WarioWare: Twisted! is an action video game created by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems and released by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It was first sold in Japan on October 14, 2004, then in Australia on May 19, 2005, and in North America on May 23, 2005. This game is the third in the WarioWare series and the seventh in the overall Wario series. It was the final Wario game released on a Game Boy family system, as it came out after the Nintendo DS was introduced in regions outside Japan.

In the game, Wario and his friend Dr. Crygor design Game Boy Advance games and devices that respond to tilting. The game follows the same style as other WarioWare games, with many short mini-games that last only a few seconds. The game cartridge includes a gyro sensor, and players must spin and twist the device to play the games.

WarioWare: Twisted! received high praise from critics and won many awards. Reviewers believed the gyro sensor added a new and creative way to play the game.

It is one of only two Game Boy Advance games that use force feedback, the other being Drill Dozer.

Gameplay

Twisted is similar to its earlier game, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! In this game, players complete a series of short minigames called "microgames." Each microgame has a quick objective that players must understand and finish in a few seconds. Twisted uses a special motion-sensing device inside the handheld system called a gyro sensor. This sensor detects how the system is rotated, and many microgames require players to physically turn the device to complete them. For example, players might need to empty a bin, guide a plane, or navigate an object through a maze. As the game progresses, microgames become more challenging and may take longer to finish, sometimes requiring full rotation of the system.

Twisted changes the scoring system from other WarioWare games. Earlier games counted how many microgames were played, but Twisted only counts how many microgames are won. Failing a microgame does not delay the boss level. The game includes items called "souvenirs," which are unlocked after completing boss levels in story mode. Players can earn items like records, musical instruments, figurines, games, and other unusual objects.

The Twisted cartridge has a built-in gyro sensor and a rumble feature that provides feedback during movement. Most microgames are played by rotating the handheld device. The gyro sensor uses special motion-sensing technology developed by NEC to detect movement.

The game automatically adjusts the gyro sensor when it starts and after each microgame. This makes it work with both top-loading slots (like the Game Boy Advance) and bottom-loading slots (like the Game Boy Advance SP, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Micro, and Nintendo DS Lite). The manual explains that Twisted is not compatible with the Game Boy Player. Even though the game loads normally, players would need to hold and tilt the connected GameCube console and use its controller for button presses, which is not practical.

Plot

One day, Wario is playing with his Game Boy Advance. He becomes upset because a game is very hard, so he throws the console at a wall. It bounces back and hits him on the head. After calming down, he sees that the GBA is broken. He goes to Dr. Crygor's Lab and asks for help fixing it. Crygor mistakes the GBA for a test subject for his invention, the Gravitator, a machine shaped like a washing machine that can change gravity's direction and cause gravity distortion. Crygor places the GBA in the Gravitator, which then produces many units similar to Game Boy Advance consoles. He shows that to play games on these units, players must move them or press buttons. Mona and 9-Volt arrive and play with the new units. Wario notices their enjoyment and decides to use the motion-sensing feature as a selling point. He asks friends to design games based on this idea, leading to the creation of WarioWare: Twisted!

The game includes stories about each character. After completing their stages, characters visit Club Sugar. Wario chases a mouse that nearly breaks his WarioWatch (Smorgasbord Sampler). Mona delivers pizza from her business, Mona Pizza, while avoiding a rival restaurant, Pizza Dinosaur (Mini Spin). Jimmy T. and his parents use their phones at Club Sugar (Big Tipper). Kat and Ana meet a troll during a field trip (Tapped Out). Dribble and Spitz repair their taxi and use a feature that lets it travel through space (Steer Clear). Crygor tries to upgrade the Gravitator (Gravitator). Orbulon works to find a password to activate his ship's warp drive, the Oinker, to escape a black hole (Time Warp). 9-Volt befriends a new student named 18-Volt at his school, and 18-Volt joins the group (Spintendo Classics).

In the final level, Spandex Challenge, WarioWare: Twisted! becomes a success. The Gravitator is used to mass-produce GBA units by turning everyday objects into more units. Later, Wario accidentally sits on a conveyor belt in the Gravitator while playing. He becomes trapped and merges with the machine, its powers, and the production line. This causes the Gravitator to malfunction and corrupt itself, transforming Wario into a powerful supervillain version named Wario-Man. Wario-Man plans to save the world by taking its money. He steals the corrupted Gravitator, merges with it, and adds a jetpack to the machine. He takes it to space, turning himself and the Gravitator into a giant robot suit. Wario's friends use Dribble and Spitz's taxi and Orbulon's new ship, the Oinker 2, to chase Wario-Man. However, the ship's defense system recognizes Wario-Man as a threat and fires cannons, destroying the Gravitator and reverting Wario to his normal self. After crashing into the ocean and being rescued by Crygor, Wario jokingly decides to fire everyone for destroying the Gravitator and his robot.

Development

Nintendo programmer Kazuyoshi Osawa was in charge of developing the software system with several members from the original WarioWare team. Intelligent Systems helped by providing half of the workers, including some programmers.

European release

WarioWare: Twisted! was first planned for release in Europe, but it was never made available there.

The game was released in Australia and North America. It was first scheduled for Europe on June 24, 2005. Later, the release date was changed to September 2005, then to February 24, 2006, and finally to December 8, 2006. Nintendo of Europe later updated the release date to "TBD" on its website. In the January 2008 issue of Official Nintendo Magazine, in the "Ask Nintendo" section, a representative from Nintendo of Europe explained that the delay was because the game was still being tested and approved by European authorities.

By late 2008, the game had not been released in Europe. At that time, Nintendo removed the game's page from its European website, following the end of support for the Game Boy Advance.

A common rumor said the lack of a European release was because the game's cartridge used mercury in its gyroscope. However, the game actually uses a piezoelectric gyroscope, which does not contain mercury. European copies of the 2008 Wii game Super Smash Bros. Brawl list WarioWare: Twisted! in the Game Boy Advance section of its game database as "Not released."

Reception

WarioWare: Twisted! received "mostly positive reviews" according to Metacritic, a website that collects reviews. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 36 out of 40. GamePro described it as "an unusual and fun challenge. It is simply twisted." Electronic Gaming Monthly praised it highly even before it was released. IGN named Twisted! the No. 1 Game Boy Advance (GBA) game of all time and called it the "GBA Game of the Month" for May 2005.