WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
Encyclopedia
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (stylised as WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!), known in PAL region
s as WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania and in Japan
as , is a video game for the Game Boy Advance
. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2003 and in North America on May 26, 2003. In this game, Wario
creates a game software
company and asks some of his friends to help him make video games. The player must test the games they create by playing them.
Eventually, the company produces a game: Warioware Inc. It makes a large amount of money, and Wario takes it all for himself. He escapes the company building in a rocket, only for Dr. Crygor to crash into it, causing it to crash into the sea, along with all the company profits. Wario is later shown making his way back to dry land, with Crygor in tow, saying "Either way, I'm still a cad! I hate everybody!".
Gameplay
consists entirely of "microgames": short activities that last for only a few seconds, during which time the player is to figure out what he is supposed to do and complete that before time is up, aided by a word or phrase that appears as the micro game begins. Control is very simple - the only buttons used are the directional pad and A button. Failing to complete the microgame means the loss of a life, and losing four lives requires the player to start the level over.
After clearing a set number of microgames (10, 15, 20 or 25 depending on the category) the player must win a "boss" game, which is generally more challenging, in order to clear the category. On the first play of the levels, beating the boss immediately clears the category and shows the epilogue (which then becomes viewable in the options menu). The category can then be played again for a high score (i.e. how many games the player can get through before running out of lives).
Upon defeating a boss stage on repeat plays, the player gains an extra life if he/she has less than four. For a few seconds, a screen that the player can interact with using the A button is displayed (this is not part of the gameplay itself). Play of the microgames then continues, at an increased level of difficulty. After the third difficulty level is reached, only the speed progressively increases.
On the first play, upon losing a boss game, the player must replay the boss game until he/she defeats it or runs out of lives. On repeat plays, gameplay continues, but the player misses the opportunity to earn an extra life.
After attaining certain scores in certain categories, bonus games such as rope-jumping or Dr. Wario (a remake of Dr. Mario
) become available to the player. Some of these games are two-player and require the use of the "L" and "R" buttons. Individual microgames can also be accessed for the player to practice, provided that they have been played at least once in the normal mode. After all the microgame categories are cleared, different modes of play are available, like Thrilling, in which the player only has one life, or Easy, where the game speed increases very slowly.
Many of the sound effects in the game originated from Wario Land 4
.
Award at the Edinburgh International Games Festival in 2004 by a panel of videogames industry members, academics, and journalists.
At GameSpot
, it was awarded the Editor's Choice Award and was nominated for its "Best and Worst" of 2003 in the "Most Innovative Game" category.
Mega Microgames currently has an aggregate score of 89% at GameRankings. Reviewers wrote enthusiastically about the game. Jeff Gerstmann from GameSpot gave it a 9.1 and praised the game for its portability, being able to play it in "short bursts" and being able to return to it again and again. Craig Harris from IGN said that the sheer number of minigames, its simplicity, and replay value made the game original and great, and gave it a 9.0.
In 2008, Game Informer named the game one of the top ten weirdest of all time.
as WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games!, known in Japan as . It was released in Japan on October 17, 2003 in North America
on April 5, 2004 and on September 3 that year in Europe
. This title features all the microgames found in Mega Microgames!, but also features multiple multiplayer games. It came out half a year after the original Game Boy Advance game. Satoru Iwata
commented that it was overdoing it to come out with this title this quickly, but was also the one who requested its release. He said to the developers of the Game Boy Advance title to remake it for the GameCube and fast, and when asked how fast, he said "as fast as possible." WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games! was directed by Goro Abe, a developer of the first game, and it was his first experience being at the head of the team. It is also the first game in the series co-developed by Intelligent Systems
. Goro Abe told Iwata about a talented programmer at Intelligent Systems, Taku Sugioka, who joined the project. Sugioka stated that this video game turned out to be a good experience, and helped make his next development project.
's DSiWare digital distribution service. Neither title uses the touch screen.
