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Wario (series)
Encyclopedia
The series is a series of video games created by Nintendo
starring the character Wario
. It started with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
, the first game with Wario as a playable character, and gained many sequels. The Wario series includes mostly platforming
video games and minigame
compilations, but also includes other genres. It is a spin-off of the Mario
series.
, a spin-off of the Super Mario Land
series, following Wario's first appearance in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
.
, and first appeared in the 1992
handheld
video game Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
as the main villain and final boss. Since that time, Wario has developed into the protagonist and antihero of his own video game franchise spanning both handheld and console
markets, in addition to his numerous appearances in spin-offs of the Mario series
. He is voiced by Charles Martinet
, who also voices the Mario, Luigi, and Waluigi
characters. Wario and Waluigi seem to have been named with respect to the Japanese word warui [悪い], meaning "bad" or "evil". Therefore, Wario is a "warui Mario," and Waluigi is a "warui Luigi".
is the main antagonist of Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
and Wario Land 2. She is the leader of a legion of seafaring thieves known as the Brown Sugar Pirates. She is a technological genius and inventor, constantly building mechanized apparatuses to assist her in attacking whatever target she chooses. The Pirates' base of operations is Kitchen Island, a gigantic coved island in the middle of the ocean, and their main mode of transportation is the S.S. Teacup, a massive pirate ship. She acts as Wario's ally in Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
to have him do all of the work for her, however she betrays him in the end and steals his treasure.
character Wario
. The franchise was established in 2003 with the release of Mega Microgame$!
for the Game Boy Advance
. While the first two games were developed by Nintendo R&D1
, subsequent games have been co-developed by Intelligent Systems
.
The distinctive feature of all WarioWare games is that they are collections of short, simple games ("microgames") presented in quick succession. Each of these microgames lasts about three to five seconds and must be completed, or else a life will be lost. For example, there is a microgame where the player must zap a spaceship; in another, Wario must collect coins in a Pac-Man
-like maze. The numerous microgames are linked together randomly and steadily increase in speed and difficulty as the player progresses. On each level, players are allowed four losses only. Boss games appear frequently; the player must complete these to regain a lost life (with a maximum of four). Boss stages are considerably longer and more complex than other stages.
's line of WarioWare games each feature these microgames, which are generally less than 5 seconds long. Microgames are even simpler and shorter than the minigame
s found in other games such as the Mario Party
series.
Gameplay in all WarioWare games is distinct from most other games, as they involve the player or players trying to beat the microgames as soon as possible. Most games present instructions in the form of a verb
and quickly drop the player into the situation where they must perform said verb.
All microgames are strung together in a random order within different "stages", each hosted by a different character. First the player is presented with a quick one or two word instruction such as "Eat!" or "Rub!". Then, the microgame will appear and the player will have to complete the game according the instruction.
Microgames usually have only one task to complete. For example, in one microgame the player is told to "Enter!" and is presented with a scene from The Legend of Zelda. The player must use the directional buttons to move Link to a cave entrance before the time runs out. In another game, the player is told to "Avoid!" and must drive a car, avoiding oncoming traffic.
Microgames come in three main types, classified by the condition required to clear them:
In addition to these main classifications, there are several deviations from the normal microgames:
The unit of time for all microgames is beats
. In Mega Microgame$! and Twisted!
, a standard microgame is 8 beats, while microgames in the IQ genre (hosted by Orbulon) last 16 beats; Fronk's microgames in Twisted! only last 4 beats. In most games, the BPM will start out relatively slow and will increase as the player completes microgames. Though Nintendo and game retailers suggest that the microgames last five seconds, at the slowest speed of 140 BPM, only the IQ microgames could possibly reach this length.
In WarioWare: Touched!
, the 8-beat standard has been dropped for all microgames, so many last longer than 8 beats. This may be a difficulty curve for those unaccustomed to the Nintendo DS's touch-screen interface. To retain pace, the microgames will automatically end if cleared before a four-beat measure is met.
To show the time left to complete a microgame, a small "bomb" appears at the bottom of the screen. The fuse and a countdown timer show the amount of time left to complete the microgame. When time runs out, the bomb explodes and in most cases, the player loses a life. The fuse burns faster when the BPM increases.
