From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This video game-related article or section describes an aspect of the game in a primarily in-universe style. Please rewrite this article to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective.

WarioWare, Inc. (Made In Wario in Japan) is a series of games featuring the Nintendo character Wario. The franchise was established in 2003 with the release of Mega Microgame$! for the Game Boy Advance.

The distinctive feature of all WarioWare games is that they are collections of short, simple games "microgames" presented in quick succession. Each of these microgames last about five seconds and must be completed, or else a life will be lost. For example, there is a microgame where the player must zap a spaceship; in another, Wario must collect coins in a Pac-Man-like maze. The numerous microgames are linked together randomly and steadily increase in speed and difficulty as the player progresses.

Contents 1 Microgames 1.1 Gameplay 1.2 Classification 1.3 Time 1.4 Difficulty 2 Characters 3 WarioWare, Inc. games 4 Appearances in other games 5 References 6 External links

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (September 2007)

Microgames are simple video games created by the fictional company WarioWare, Inc.. Nintendo's line of WarioWare games each feature these microgames, which are generally less than 5 seconds long. Microgames are even simpler and shorter than the minigames found in other games such as the Mario Party series.

Gameplay in all WarioWare games is distinct from most other games, as they involve the player or players trying to beat the microgames as soon as possible. Most games present instructions in the form of a verb and quickly drop the player into the situation where they must perform said verb.

All microgames are strung together in a random order within different "stages", each hosted by a different character. First the player is presented with a quick one or two word instruction such as "Eat!" or "Get Blue!". Then, the microgame will appear and the player will have to complete the game according the instruction.

For example, in one microgame the player is told to "Enter!" and is presented with a scene from The Legend of Zelda. The player must use the directional buttons to move Link to a cave entrance before the time runs out. In another game, the player must drive a car, "Avoid!"ing oncoming traffic.

Microgames come in three main types, classified by the condition required to clear them, as follows:

• "Accomplish" Microgames, where the player must do something within a limited amount of time. The Legend of Zelda example above is an Accomplish microgame, since Link must be guided to the cave before the timer runs out. The sound bite will usually be played before the timer runs out if the task is accomplished (and may continue through the return to the score screen).

• "Survival" Microgames, where the player must prevent something from happening until the timer runs out. The traffic example is a Survival microgame, where the car must avoid being hit until the timer runs out. The sound bite will play after the score screen returns.

• Boss Microgames, which always occur at a set point in a channel, are usually more challenging, have no time limit (as described below), and give chances back upon successful clearing. They are also required to be passed in order to pass a channel for the first time. The sound bite will usually play after the task is fulfilled, and then the score screen will return.

In addition to these main classifications, there are several deviations from the normal microgames:

• IQ-Genre microgames, which last twice as long to fit their brain-stretching contents.

• Multiplayer microgames, found in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! and WarioWare: Smooth Moves, are not beat-based, and are used to determine who goes first in a multiplayer game, or to settle a tie. The "Wobbly Bobbly" multiplayer game features multiplayer microgames most commonly, as one is played at the start of each round.

• Fronk's microgames, found only in WarioWare: Twisted!, last a record-breaking short 4 beats and appear randomly during story mode.

• Certain microgames require a complete lack of input to complete. Examples include a Microphone microgame in Touched! instructing the player to "Shhhhhhhhh!" as some Fronks cross a tight rope, or a microgame in Twisted! that instructs "Don't move!" to keep eggs balanced upright. Note that some input-based microgames can be completed without input in certain situations.

The unit of time for all microgames is beats. In Mega Microgame$! and Twisted!, a standard microgame is 8 beats, while microgames in the IQ genre (hosted by Orbulon) last 16 beats. In most games, the beats per minute (BPM) will start out relatively slow (about 140 BPM) and will increase as the player or players complete microgames.

At the slowest, a standard 8-beat microgame will last: 8 beats / 140 beats per minute * 60 seconds per minute = 3.4 seconds. This means that, although many sources — both official and not — claim microgames last up to five seconds, only IQ microgames could possibly reach this length.

