The History of WarioWare

Summary

WarioWare: Move It features over 200 microgames that are fast-paced and require motion controls, making it a unique addition to the series.
The WarioWare games have a long history, with every Nintendo console having at least one title, and each game utilizing the innovative features of its respective device.
WarioWare: Move It returns to the original formula of the series but heavily emphasizes motion controls, which adds creativity to the microgames but may be a drawback for some players.

For the last twenty years, there hasn't been a series more bizarre, hilarious, and fast-paced as the WarioWare games. The Mario spin-off titles are especially known for featuring "microgames;" small, speedy, and simple games that usually require one or two actions to complete, and the latest entry, WarioWare: Move It, features over 200 microgames for players to find and learn. These games may have always been unique, but not everyone knows just how prominent WarioWare really is.

There may be eleven WarioWare games and two decades worth of history between them, but compared to other spin-offs such as the Mario and Luigi series or even the Mario sports games, it may be easy to forget how Wario has his own set of titles that do something completely different, even if there's a strong emphasis on his friends as well. With WarioWare: Move It serving up classic microgame chaos with a side of motion controls, it's worth looking back as to how far the series of quick challenges has come.

How WarioWare Came From the Game Boy Advance to WarioWare: Move It

Where Wario "Stole" His Microgames From

Like many things dealing with Wario, the core feature of WarioWare can be dated back to a Mario game. In the Japan-exclusive Mario Artist: Polygon Studio, a mode called "Sound Bomber," the very first rough concept of microgames was introduced. The developers loved the concept of Sound Bomber so much that they wanted to make an entire game around the concept, and that led to WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgames for the Game Boy Advance.

Due to its bizarre, yet energetic and fun ideas for games, it stood out as a fresh addition to Nintendo's line-up. Since the first game hit shelves, every single Nintendo console has had at least one WarioWare title on it, and with how these games made it a point to use the innovative features introduced in each device, they were rather inventive in their own right, which kept the microgames fresh and worth looking forward to between installments.

Every WarioWare Game To Date

WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgames for the Game Boy Advance (2003)
WarioWare Inc: Mega Party Games for the Nintendo GameCube (2003)
WarioWare: Twisted for the Game Boy Advance (2004)
WarioWare: Touched for the Nintendo DS (2004)
WarioWare: Smooth Moves for the Nintendo Wii (2006)
WarioWare: Snapped for the Nintendo DSi (2008)
WarioWare: D.I.Y for the Nintendo DS (2009)
Game & Wario for the Wii U (2013)
WarioWare Gold for the Nintendo 3DS (2018)
WarioWare: Get It Together for the Nintendo Switch (2021)
WarioWare: Move It for the Nintendo Switch (2023)

Some of these games may be more recognized by fans than others, be it that some sold rather well, or that others offered unique features that make them still worth revisiting to this day. While some games were ultimately more enjoyable than others, like how WarioWare: Get It Together was interesting, but changed up the usual formula a bit too much for some players, the experience is usually the same. Players engage in a set character's collection of microgames, with sped-up segments and even boss battles thrown in to keep them on their toes.

Compared to WarioWare: Get It Together, WarioWare: Move It goes back to the original formula but with a heavy emphasis on motion controls. Hardly any of the games and modes in it can be played without moving, which may make some players groan, but almost all the microgames in the new release are incredibly inventive and use the features in the Joy-Con Controllers that many other games don't such as the gesture window. Still, the innovation that shines in WarioWare: Move It may fall flat if the gestures don't react the way they should, which without button alternatives, may be the newer game's biggest flaw underneath all of its creativity.