Some microgames are intrinsically harder than others, and an increased BPM (increased speed) will make any microgame more difficult to complete than the same microgame at a slower BPM. This is usually reflected in the microgames' "clear scores"—the score one must reach while playing a microgame in the practice modes to obtain credit for "clearing" it (Smooth Moves lacks this feature, however, as do the exclusive multiplayer microgames from Mega Party Game$!).
Each microgame is also featured in three difficulty levels: Blue, Yellow and Red. Blue presents the given task in an easier way, while Red presents it in a much harder way. Not all modes of all WarioWare games actually show a color to denote the current level, but most modes start with Blue games, progressing to Yellow upon a "Level Up" (usually achieved after passing a boss microgame), then to Red in similar fashion. Once Red is reached, sequential "Level Up"s will typically be replaced by "Speed Up"s (an increase in BPM).
Using the above The Legend of Zelda microgame as an example, the Blue version of this microgame usually places Link very close to the cave entrance that he must enter. The Yellow version places the entrance further away and places an enemy that blocks Link, and the Red version places the entrance yet further, and has a second enemy that shoots at Link from a lake.
is 9-Volt's best friend, and also a fan of video games. He is large, but despite his size, he goes to Diamond Elementary School, as does 9-Volt. His other defining trait is the boom box he always carries; his loud music gets him into trouble on his first day of school, although he soon finds an admirer in 9-Volt.
are Mona's two wolf-like pets who made their first appearance in WarioWare: Touched!. 4.1 and 4.2 only appear during Mona's story. When Vanessa sic's The Dinosaurs in their hawk-like plane on Mona when she travels to the Hawt House, they steal Art from Mona's van. Pizza Joe comes in, along with her three other animals to reclaim him. Unfortunately, Mona's animals fail miserably. Joe then distracts The Dinosaurs long enough for 4.1 and 4.2 to come in and use their soccer ball launcher on the The Dinosaurs plane. Sadly even they were unable to save Art from the Dinosaurs. 4.1 and 4.2 have not been seen since
is 9-Volt's mother and makes a few appearances in the WarioWare games. She is never fully seen, but judging from what is seen of her, she is a human
like her son. 5-Volt lives along with her son and presumably his pet Fronk in a house in Diamond City.
She makes her first appearance in WarioWare: Twisted, where she shouts at 9-Volt to go to bed since he was playing with 18-Volt all day. 5-Volt is seen only from behind, and from the knees down. After 9-Volt has gone to bed, he still furtively plays with his Game Boy Advance SP under the bedspread, but his mother catches him when she opens his room's door a second time. 5-Volt's silhouette is seen in the doorway.
5-Volt is seen again in WarioWare: Touched!
, as a silhouette in the Game Over screen of 9-Volt and 18-Volt's stage. She watches her son and his friend eating.
is a young Nintendo
fanatic, owning everything ever made by Nintendo. 9-Volt's microgames are all based on Nintendo games.
is a witch in training, who lives in a mansion in Diamond City with a little demon named Red. She has long black hair and two long ponytails and she's very emotionless and rarely smiles. She is largely uninterested in activities unrelated to improving her witchcraft; such tasks are typically relegated to Red.
is the owner of the Sweet Spot Bakery that Wario
visits in the game, WarioWare: Touched!
. After the dentist Dr. Payne told Wario to stay away from all sweets, (since he got a cavity from eating to many sweets) he left the Dental Clinic and picked up the scent from the bakery. Ignoring what the dentist said, Wario asked Bridget the Baker to give him 10 pies. After a few bites Wario got another cavity and the pain sent him all the way to the Dental Clinic. While he flew away, Bridget bid him goodbye with a friendly "Thank you, come again."
and are two developers who speak with Bronx accents. They also work as cabbies, and their cab
, which was designed by Dr. Crygor, has the ability to go anywhere. Dribble is a large anthropomorphic bulldog
with red hair. He is large, burly, and seems gruff, but he is actually quite calm and friendly. Spitz is a yellow anthropomorphic cat
. He is always squinting and wears goggles. Their levels generally involve picking up a weird customer and forgetting to ask for the fare.
