WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$

Games have gotten noticeably more complex with the advent of new technology. Back in the NES and Atari days, the concept of Video Gaming was much akin to arcade gaming, with very simplistic controls, very simple options, and virtually no extra modes or modifiers to make the game anything different than what it was. Surprisingly, this worked well, and built the gaming industry as we know it today- but now, we demand more complexity and a lot more in our games, and sometimes it's nice to see a very simple game come out and show how fun things can be when they're fed in very bite size portions.

Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Microgame$ is all about that kind of simplicity. Starring Mario throwback Wario, the story is simple- Wario wants to make some quick bucks, and decides that, in order to tap into the massively lucrative Video Game industry, he will make a software company. By battling people around the town in a string of any mix of 200 mini games, Wario will eventually.... do something.


Believe it or not, this is the first game where I have scratched my head and thought “What the hell WAS I doing?”. Wow.

In any case, Wario Ware Inc: Mega Microgame$ is, in it's very purest form, a kind of Mario Party scenario without a board- by stringing together mini games in a fast paced format, you make a game all on it's own. And that's it- a long string of random mini games with absolutely nothing to do with each other all trailed together like a big chain to make some sort of sense and challenge you in unique ways.

Believe it or not, it works. While this review is obviously going to be short (Because I'm not going to go through and review the games individually), there is a whole lot of gaming here to play. The main game itself, a somewhat simple story-based affair, is simply a co-ordinated organization of mini games for you to beat (For example, the challenger 9-Volt has all Nintendo Entertainment System based minigames, whereas the DJ tends to have more generic games).


Another intriguing thing about this game is how much work is put into the minigames. One of the primary issues with games that try this rapid-fire game play style is that they tend to get old- most party games (Which is the only genre that comes close to Wario Ware, but do keep in mind Wario Ware is not a party game) usually stick to about 10 unique games and then make variations of them from there on. Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Microgame$ is entirely different, each game being so unique of the others that one could spend hours playing the many games- and not make a single similar motion.

One great thing about Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Microgame$ is the soundtrack and graphics, both of which being phenomenal for such a system. While some of the mini games stick to a very basic look of black and white (Looking like a sketch, a very clever look and not at all cheap), some games, such as an F-Zero example, are fully rendered as they would be anywhere else. Even games like Mario Brothers are represented here in their original forms, each unique and fun in it's own way.


Inevitably, this means that Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Microgame$ is a great game, but I must add a word of caution- the game is not for everyone. While Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Microgame$ is indeed deep, it sometimes feels like the game is rather shallow and boring, and no matter how unique the game play is, the average gamer will eventually yearn for a game that doesn't go 300 miles per hour. With that in mind, Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Microgame$ is phenomenal for gamers who want a pick-up-and-play title- but not for those looking for a game to spend a lot of time on in any given sitting.

5 star(s) out of 5

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