, known in North America as Paper Airplane Chase, plays the same as the original title. There are three modes - the first is Endless, which places the player in a randomly-generated course, requiring he or she to guide a paper airplane through it as it descends, attempting to get as far down as possible; Time Attack, which places the player in pre-created tracks, requiring them to get down to a certain point as fast as possible; and Race Mode, a two-player competition that is played on one DSi, with one player using the d-pad and the other using the face buttons. There are a total of eight courses in the game.
, known in PAL regions as Pyoro, features both Pyoro and Pyoro 2 from the original GBA version. Both play mostly the same as the original versions, although the play area is now wider. The first requires the player to eat falling beans by shooting Pyoro's tongue in an upward diagonal direction. If a bean lands on the ground, it destroys part of the floor, limiting how much the player can move Pyoro. If the player eats a differently-colored bean, it will restore one of the blocks, and eating a flashing bean restores many, if not all, lost blocks and destroys all on-screen beans. The further Pyoro's tongue is extended, the more points are awarded. If a seed lands on Pyoro, the game ends. In the second game, the player must shoot seeds at the falling beans. More points are awarded when two or more are taken out at the same time. Bird & Beans does not have any additional modes.
Anoop Gantayat, writer for IGN
.com, commented that both titles, especially Bird & Beans, felt like Game & Watch
titles, both lacking in frills. He also commented that they were great to play for a few minutes, and that he liked how quickly the game would load up, not having to wait for the game to go through various company logos. He commented that he would have preferred if the games weren't one-hit-kill games, saying that it hampers their replay values.
to a limited number of Nintendo 3DS owners who will participate in an upcoming Ambassador program after Nintendo officially issues a price-cut to the Nintendo 3DS starting August 11, 2011. This offer is available in all territories, and only to those who became eligible in the Ambassador program (by accessing the Nintendo eShop
before the date of the price-cut). Nintendo currently has no plans to release this game, or any other Game Boy Advance game, to the general public in paid form.
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
s as WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania and in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as , is a video game for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2003 and in North America on May 26, 2003. In this game, Wario
Wario
is a fictional character in Nintendo's Mario series. The character was designed as another antagonist to Mario , and first appeared in the 1992 Game Boy title Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins as the main antagonist and final boss...
creates a game software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
company and asks some of his friends to help him make video games. The player must test the games they create by playing them.
Plot
While at home one evening, Wario turns on his TV to see a special report on video game sales going up, all due to popular games like Pyoro (shown by the reporter). After thinking for a few seconds, Wario realizes that video games may be a potential gold mine for him. The next morning, he rushes out and buys a laptop computer and immediately gets to work. He starts making games, but realizes that it's hard work, so he calls his friends to come and make games. Thus, WarioWare, Inc. is formed, with Wario as President of the company.Eventually, the company produces a game: Warioware Inc. It makes a large amount of money, and Wario takes it all for himself. He escapes the company building in a rocket, only for Dr. Crygor to crash into it, causing it to crash into the sea, along with all the company profits. Wario is later shown making his way back to dry land, with Crygor in tow, saying "Either way, I'm still a cad! I hate everybody!".
Gameplay
The player clears stages of "microgames" of a certain category, programmed by one of Wario's friends.Gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
consists entirely of "microgames": short activities that last for only a few seconds, during which time the player is to figure out what he is supposed to do and complete that before time is up, aided by a word or phrase that appears as the micro game begins. Control is very simple - the only buttons used are the directional pad and A button. Failing to complete the microgame means the loss of a life, and losing four lives requires the player to start the level over.
After clearing a set number of microgames (10, 15, 20 or 25 depending on the category) the player must win a "boss" game, which is generally more challenging, in order to clear the category. On the first play of the levels, beating the boss immediately clears the category and shows the epilogue (which then becomes viewable in the options menu). The category can then be played again for a high score (i.e. how many games the player can get through before running out of lives).
