MASH, SHAKE, AND TOUCH GOLD.
I have played nearly every Wario Ware since the first release on GameBoy Advance. I am a fan of this series, so realize this is going to be extremely positive. Anyone who doesn’t like the other Wario Ware titles, this probably won’t change that opinion. For the uninitiated, the Wario Ware series is based upon short burst minigames that last seconds called “microgames”, with each new entry in the series generally adding some new form of functionality. Twisted focused on gyro controls. Touched played with the new hardware features of the DS. Smooth Moves experimented with all the ways one can shake a Wii Remote. Wario Ware Gold is a culmination of these titles (and a little more) packed into one extremely fulfilling experience.
Each Wario Ware game has a plot, and that plot generally is that Wario is trying to make money via the popularity of video games by making his own. In this particular title there is a tournament being held by Wario and the expansive cast of Wario Ware characters come out and join. This time around, however, there is voice acting and it’s actually really good. At first I found it jarring, but the more I played it just felt right. For a series that has been generally silent with only a few voice clips giving these characters any sort of voice, to hear some of them speak in full dialog and sound like they had the right voice was relieving. Nintendo has a bumpy track record when it comes to quality voice acting and this seems to buck the trend.
PLATFORMS: 3DS
PRICE: $39.99
PRICE I’D PAY: $39.99
The levels in Wario Ware required quick thinking to successfully complete each microgame in the allotted time. At first the microgames may be cryptic and act more like puzzles than minigames, but after a while the loop becomes the ability to quickly recall and react to achieve high scores. Each character has their own theme of microgames like normal, but they also have one of the three main control schemes as well this time. The mash section are standard microgames that use the buttons on the 3DS to control, the shake section uses the gyro sensor and involves physically moving the entire 3DS console, and the touch section uses the touch screen. There are microphone games as well that are introduced much later in the game, but there are not many.
Most of the microgames in Wario Ware Gold are brought back from previous games in the series with a new lovely HD coat of paint. There are however a few new games as well, including a very obvious one that had me placing Joy-Cons onto the sides of a Nintendo Switch properly (the last Wario Ware related title was Game & Wario on Wii U, long before the Switch came out). Also returning are unlockable minigames (full size arcade like experiences meant to be played for high scores) including a fantastic recreation of the Game & Watch title Manhole. Pyoro also makes a return to the Wario Ware series with an HD remake (Pyoro was the fictitious title that lead Wario to make his own games and was unlockable by getting every microgame in the first Wario Ware, and was ported to the DSiWare shop under the title Bird & Beans).
There are plenty of other minigames, toys, and little bits of Nintendo history to collect in Wario Ware Gold, and in a move for accessibility everything can be unlocked by simply grinding enough coins and getting them out of a vending machine in game. Coins are handed out for beating high scores, passing certain achievement/trophy like goals, beating the game, and putting Amiibos on the 3DS for Wario to lovingly paint and then sell. Previous games in the series had players meet goals like beating every microgame a set number of times when some microgames were extremely difficult or simply not fun. This small change for me makes me extremely happy.
Wario Ware Gold is the best of Wario Ware and more, and a reason to pick up a 3DS again. It’s got a super weird sense of humor that isn’t replicated, it pays loving tribute to Nintendo’s history, and most importantly it’s pure fun. There’s plenty of game here for the price as well, with it all being unlocked the more it’s played. A must own in handheld gaming and a good sign that the 3DS isn’t dead yet.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
