Catch-Up Crew: WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! – “Mona’s backstory involves her killing a lot of people”

Welcome to again Catch-up teamwhere Nintendo Life employees gather for a mission to explore an old classic while veterans lead new recruits into the unknown.

The last time we looked at Rareware’s Donkey Kong Country was on the SNES. For today’s mission, we’re taking a look at WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, or Mini-game mania! as it was known in Europe.

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

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

• Captain Gavin Lane – Wario Worn
• Commander. Alana Hagues – WarioWise
• Lt. Ollie Reynolds – I messed this up
• Ens. Jim Norman – WarioWhere?

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

Alana: Correct and present, sir.

Jim: Right now, captain.

Ollie: A’up!

Gavin: Good. We’re here a little later than expected, continuing our mission to support the 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 mission.

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

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

Gavin: Ah, Smooth Moves – also my first brush with the series! I first played this GBA debut during my time as a 3DS Ambassador. Do you know other entries in the series, Lt. Reynolds?

Ollie: Yes! I was always into the WarioWare series, and if I remember correctly, I played DIY and Gold the most. I have very vague memories of the original, but I don’t think I actually played it myself; Maybe I was watching a friend play during school or something. Who knows. But it’s a cool series!

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

Alana: “Experienced” is a generous term, sir, but I played Mega Microgame$ when it came out on GBA. I haven’t played any of the WarioWare titles on 3DS or Switch – it’s a series I’ve kind of dropped. But I have some fond memories of this one and especially Touched!.

Gavin: Interesting, you’re the only one who played this on original hardware. Okay, it’s worth starting with constructive criticism, because I think I speak for the crew when I say that this film works exceptionally well. I only intended to jump in briefly via NSO to refresh my memory, but I ended up playing through the whole thing.

So minus points. Anyone?

Ollie: Heh… honestly? Not really. Like you, I think it holds up very well. The ability to tell the player exactly what they need in a matter of seconds is amazing. I also love the whole atmosphere of this piece. It kind of reminds me of early MTV animated shows, but it was also before Wario became known for, you know, farting and stuff.

Alana: I’m on the same page as you both. I really love how few gimmicks there are in the original. It’s really just a collection of little mini-games all bundled together, no microphone, no touchpad, no motion controls… just you and two buttons and a d-pad.

Jim: My goodness, then it’s easier for me to think of something negative. Um… the Paper Plane mini-game is a bit too addictive? My hands were a little too sweaty in the last level? I have nothing! I was expecting to play this game over the course of a week, but I ended up playing through it from start to finish in a single sitting. Like more.

Gavin: Indeed. The simplicity of the inputs works so well. If you misunderstand an instruction because of speed, there will be almost no confusion next time. As for the negative, hmm. Compared to the others, Orbulon’s observation games aren’t quite my cup of Earl Grey. And the very slow “upload” bar when unlocking the next game round is pointless. That’s all I have.

Now let’s talk about your favorite characters and specific mini-games. I have a soft spot for Jimmy T myself.

Jim: Jimmy is great and perhaps the most well-defined character in the game, but 9-Volt’s selection was a highlight for me. After playing the later series entries, I was wondering when all the Nintendo references would appear, and there they are! I also love the shameless plug for the GBA SP upon completion.

Alana: The Nintendo games are always A highlight, isn’t it, Ensign? I want to thank Mona for being this crazy, energetic character. It also has some of those classic WarioWare games, like Eye Drops, Nose Picking and Fried Eggs. I like it when WarioWare gets stupid. But I hate the nail and hammer boss round.

Ollie: The Nintendo games are really great, but I have to admit that I prefer the more original, tailored games. Playing them for the first time creates a feeling of unknown that is missing from established Nintendo themes. My favorite characters are Dribble and Spitz, simply because I love the effect of rain on the taxi windshield as the wipers wipe it away. It looks so cool!