Upon defeating a boss stage on repeat plays, the player gains an extra life if he/she has less than four. For a few seconds, a screen that the player can interact with using the A button is displayed (this is not part of the gameplay itself). Play of the microgames then continues, at an increased level of difficulty. After the third difficulty level is reached, only the speed progressively increases.
On the first play, upon losing a boss game, the player must replay the boss game until he/she defeats it or runs out of lives. On repeat plays, gameplay continues, but the player misses the opportunity to earn an extra life.
After attaining certain scores in certain categories, bonus games such as rope-jumping or Dr. Wario (a remake of Dr. Mario
Dr. Mario (video game)
is an action puzzle game designed by Gunpei Yokoi and produced by Takahiro Harada. It was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy consoles and released in 1990 and 1991....
) become available to the player. Some of these games are two-player and require the use of the "L" and "R" buttons. Individual microgames can also be accessed for the player to practice, provided that they have been played at least once in the normal mode. After all the microgame categories are cleared, different modes of play are available, like Thrilling, in which the player only has one life, or Easy, where the game speed increases very slowly.
Many of the sound effects in the game originated from Wario Land 4
Wario Land 4
Wario Land 4, known as in Japan, is a video game released for the Game Boy Advance system in 2001. In this game, Wario has to gather four treasures to unlock a pyramid and save Princess Shokora from The Golden Diva...
.
Characters
Wario, Jimmy (T), Dribble & Spitz, Mona, 9-Volt, Orbulon, Dr. Crygor, Kat & Ana and Pyoro are featured in this game.- Wario: The president of the company. He has two stages. The first is the introduction, which has simple microgames to allow players to quickly get to grips with the game. The second is "Anything Goes", the last stage in the game. These games are all Wario-themed.
- Jimmy T: A nightclub and disco enthusiast. His microgame theme is Sports. He also has two remix stages, in which the player must beat microgames coming from multiple themes.
- Mona: A young woman with a part time job at the Gelato bar, and also has a secret crush on Wario. Her microgame theme is Strange.
- Dribble & Spitz: A Dog and Cat duo who work as cabbies. Their microgame theme is Sci-Fi, although there are a few ninja-oriented games included.
- 9-Volt: A young Nintendo enthusiast. His microgames are based on classic Nintendo software and hardware.
- Orbulon: An alien whose spaceship gets hit by an asteroid while on the outer edges of Earth's atmosphere. His microgame theme is IQ.
- Dr Crygor: A cyborg scientist. His microgame theme is Reality.
- Kat & Ana: Two kid ninjas. Their microgame theme is Nature.
Reception
Wario Ware, Inc.: Mega Microgames has won numerous awards. It was voted the winner of the EdgeEdge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
Award at the Edinburgh International Games Festival in 2004 by a panel of videogames industry members, academics, and journalists.
At GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, it was awarded the Editor's Choice Award and was nominated for its "Best and Worst" of 2003 in the "Most Innovative Game" category.
Mega Microgames currently has an aggregate score of 89% at GameRankings. Reviewers wrote enthusiastically about the game. Jeff Gerstmann from GameSpot gave it a 9.1 and praised the game for its portability, being able to play it in "short bursts" and being able to return to it again and again. Craig Harris from IGN said that the sheer number of minigames, its simplicity, and replay value made the game original and great, and gave it a 9.0.
In 2008, Game Informer named the game one of the top ten weirdest of all time.
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games!
WarioWare, Inc. was remade for the Nintendo GameCubeNintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
as WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games!, known in Japan as . It was released in Japan on October 17, 2003 in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on April 5, 2004 and on September 3 that year in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. This title features all the microgames found in Mega Microgames!, but also features multiple multiplayer games. It came out half a year after the original Game Boy Advance game. Satoru Iwata
Satoru Iwata
is the fourth president of Nintendo, succeeding the long-standing previous president of the company, Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002. He was responsible in great part for defining Nintendo's strategy both before and during the release of its Nintendo GameCube video game console in 2001, a vision which...
commented that it was overdoing it to come out with this title this quickly, but was also the one who requested its release. He said to the developers of the Game Boy Advance title to remake it for the GameCube and fast, and when asked how fast, he said "as fast as possible." WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games! was directed by Goro Abe, a developer of the first game, and it was his first experience being at the head of the team. It is also the first game in the series co-developed by Intelligent Systems
Intelligent Systems
is a Japanese first-party video game developer and internal team of Nintendo Co., Ltd. It has its headquarters in the Nintendo Kyoto Research Center in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture....