is a quirky scientist whose inventions include his cryogenic suit, Mike, the karaoke robot that would "solve all his cleaning needs", and the Kelerometer diet machine. He is 103 years old, and the grandfather of Penny Crygor. In WarioWare: Touched, he accidentally gets caught in his latest invention and is younger and more fit, with red accents to his costume, as well as a full helmet. These changes remain for part of WarioWare: Smooth Moves.
is a Robot
girl. She has a sister Dobot she like Boys. Lobot is from WarioWare Mega Party
is a man with a large blue afro wig, who is a disco
dancing fanatic to the point that he will sometimes dance involuntarily, claiming that 'the rhythm makes him do it'. Jimmy is always seen frequenting hot Diamond City night spots, particularly Club Sugar. His family, which also dances with him includes Papa T. and Mama T., and his brother and sister, James T. and Jamie T. He also has a doppelganger named Jimmy P. whose hair is a different colour to his. Their levels often involve remixing the games from previous stages.
and are kindergarten
-aged ninja
twins. Kat has pink hair with a single ponytail, while Ana has orange hair with two ponytails. Ana is timid, while Kat is more headstrong and overall the dominant sister, though she cares for Ana deeply. The two live in an old-fashioned Japanese-style house in a forest. The two are descended from the Iga ninja clan, and attend Mystical Ninja Elementary. They have four pets: Don the Sparrow, Shadow the Dog, Shuriken the Falcon, and Nunchuck the Monkey. Kat & Ana make a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
as Assist Trophy characters and regular trophies. It should also be noted that combining their names results in the word "Katana".
is a karaoke
robot
made by Dr. Crygor. Despite being a robot built for karaoke, the slightly mad doctor programs him to be a cleaning robot. Eventually, he overrides his cleaning program with his karaoke program by blowing on a pile of dust.
is a high school
student with a different part-time job in each game. Mona is quite adventurous and culturally savvy. She always seems to be late to wherever she is going, and often speeds on her scooter to make up for lost time, and uses the assistance of her animal companions to stop anyone trying to slow her down. Her former occupations include working at a gelato shop, pizza delivery girl on Mona Pizza, bassist
, cheerleader, and a temple explorer. Also, Mona has a crush on Wario.
is an intelligent alien that has difficulty with the English language. He has an IQ of 300, and he is 2003 years old. Orbulon first wishes to conquer Earth, but after crash-landing on the planet, he settles in to life on Earth and ends his mission of conquest.
is the granddaughter of Dr. Crygor and dreams of becoming a great scientist. She also has a hidden desire to become a singer. She is seen in the game to have a part time job as a cake baker/decorator. Penny sees her grandfather as an excellent scientist, though she also recognizes his eccentric nature.
is a character that has his own game in almost every WarioWare title, each one varying in style. The original Pyoro game is Wario's inspiration to found WarioWare, Inc.. Pyoro resembles a round red bird with a white belly and short wings, and a very stretchy tongue. Pyoro 2 (from the GBA version) is the only game where Pyoro is yellow with a tail. Pyoro also appears as a title character in Bird & Beans, the DSi re-release.
is first introduced in WarioWare: Smooth Moves
. He has flowing black hair with white streaks and a blue outfit. He practices martial arts and trains with his master, Master Mantis, and the two of them travel all over looking for new forms.
, as well as crossing over into the Bomberman universe with Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!
.
, his default outfit being his motorcyclist outfit as seen in the WarioWare games, although he can also wear his classic overalls. He can transform into Wario-Man after obtaining a Smash Ball. His motorcycle is used as one of his special attacks; another of his special attacks is a fart
called the Wario Waft, which builds power when not used as often. Kat and Ana also make appearances as an Assist Trophy. Many stickers also represent WarioWare, Inc. — in addition to all of the above appearing as stickers and trophies, there are stickers of other WarioWare characters. Also, there is a WarioWare stage, named WarioWare Inc., with several different microgames that run in the background, one of which features Jimmy T. Completing the tasks set by the games awards power-ups like invincibility or growth. This stage also features Ashley's Song, Mike's Theme and Mona Pizza's Song as background music. All three are featured in Japanese and English.
The Space Hares from Orbulon's stage in Mega Microgame$ make an appearance in Rhythm Tengoku
, a game developed by the same team, and also make brief appearances in its sequel, Rhythm Heaven
.
