mixed-media approach to the art felt so anarchic. I love the simple narratives that thread the thing together, too. I haven’t played either of the Switch games, unfortunately, as the increased complexity and gimmickry tended to put me off, especially with the backlog. Has anyone here sampled the latest entries?

Jim: Not me, unfortunately. Though after checking out the OG, I’d be keen to now.

Alana: I haven’t, and I don’t know if I will. This is more a broader point, but I feel like once you’ve played a handful of WarioWare games, you know what you’re getting. WarioWare knows what it is, and that’s great, but I think I’ve had my fill from the earlier games, and it’s a big jump to pay full price for something I might only play for a few hours and stop playing.

Ollie: Yeah, same here. Now that I’ve sampled a few of the earlier games, I have a hard time imagining playing Move It! or Get It Together! and thinking, “Wow, so unique!” They’re not all the same, mind, but… y’know. Y’KNOW. Yeah, I won’t play them.

Gavin: Here we are, on the flagship, and apparently only Chief O’Reilly has played the Switch WarioWares! I’ll make a note in my log. You’re absolutely right, though - that simplicity and the purity of the concept was nailed in the very first entry. Nintendo has a habit of doing that, which is fantastic but also makes iteration tricky.

Okay, let’s wrap up this micromission. Any final thoughts? Particular memories?

Jim: Mona’s backstory involves her killing a lot of people and we don’t discuss that nearly enough…

Alana: She’s a working woman, what can I say?

Gavin: Remind me to review your Starfleet records, Hagues.

Alana: *gulp*

Gavin: And on that note, let’s adjourn until next time. Speaking of which, I believe it’s freshly-promoted Lt. Norman’s turn to take command for the next mission?

Jim: You would be correct. I’m taking the wheel and turning us all towards a wonderful world of safari. Anyone up for a spot of Pokémon Snap? It will be a first for some of us, no?

Gavin: It will. Some fresh air and snapping holos of the local wildlife on a pleasant M-class planet sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Thank you, all. Dismissed.

WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgame$ - Recruit Report

Captain's log, stardate 202411.10. After spending some time with the most verb-filled of video games, the crew is energised and ready to go boldly on to our next assignment. With the festival of GO'TY fast approaching — a time of great joy and gratitude — we look forward to our continuing mission.