WarioWare, also called WarioWare, Inc., is known in Japan as Made in Wario (Japanese: メイド イン ワリオ, Hepburn: Meido in Wario). It is a series of video games that feature the Nintendo character Wario. The series began in 2003 with the release of Mega Microgames! for the Game Boy Advance. The first two games were created by Nintendo R&D1, while later games were made in partnership with Intelligent Systems.

A special part of all WarioWare games is that they include many short, simple games called "microgames." These microgames are played one after another very quickly. Players start with four lives. Each microgame lasts about three to five seconds. If a player fails to complete a microgame, they lose a life. For example, one microgame might require the player to shoot a spaceship, while another might ask Wario to collect coins in a maze similar to Pac-Man. The microgames are chosen randomly and become faster and harder as the player progresses. If a player loses all four lives in a level, the game ends. After playing a certain number of microgames, the player must complete a boss microgame specific to that level. These boss microgames are longer and more difficult than regular microgames. For example, a boss microgame in Mega Microgames! asks the player to hit a nail with a hammer multiple times in a row.

Development

The concept of microgames or minigames became popular during the Nintendo 64's time, which was part of the fifth generation of video game consoles. Some of the earliest minigames appeared in the Nintendo 64DD version of Mario Artist: Talent Studio, which inspired the style later used in the WarioWare series. Certain minigames first appeared in Mario Artist: Polygon Studio, as described by Goro Abe of Nintendo R&D1's Wario Ware All-Star Team: "In Polygon Studio, players could create 3D models and animate them in the game. There was also a side game included. In this game, players had to complete short games that followed one after another. This idea led to the creation of WarioWare." Teammate Yoshio Sakamoto added, "We chose to use Wario and other characters because we could not think of anyone else who would be better for the game. Wario often does silly and foolish things, so we believed he and the other characters would be the best fit for the game."

Gameplay

The games in the WarioWare series use short, simple games called Microgames. These are created by the fictional company WarioWare, Inc. Each WarioWare game includes many Microgames, which are usually less than five seconds long. These Microgames are shorter and simpler than the minigames found in other games, such as the Mario Party series. In WarioWare games, players must complete Microgames as quickly as possible. Instructions are often given as a single word, like "Eat!" or "Rub!" and then players must act immediately. The simple and fast-paced gameplay has interested some game researchers, who study WarioWare to learn about how rules and play work in video games and to test ideas for making games automatically.

Microgames are grouped into different "stages," each led by a different character. Players first see a short instruction, such as "Enter!" or "Avoid!" Then, the Microgame appears, and the player must complete the task. Most Microgames have only one goal. For example, in one Microgame, players must move Link from The Legend of Zelda toward a cave entrance before time runs out. In another, players must drive a car and avoid traffic. A sound effect usually plays when the task is finished. Because Microgames are so short, they may require quick reflexes, similar to quick-time events.

Boss Microgames appear at specific points in a stage. They are harder than regular Microgames, have no time limit, and give players extra lives after completion. When a stage is played for the first time, it ends after the Boss Microgame. A sound effect plays after the task is done, and then a score screen appears. If a stage is played again and the player has fewer than four lives, one life is restored.

Time in Microgames is measured in beats. In some games, a standard Microgame lasts 8 beats, while longer versions last 16 beats. In other games, such as Twisted!, some Microgames last only 4 beats. Most games start with a slow beat speed, which increases as players complete Microgames.

In WarioWare: Touched!, the standard 8-beat rule is changed, so some Microgames last longer than 8 beats. This may help players who are not used to the Nintendo DS’s touch-screen controls. To keep the game moving, Microgames will end automatically if completed before a four-beat measure is reached.

A small "bomb" appears at the bottom of the screen to show how much time is left. The bomb’s fuse and a countdown timer show the remaining time. If time runs out, the bomb explodes, and the player usually loses a life. The fuse burns faster as the beat speed increases.

Some Microgames are harder than others. A faster beat speed (higher BPM) makes any Microgame more difficult. This is shown in the "clear scores" players must reach in practice modes to earn credit for completing a Microgame. Some games, like Smooth Moves and D.I.Y., do not include this feature.

Each Microgame has three difficulty levels. Most game modes start at the easiest level and move to harder levels after completing a Boss Microgame. Once the hardest level is reached, increasing difficulty is shown by raising the beat speed instead of adding new levels.

For example, in a The Legend of Zelda Microgame, the first version places Link close to the cave entrance. The second version moves the entrance farther away and adds an enemy blocking the path. The third version moves the entrance even farther and adds a second enemy that shoots at Link from a lake.

Characters

There are two main groups of characters in the WarioWare series. The first group includes the WarioWare, Inc. developers, who create and host the microgames. Each developer has a unique theme or twist in their microgames depending on the game. For example, Jimmy T.'s microgames in Twisted! focus on large spins, while in Touched!, his microgames involve using the stylus to rub objects. The second group of characters appears in introduction cutscenes. One example is Fronk, who hosts "Pop-Up" microgames in Twisted! and Gold and appears in unexpected places.

• 5-Volt is 9-Volt's mother and appears in several WarioWare games. She is not shown completely until Game & Wario, where she is revealed to be human like her son. She lives with 9-Volt and his pet Fronk in a house in Diamond City. She first appears in WarioWare: Twisted!, where she tells 9-Volt to go to bed after he plays with 18-Volt all day. She is only seen from behind and the knees down. Later, she appears in WarioWare: Touched! as a silhouette during the Game Over screen of 9-Volt and 18-Volt's stage. In Game & Wario, she plays a major role as an obstacle in the "Gamer" minigame. She also appears as a stage hazard in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In WarioWare Gold, she has her own microgames based on Nintendo games. Since Gold, she has been voiced by Cristina Vee in English and Ruriko Aoki in Japanese.