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
starring the character 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...
. It started with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, known in Japan as , is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo on the Game Boy in 1994. It is the first video game to feature Wario as both a playable character and the main character, as well as the first appearance of Captain Syrup and her Brown Sugar...
, the first game with Wario as a playable character, and gained many sequels. The Wario series includes mostly platforming
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video games and minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
compilations, but also includes other genres. It is a spin-off of the Mario
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
series.
Wario Land
The Wario Land series is a platforming series that started with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, known in Japan as , is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo on the Game Boy in 1994. It is the first video game to feature Wario as both a playable character and the main character, as well as the first appearance of Captain Syrup and her Brown Sugar...
, a spin-off of the Super Mario Land
Super Mario Land
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld game console. It and the Game Boy debuted in Japan on April 21, 1989, in the United States on July 31, 1989, and in Europe on September 28, 1990...
series, following Wario's first appearance in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
is a platforming video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1992, in North America on November 2, 1992, and in Europe on January 28, 1993...
.
Wario Land games
In Wario Land, Wario has a castle in Kitchen Island, and often journeys to find treasure. Its gameplay consists of platforming through levels, tossing enemies, breaking blocks and using other abilities.Wario Land characters
was designed as an antagonist to MarioMario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, and first appeared in the 1992
1992 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:* Gremlin Graphics releases Zool, Amiga's answer to Mario and Sonic. It goes on to become the best selling Commodore Amiga game, boosting the already popular computer to be the leading gaming machine in Europe....
handheld
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
video game Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
is a platforming video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1992, in North America on November 2, 1992, and in Europe on January 28, 1993...
as the main villain and final boss. Since that time, Wario has developed into the protagonist and antihero of his own video game franchise spanning both handheld and console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
markets, in addition to his numerous appearances in spin-offs of the Mario series
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
. He is voiced by Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet is an American actor and voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Mario, the titular character in Nintendo's flagship video game franchise. He has held this role since 1994, longer than any other actor. He also voices Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Toadsworth, and a select few...
, who also voices the Mario, Luigi, and Waluigi
Waluigi
is a fictional character in the Mario series of video games. He accompanies Wario in spin-offs from the main Mario series, oftentimes for the sake of causing mischief...
characters. Wario and Waluigi seem to have been named with respect to the Japanese word warui [悪い], meaning "bad" or "evil". Therefore, Wario is a "warui Mario," and Waluigi is a "warui Luigi".
is the main antagonist of Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, known in Japan as , is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo on the Game Boy in 1994. It is the first video game to feature Wario as both a playable character and the main character, as well as the first appearance of Captain Syrup and her Brown Sugar...
and Wario Land 2. She is the leader of a legion of seafaring thieves known as the Brown Sugar Pirates. She is a technological genius and inventor, constantly building mechanized apparatuses to assist her in attacking whatever target she chooses. The Pirates' base of operations is Kitchen Island, a gigantic coved island in the middle of the ocean, and their main mode of transportation is the S.S. Teacup, a massive pirate ship. She acts as Wario's ally in Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension, known as Wario Land: Shake It! in North America and as in Japan, is a video game for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth game to be released in the Wario Land series. It is also the first home console Wario Land game and the first new Wario Land game in...
to have him do all of the work for her, however she betrays him in the end and steals his treasure.
- Rudy the Clown is the main antagonist of Wario Land 3Wario Land 3Wario Land 3 garnered tremendous critical acclaim upon release. GameSpot granted the game a score of 9.8/10 and stated, "As far as platformers go, Wario Land 3 is a game that fires on all cylinders." IGN gave it an outstanding rating of 9.0/10...
. Rudy lures Wario into the music box world, claiming that he is the god of the world. He convinces Wario to help break the seal that was placed upon him by the other creatures of the world, with the promise of keeping any treasure Wario finds. After the seal is broken, Rudy reveals himself and attacks Wario. Wario defeats him, and the curse on the other inhabitants is broken. Rudy returns in the video game Dr. Mario 64Dr. Mario 64Dr. Mario 64 is a puzzle game based on the original Dr. Mario. It was developed and published by Nintendo, released for the Nintendo 64 in 2001, and is an enhanced remake of the original Dr. Mario, which was released for the NES and Game Boy in 1990.Originally, it was released only in North America...