In WarioWare: Touched!, the 8-beat standard has been dropped for all microgames, so many last longer than 8 beats. This may be a difficulty curve for those unaccustomed to the Nintendo DS's relatively new touch-screen interface. To retain pace, the microgames will automatically end if cleared before a measure (multiple of 4 beats) is met.

Some microgames are intrinsically harder than others, and an increased BPM (increased speed) will make any microgame more difficult to complete than the same microgame at a slower BPM. This is usually reflected in the microgames' "clear scores" —- the score one must reach while playing a microgame in the practice modes to obtain credit for "clearing" it. (Smooth Moves lacks this feature, however, as do the exclusive multiplayer microgames from Mega Party Game$!.)

Each microgame is also featured in three difficulty levels: Blue, Yellow, and Red. Blue presents the given task in an easier way, while Red presents it in a much harder way. Not all modes of all WarioWare games will actually show a color to denote the current level, but most modes start with Blue games, progressing to Yellow upon a "Level Up" (usually achieved after passing a boss microgame), then to Red in similar fashion. Once Red is reached, sequential "Level Up"s will typically be replaced by "Speed Up"s (an increase in BPM).

From the above Legend of Zelda example: the Blue version of this microgame usually places Link very close to the cave entrance that he must enter. The Yellow version will place the entrance further away and will place an enemy that will block Link. The Red version will place the entrance yet further, and has a second enemy that shoots at Link from a lake.

There are two major types of characters. The first are the WarioWare developers who both create and host the games. Each one has a unique theme or twist, depending on the game. For instanace, Mona's theme in Twisted! was small spins, and in Touched! her games involve small lines drawn with the stylus. The other type is characters who often show up within the introduction cut scenes —- the most notable being Fronk, who is the default character for 'weird' games and pops up in the most unlikely places. In Twisted! he had his own set of games that appeared randomly from Jimmy's games to Wario-Man's (excluding Kat and Ana's as well as Speed Spin and Speedier Spin). They are the fastest games in the whole series, and last a short 1.7 seconds at most.

The following WarioWare, Inc. games have been released for Nintendo gaming consoles and handheld systems:

Title	Year	Platform	Feature
1. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!	2003	Game Boy Advance	First Game
2. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!	2004	Nintendo GameCube	Multiplayer
3. WarioWare: Twisted!	2005	Game Boy Advance	Motion Sensor Card
4. WarioWare: Touched!	2005	Nintendo DS	Touch Screen
5. WarioWare: Smooth Moves	2007	Wii	Wii Remote

Each sequel has had its own variation, or gimmick. Mega Party Game$! was the first multiplayer game; Twisted! had a gyro sensor; Touched! used the Nintendo DS touchscreen; and Smooth Moves uses the Wii Remote.

Note that Touched! follows Twisted! in the series's progression. While they were released in proper order in Japan, the North American market received Touched! before Twisted!, while the latter has not seen release on the European market.

• The WarioWare factory appears as a court in Mario Power Tennis and Mario Hoops 3-on-3.
• The WarioWare symbol appears on a poster in the Yoshi Theater in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.
• WarioWare, Inc., was mentioned in Wario's profile in Mario Superstar Baseball.
• Wario is shown wearing his WarioWare motorcycle outfit in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii in its first E3 trailer, wherein he will be a playable character in the game. This appears to be his main attire. His Final Smash is his transformation to Wario Man. His motorcycle from the game is used as one of his special attacks. ^[1] Also, there is a WarioWare stage, simply called WarioWare, with several different mini-games that run in the background. Completing them gets the winner(s) a reward, which is currently unknown. ^[2]Ashley's theme song has been revealed as music in the game.

• WarioWare series at MobyGames
• Official website
• WarioWare screenshots]

v • d • e Wario series
Wario platformer series	Wario Land • VB Wario Land • Land 2 • Land 3 • Land 4 • World • Master of Disguise
WarioWare series	WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! • Mega Party Game$! • Twisted! • Touched! • Smooth Moves
Other	All games • List of Wario characters • List of Wario series enemies