• 9-Volt is a young fan of Nintendo, owning everything the company has ever made. His microgames are based on Nintendo games and toys from when Nintendo was a toy company. Since Gold, he has been voiced by Melissa Hutchison in English and Makoto Koichi in Japanese.

• 18-Volt is 9-Volt's best friend and also loves video games. He is large but attends Diamond Elementary School with 9-Volt. He carries a boom box that plays loud music, which causes trouble on his first day of school. He later finds a friend in 9-Volt. Since Gold, he has been voiced by Edward Bosco in English and Subaru Kimura in Japanese.

• Ashley is a 15-year-old witch-in-training who lives in a haunted mansion in Diamond City with a small demon named Red. She has long black hair in two ponytails. She appears as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and as a Mystery Mushroom costume in Super Mario Maker. She also returns as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Since Gold, she has been voiced by Erica Lindbeck in English and Ayaka Fukuhara in Japanese, while Red has been voiced by Tyler Shamy in English and Mako Muto in Japanese.

• Dribble and Spitz are developers who speak with Bronx accents. They also work as taxi drivers, and their cab, designed by Dr. Crygor, can travel anywhere in the universe. Dribble is a large bulldog with red hair and is calm and friendly despite his gruff appearance. Spitz is a yellow cat who wears goggles and squints often. Their microgames usually involve picking up strange customers and forgetting to ask for payment. Since Gold, Dribble has been voiced by Kyle Hebert in English and Yūma Kametani in Japanese, while Spitz has been voiced by Griffin Puatu in English and Kazuya Yamaguchi in Japanese.

• Dr. Crygor is a quirky scientist who invents things like a cryogenic suit, a karaoke robot named Mike, and the Super MakerMatic 21. He is over 100 years old and is the grandfather of Penny Crygor. In WarioWare: Touched!, he becomes younger and more fit due to an invention. Since Gold, he has been voiced by Kyle Hebert in English and Kensuke Matsui in Japanese.

• The Fronk are yellow, blocky creatures that appear in all WarioWare games. 9-Volt keeps one as a pet, calling it "Shag." There are also red and blue Fronk, each with different facial features. Since Gold, 9-Volt's pet Fronk has been voiced by Todd Haberkorn in English and Kazuya Yamaguchi in Japanese.

• Jimmy T. is a man with a large blue afro wig who loves disco dancing. He often visits clubs in Diamond City, such as Club Sugar. His family includes Papa T., Mama T., James T., and Jamie T. He also has a doppelgänger named Jimmy P. with differently colored hair. His microgames often remix games from earlier stages. Since Gold, he has been voiced by Vegas Trip in English and Yūma Kametani in Japanese.

• Kat and Ana are kindergarten-aged ninja twins. Kat has pink hair with one ponytail, while Ana has orange hair with two ponytails. They have four pets: Don the Sparrow, Shadow the Dog, Shuriken the Falcon, and Numchuck the Monkey. They appear as Assist Trophies in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Since Gold, Kat has been voiced by Stephanie Sheh in English and Maya Enoyoshi in Japanese, while Ana has been voiced by Fryda Wolff in English and Yui Matsuyama in Japanese.

• Lulu is a young girl who first appears in WarioWare Gold and WarioWare: Get It Together!. She comes from a town called Luxeville and is smart and brave. Her goal in WarioWare Gold is to retrieve a stolen artifact from her village. She sees herself as a hero, as shown in a cutscene where she says, "Lulu…the greatest hero ever." She has been voiced by Alex Cazares in English and Mako Muto in Japanese.

• Mike is a karaoke robot built by Dr. Crygor. He was programmed to clean but overrides his cleaning program to sing by blowing on dust. Since Gold, he has been voiced by Robbie Daymond in English and Ryōta Suzuki in Japanese.

• Mona is a high school student who has different part-time jobs in each game. She is adventurous, cheerful, and always seems to be late. She uses her scooter to move quickly and relies on her animal companions to help her. She has previously worked at a gelato shop and as a pizza delivery girl.

Reception and legacy

The Guardian compared the series’ fast-paced, simple challenges to the “interactive equivalent” of a punk song, highlighting its quick rhythm and ability to keep players engaged. Reviews have also noted WarioWare’s focus on trying new ways to structure games and how players interact with them. The Guardian described the first WarioWare game as an experiment in “gaming deconstruction,” using quick instructions and short five-second mini-games. Later games in the series built on this idea by changing how players control the game.

Industry sources have often focused on how well specific control methods work in WarioWare, rather than changing the basic format. Game Developer noted that the fast sequence of mini-games tests players’ reflexes and focus, and praised early games for their “unique and well-designed” mechanics.

Academic studies have used WarioWare as an example of how games can teach rules and conventions in very small, quick segments. In Game Studies, Chaim Gingold wrote that WarioWare acts as a “game about games,” using short, fast-changing mini-games to highlight and twist familiar design ideas. This makes it helpful for studying game design.

Earlier reports, such as those from Polygon, mentioned that the original WarioWare’s mini-game style was rarely copied outside its own series but has influenced later projects that copy its format. The Guardian has also referred to WarioWare as a “popular” series in news about new games from Nintendo, showing its lasting presence in Nintendo’s collection.