, where he and Mad Scienstein concoct a plan to steal the Megavitamins from Dr. MarioMariois a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
because he has a cold, and wants the power to cure any illness.
WarioWare
WarioWare, known in Japan as , is a series of games featuring the NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
character 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...
. The franchise was established in 2003 with the release of Mega Microgame$!
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! , known in PAL regions 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...
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...
. While the first two games were developed by Nintendo R&D1
Nintendo Research & Development 1
was Nintendo's oldest development team. Its creation coincided with Nintendo's entry into the video games industry, and the original R&D1 was headed by Gunpei Yokoi...
, subsequent games have been 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....
.
The distinctive feature of all WarioWare games is that they are collections of short, simple games ("microgames") presented in quick succession. Each of these microgames lasts about three to five seconds and must be completed, or else a life will be lost. For example, there is a microgame where the player must zap a spaceship; in another, Wario must collect coins in a Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
-like maze. The numerous microgames are linked together randomly and steadily increase in speed and difficulty as the player progresses. On each level, players are allowed four losses only. Boss games appear frequently; the player must complete these to regain a lost life (with a maximum of four). Boss stages are considerably longer and more complex than other stages.
Microgames
Microgames are simple video games created by the fictional company WarioWare, Inc.. NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's line of WarioWare games each feature these microgames, which are generally less than 5 seconds long. Microgames are even simpler and shorter than the minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
s found in other games such as the Mario Party
Mario Party
is a party video game for the Nintendo 64 game console, developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on December 14, 1998, in North America on February 8, 1999, and in Europe on March 9, 1999...
series.
Gameplay in all WarioWare games is distinct from most other games, as they involve the player or players trying to beat the microgames as soon as possible. Most games present instructions in the form of a verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
and quickly drop the player into the situation where they must perform said verb.
All microgames are strung together in a random order within different "stages", each hosted by a different character. First the player is presented with a quick one or two word instruction such as "Eat!" or "Rub!". Then, the microgame will appear and the player will have to complete the game according the instruction.
Microgames usually have only one task to complete. For example, in one microgame the player is told to "Enter!" and is presented with a scene from The Legend of Zelda. The player must use the directional buttons to move Link to a cave entrance before the time runs out. In another game, the player is told to "Avoid!" and must drive a car, avoiding oncoming traffic.
Microgames come in three main types, classified by the condition required to clear them:
- "Accomplish" Microgames, where the player must do something within a limited amount of time. The Legend of Zelda example above is an Accomplish microgame, since Link must be guided to the cave before the timer runs out. A sound bite, signifying completion of the microgame, will usually be played before the timer runs out if the task is accomplished (and may continue through the return to the score screen).
- "Survival" Microgames, where the player must prevent something from happening until the timer runs out. The traffic example is a Survival microgame, where the car must avoid being hit until the timer runs out. The sound bite will play after the score screen returns.
- Boss Minigames, which always occur at a set point in a channel, are usually more challenging, have no time limit (as described below), and give chances back upon successful clearing. They are also required to be passed to pass a channel for the first time. The sound bite will usually play after the task is fulfilled, and then the score screen will return. On repeated plays, if the player has less than four lives, one will be restored.
In addition to these main classifications, there are several deviations from the normal microgames:
- IQ-genre microgames, which last twice as long to fit their brain-stretching contents.
- Multiplayer microgames, found in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! and WarioWare: Smooth MovesWarioWare: Smooth MovesWarioWare: Smooth Moves, known in Japan as , is a party video game developed by Nintendo SPD and Intelligent Systems. The game was published by Nintendo for its Wii video game system in Japan in December 2006, and in Europe, North America, and Australia in January 2007...
, are not beat-based, and are used to determine who goes first in a multiplayer game, or to settle a tie. The "Wobbly Bobbly" multiplayer game features multiplayer microgames most commonly, as one is played at the start of each round.
- Certain microgames require a complete lack of input to complete. Examples include a microgame in Twisted! that instructs "Don't move!" to keep eggs balanced upright, or a Microphone microgame in Touched! instructing the player to "Shhhhhhhhh!" as several Fronks cross a tight rope.
The unit of time for all microgames is beats
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
. In Mega Microgame$! and Twisted!
