Game Review: WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!

Game: Warioware, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!
Console: Nintendo Gamecube
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 3rd September 2004

The first game in the Warioware series which features many timed minigames in it's main gameplay mode, Warioware Inc. was first released for the Gameboy Advance in 2003. However, under express instruction of the CEO of Nintendo of Japan it was ported to Gamecube "as fast as possible" with new multiplayer modes on top of the same core gameplay. Although I have played both versions of the game, I feel the controls and advantage of using the television screen make the Gamecube version superior.

To progess through the game, the player must beat a set number of minigames before the boss stage of each of the 9 sets of games, each hosted by a different in-game character and sorted by theme. Once a set of minigames has been beaten once, its possible to go back and challenge for the highscore on that set of minigames, clearing as many levels as possible before running out of lives. As the minigames only last 4 seconds, action is fast paced and mistakes are swiftly punished.

Overall the selection of minigames is excellent with varied and well executed ideas as well as throwbacks to older Nintendo games, pop culture references and general Wario weirdness. Only the directional controls and the A button are needed to play, the variety is in beating the minigames with some requiring timing, and others requiring problem solving or a sharp eye to beat. An instruction to aid the player in knowing what to do flashes up quickly at the beginning of each minigame, but once you're used to them, it's not needed.

Graphically the game adopts a cartoon like style for menus, cutscenes and a lot of the minigames, although in a sense most feature their own graphical style depending on what needs doing, or what the theme of the game is. With 150+ minigames, it might seem somewhat overwhelming, but the gameplay is easy to pick up and rewarding as the player gets an instant answer as to whether or not they've succeeded.

The boss stages are also well varied and thought out, in relation to the theme of each set of minigames. The difficulty of the game is fairly low, especially once you've got the hang of most of the games, but it takes more practice to get highscores, or play the unlockable harder modes which are a reward for completing the game.Sudden Death mode sees the player take on the game with just one life, the hardcore mix has every game on a high speed setting and so on. This adds replay value to the game, as does the sheer amount of games to master.

Musically the game has some good themes and tunes although a lot of them are short due to the nature of gameplay. A lot of the in-game sounds are borrowed from Wario Land 4, and although a lot of them fit right in, this was somewhat lazy on Nintendo's part. Multiplayer modes that were added for the Gamecube version are fun on the whole, and an innovative new take on both competitive and team play, giving the game much more of a party feel, as the title indicates.

Overall this is a well put together fun collection of varied minigames, which features good multiplayer modes as well as single player gameplay. It's easy to pick up, but will take a while to master all of the minigames, especially on the harder modes, the emphasis is fully on fun and whackiness and the game succeeds in its style of semi-ridiculousness. Although there's a weak plot and it can get repetitive after a while, its an experience that begs to be had every once in a while, and is always fun and fresh upon revisiting.

Rating: 88/100
Grade: A