. Goro Abe told Iwata about a talented programmer at Intelligent Systems, Taku Sugioka, who joined the project. Sugioka stated that this video game turned out to be a good experience, and helped make his next development project.
DSiWare
Two unlockable mini-games from this title, Paper Plane and Pyoro, have been released for the Nintendo DSiNintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
's DSiWare digital distribution service. Neither title uses the touch screen.
, known in North America as Paper Airplane Chase, plays the same as the original title. There are three modes - the first is Endless, which places the player in a randomly-generated course, requiring he or she to guide a paper airplane through it as it descends, attempting to get as far down as possible; Time Attack, which places the player in pre-created tracks, requiring them to get down to a certain point as fast as possible; and Race Mode, a two-player competition that is played on one DSi, with one player using the d-pad and the other using the face buttons. There are a total of eight courses in the game.
, known in PAL regions as Pyoro, features both Pyoro and Pyoro 2 from the original GBA version. Both play mostly the same as the original versions, although the play area is now wider. The first requires the player to eat falling beans by shooting Pyoro's tongue in an upward diagonal direction. If a bean lands on the ground, it destroys part of the floor, limiting how much the player can move Pyoro. If the player eats a differently-colored bean, it will restore one of the blocks, and eating a flashing bean restores many, if not all, lost blocks and destroys all on-screen beans. The further Pyoro's tongue is extended, the more points are awarded. If a seed lands on Pyoro, the game ends. In the second game, the player must shoot seeds at the falling beans. More points are awarded when two or more are taken out at the same time. Bird & Beans does not have any additional modes.
Anoop Gantayat, writer for IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
.com, commented that both titles, especially Bird & Beans, felt like Game & Watch
Game & Watch
is a line of handheld electronic games produced by Nintendo from to . Created by game designer Gunpei Yokoi, each Game & Watch features a single game to be played on an LCD screen in addition to a clock and an alarm ....
titles, both lacking in frills. He also commented that they were great to play for a few minutes, and that he liked how quickly the game would load up, not having to wait for the game to go through various company logos. He commented that he would have preferred if the games weren't one-hit-kill games, saying that it hampers their replay values.
Limited re-release
On July 28, 2011, Nintendo announced that WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!, as well as nine other Game Boy Advance games, will be available via Virtual ConsoleVirtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
to a limited number of Nintendo 3DS owners who will participate in an upcoming Ambassador program after Nintendo officially issues a price-cut to the Nintendo 3DS starting August 11, 2011. This offer is available in all territories, and only to those who became eligible in the Ambassador program (by accessing the Nintendo eShop
Nintendo eShop
The Nintendo eShop is an online service for the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system. Launched on June 6, 2011 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe and Japan, the eShop was enabled by the release of a system update that added the functionality to the 3DS' Home Menu...
before the date of the price-cut). Nintendo currently has no plans to release this game, or any other Game Boy Advance game, to the general public in paid form.
External links
- Official European website
- Mushroom Kingdom WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames section
- Japanese web site for Bird & Beans
- Japanese web site for Paper Plane
- WarioWare Twisted wiki pageWarioWare: Twisted!WarioWare: Twisted!, known in Japan as is a video game for Game Boy Advance by Nintendo. The game is of a variety and puzzle genre. It was released on October 14, 2004 in Japan, May 23, 2005 in North America, and May 19, 2005 in Australia. It was not released in Europe, despite having been...
- WarioWare Smooth Moves wiki page