WarioWare: 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...
, a standard microgame is 8 beats, while microgames in the IQ genre (hosted by Orbulon) last 16 beats; Fronk's microgames in Twisted! only last 4 beats. In most games, the BPM will start out relatively slow and will increase as the player completes microgames. Though Nintendo and game retailers suggest that the microgames last five seconds, at the slowest speed of 140 BPM, only the IQ microgames could possibly reach this length.
In WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!, known in Japan as , is a video game for the Nintendo DS. It has been regarded by game journalists as one of the games which best utilizes the features of the Nintendo DS, alongside others such as Kirby: Canvas Curse, Nintendogs, and Metroid Prime Hunters.-Gameplay:The gameplay...
, the 8-beat standard has been dropped for all microgames, so many last longer than 8 beats. This may be a difficulty curve for those unaccustomed to the Nintendo DS's touch-screen interface. To retain pace, the microgames will automatically end if cleared before a four-beat measure is met.
To show the time left to complete a microgame, a small "bomb" appears at the bottom of the screen. The fuse and a countdown timer show the amount of time left to complete the microgame. When time runs out, the bomb explodes and in most cases, the player loses a life. The fuse burns faster when the BPM increases.
Some microgames are intrinsically harder than others, and an increased BPM (increased speed) will make any microgame more difficult to complete than the same microgame at a slower BPM. This is usually reflected in the microgames' "clear scores"—the score one must reach while playing a microgame in the practice modes to obtain credit for "clearing" it (Smooth Moves lacks this feature, however, as do the exclusive multiplayer microgames from Mega Party Game$!).
Each microgame is also featured in three difficulty levels: Blue, Yellow and Red. Blue presents the given task in an easier way, while Red presents it in a much harder way. Not all modes of all WarioWare games actually show a color to denote the current level, but most modes start with Blue games, progressing to Yellow upon a "Level Up" (usually achieved after passing a boss microgame), then to Red in similar fashion. Once Red is reached, sequential "Level Up"s will typically be replaced by "Speed Up"s (an increase in BPM).
Using the above The Legend of Zelda microgame as an example, the Blue version of this microgame usually places Link very close to the cave entrance that he must enter. The Yellow version places the entrance further away and places an enemy that blocks Link, and the Red version places the entrance yet further, and has a second enemy that shoots at Link from a lake.
WarioWare characters
There are two major types of character in the WarioWare series. The first are the WarioWare developers, who both create and host the microgames. Each one has a unique theme or twist, depending on the game. For instance, Mona's games in Twisted! were focused around small spins, while in Touched! her games involved small lines drawn with the stylus. The second group of characters often show up within the introduction cut scenes — the most notable being Fronk, who is the default character for "weird" games and pops up in the most unlikely of places.is 9-Volt's best friend, and also a fan of video games. He is large, but despite his size, he goes to Diamond Elementary School, as does 9-Volt. His other defining trait is the boom box he always carries; his loud music gets him into trouble on his first day of school, although he soon finds an admirer in 9-Volt.
are Mona's two wolf-like pets who made their first appearance in WarioWare: Touched!. 4.1 and 4.2 only appear during Mona's story. When Vanessa sic's The Dinosaurs in their hawk-like plane on Mona when she travels to the Hawt House, they steal Art from Mona's van. Pizza Joe comes in, along with her three other animals to reclaim him. Unfortunately, Mona's animals fail miserably. Joe then distracts The Dinosaurs long enough for 4.1 and 4.2 to come in and use their soccer ball launcher on the The Dinosaurs plane. Sadly even they were unable to save Art from the Dinosaurs. 4.1 and 4.2 have not been seen since
is 9-Volt's mother and makes a few appearances in the WarioWare games. She is never fully seen, but judging from what is seen of her, she is a human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
like her son. 5-Volt lives along with her son and presumably his pet Fronk in a house in Diamond City.
She makes her first appearance in WarioWare: Twisted, where she shouts at 9-Volt to go to bed since he was playing with 18-Volt all day. 5-Volt is seen only from behind, and from the knees down. After 9-Volt has gone to bed, he still furtively plays with his Game Boy Advance SP under the bedspread, but his mother catches him when she opens his room's door a second time. 5-Volt's silhouette is seen in the doorway.
5-Volt is seen again in WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!, known in Japan as , is a video game for the Nintendo DS. It has been regarded by game journalists as one of the games which best utilizes the features of the Nintendo DS, alongside others such as Kirby: Canvas Curse, Nintendogs, and Metroid Prime Hunters.-Gameplay:The gameplay...
, as a silhouette in the Game Over screen of 9-Volt and 18-Volt's stage. She watches her son and his friend eating.
is a young Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
fanatic, owning everything ever made by Nintendo. 9-Volt's microgames are all based on Nintendo games.
is a witch in training, who lives in a mansion in Diamond City with a little demon named Red. She has long black hair and two long ponytails and she's very emotionless and rarely smiles. She is largely uninterested in activities unrelated to improving her witchcraft; such tasks are typically relegated to Red.
is the owner of the Sweet Spot Bakery that 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...
visits in the game, WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!, known in Japan as , is a video game for the Nintendo DS. It has been regarded by game journalists as one of the games which best utilizes the features of the Nintendo DS, alongside others such as Kirby: Canvas Curse, Nintendogs, and Metroid Prime Hunters.-Gameplay:The gameplay...
. After the dentist Dr. Payne told Wario to stay away from all sweets, (since he got a cavity from eating to many sweets) he left the Dental Clinic and picked up the scent from the bakery. Ignoring what the dentist said, Wario asked Bridget the Baker to give him 10 pies. After a few bites Wario got another cavity and the pain sent him all the way to the Dental Clinic. While he flew away, Bridget bid him goodbye with a friendly "Thank you, come again."
and are two developers who speak with Bronx accents. They also work as cabbies, and their cab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
, which was designed by Dr. Crygor, has the ability to go anywhere. Dribble is a large anthropomorphic bulldog
Bulldog
Bulldog is the name for a breed of dog commonly referred to as the English Bulldog. Other Bulldog breeds include the American Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge and the French Bulldog. The Bulldog is a muscular heavy dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose...
with red hair. He is large, burly, and seems gruff, but he is actually quite calm and friendly. Spitz is a yellow anthropomorphic cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
. He is always squinting and wears goggles. Their levels generally involve picking up a weird customer and forgetting to ask for the fare.
is a quirky scientist whose inventions include his cryogenic suit, Mike, the karaoke robot that would "solve all his cleaning needs", and the Kelerometer diet machine. He is 103 years old, and the grandfather of Penny Crygor. In WarioWare: Touched, he accidentally gets caught in his latest invention and is younger and more fit, with red accents to his costume, as well as a full helmet. These changes remain for part of WarioWare: Smooth Moves.
- The are a strange, blocky, yellow species of creatures. They appear constantly throughout all the WarioWare games, both in microgames and cutscenes. 9-Volt apparently even keeps one of them as a pet, calling it "Shag". In addition to several varieties of yellow Pixies, there are also red and blue varieties; their faces vary individually from each other. He has more Friends like Lobot ChaolanWario (series)The series is a series of video games created by Nintendo starring the character Wario. It started with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, the first game with Wario as a playable character, and gained many sequels. The Wario series includes mostly platforming video games and minigame compilations,...
is a Robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
girl. She has a sister Dobot she like Boys. Lobot is from WarioWare Mega Party
is a man with a large blue afro wig, who is a disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
dancing fanatic to the point that he will sometimes dance involuntarily, claiming that 'the rhythm makes him do it'. Jimmy is always seen frequenting hot Diamond City night spots, particularly Club Sugar. His family, which also dances with him includes Papa T. and Mama T., and his brother and sister, James T. and Jamie T. He also has a doppelganger named Jimmy P. whose hair is a different colour to his. Their levels often involve remixing the games from previous stages.
and are kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
-aged ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
twins. Kat has pink hair with a single ponytail, while Ana has orange hair with two ponytails. Ana is timid, while Kat is more headstrong and overall the dominant sister, though she cares for Ana deeply. The two live in an old-fashioned Japanese-style house in a forest. The two are descended from the Iga ninja clan, and attend Mystical Ninja Elementary. They have four pets: Don the Sparrow, Shadow the Dog, Shuriken the Falcon, and Nunchuck the Monkey. Kat & Ana make a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
as Assist Trophy characters and regular trophies. It should also be noted that combining their names results in the word "Katana".
is a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
made by Dr. Crygor. Despite being a robot built for karaoke, the slightly mad doctor programs him to be a cleaning robot. Eventually, he overrides his cleaning program with his karaoke program by blowing on a pile of dust.
is a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
student with a different part-time job in each game. Mona is quite adventurous and culturally savvy. She always seems to be late to wherever she is going, and often speeds on her scooter to make up for lost time, and uses the assistance of her animal companions to stop anyone trying to slow her down. Her former occupations include working at a gelato shop, pizza delivery girl on Mona Pizza, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, cheerleader, and a temple explorer. Also, Mona has a crush on Wario.
is an intelligent alien that has difficulty with the English language. He has an IQ of 300, and he is 2003 years old. Orbulon first wishes to conquer Earth, but after crash-landing on the planet, he settles in to life on Earth and ends his mission of conquest.
is the granddaughter of Dr. Crygor and dreams of becoming a great scientist. She also has a hidden desire to become a singer. She is seen in the game to have a part time job as a cake baker/decorator. Penny sees her grandfather as an excellent scientist, though she also recognizes his eccentric nature.
is a character that has his own game in almost every WarioWare title, each one varying in style. The original Pyoro game is Wario's inspiration to found WarioWare, Inc.. Pyoro resembles a round red bird with a white belly and short wings, and a very stretchy tongue. Pyoro 2 (from the GBA version) is the only game where Pyoro is yellow with a tail. Pyoro also appears as a title character in Bird & Beans, the DSi re-release.
is first introduced in WarioWare: Smooth Moves
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
WarioWare: Smooth Moves, known in Japan as , is a party video game developed by Nintendo SPD and Intelligent Systems. The game was published by Nintendo for its Wii video game system in Japan in December 2006, and in Europe, North America, and Australia in January 2007...
. He has flowing black hair with white streaks and a blue outfit. He practices martial arts and trains with his master, Master Mantis, and the two of them travel all over looking for new forms.
Other games
Wario has starred in puzzle games such as Mario & Wario and Wario's WoodsWario's Woods
is a puzzle game, developed and published by Nintendo, for both the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The NES version was released in Japan on February 19, 1994, and both versions were released simultaneously in North America on December 10, 1994...
, as well as crossing over into the Bomberman universe with Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!
Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!
Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!, known in Japan as , is a Game Boy game published in 1994 by Nintendo and developed by Hudson Soft. It is a crossover between Nintendo's Wario franchise and Hudson's signature Bomberman franchise. It is much more of a Bomberman game than a Wario game despite Wario...
.
Appearances in other games
Wario is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, his default outfit being his motorcyclist outfit as seen in the WarioWare games, although he can also wear his classic overalls. He can transform into Wario-Man after obtaining a Smash Ball. His motorcycle is used as one of his special attacks; another of his special attacks is a fart
Flatulence
Flatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The medical term for the mixture of gases is flatus, informally known as a fart, or simply gas...
called the Wario Waft, which builds power when not used as often. Kat and Ana also make appearances as an Assist Trophy. Many stickers also represent WarioWare, Inc. — in addition to all of the above appearing as stickers and trophies, there are stickers of other WarioWare characters. Also, there is a WarioWare stage, named WarioWare Inc., with several different microgames that run in the background, one of which features Jimmy T. Completing the tasks set by the games awards power-ups like invincibility or growth. This stage also features Ashley's Song, Mike's Theme and Mona Pizza's Song as background music. All three are featured in Japanese and English.
The Space Hares from Orbulon's stage in Mega Microgame$ make an appearance in Rhythm Tengoku
Rhythm Tengoku
is a music video game developed by Nintendo SPD. It was released in Japan on August 3, 2006, and was the last game developed by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The game received an Excellence Prize for Entertainment at the 10th annual Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006...
, a game developed by the same team, and also make brief appearances in its sequel, Rhythm Heaven
Rhythm Heaven
Rhythm Heaven, known in Europe as Rhythm Paradise and in Japan as is a rhythm video game-exclusive for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the sequel/successor to the Japan-only release Game Boy Advance title Rhythm Tengoku...
.