GAME-BOY-ADVANCE Puzzle Action 2003

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!

Reviewed by Marcus Webb & Elena Castillo · Updated June 2025

Nintendo's 2003 GBA game that invented the microgame genre — WarioWare, Inc. presents 9-second challenges at increasing speed, requiring instant comprehension and immediate action. Over 200 microgames across themed stages from Wario and his Diamond City friends, with no time to think and no margin for hesitation. The most original Nintendo game concept since Tetris.

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WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! box art

💡 WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! — Key Facts

→ WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! was developed by Nintendo R&D1 and published by Nintendo
→ Released in 2003 on GAME-BOY-ADVANCE
→ Genre: Puzzle, Action
→ We rate it 9.3/10 — an absolute classic
→ Part of the WarioWare franchise
→ Nintendo's 2003 GBA game that invented the microgame genre — WarioWare, Inc. presents 9-second challenges at increasing speed, requiring instant comprehension and immediate action. Over 200 microgames across themed stages from Wario and his Diamond City friends, with no time to think and no margin for hesitation. The most original Nintendo game concept since Tetris.

Overview

WarioWare has no instructions beyond a two-word prompt appearing for less than a second.

‘Jump!’ appears. A character on screen stands in front of something. The timer starts. Players have 5 seconds to realize what ‘Jump!’ means here, press A, and complete the action.

Then a different microgame appears. Different character. Different instruction. Different required action. This one says ‘Eat!’

The premise of WarioWare is that the game will present 200 completely unrelated minimal challenges at increasing speed, and the player will understand and execute each one in under 10 seconds.

The Microgame

Each microgame is a complete game in miniature: setup, challenge, success/failure, end. The setup is the visual. The challenge is the prompt. Success or failure happens in the execution window.

The challenge for players isn’t the execution — pressing A or a direction isn’t difficult. The challenge is comprehension speed: what does ‘Dodge!’ mean in this context, given what’s on screen, given that the timer is already running?

Experienced WarioWare players don’t analyze. They pattern-match. Enough microgames played means ‘Eat!’ with a face and floating food creates an immediate response without conscious processing.

The Speed

Microgames begin manageable. Each completion adds to the sequence. The sequence speeds up. Eventually the 9-second window becomes 5 seconds becomes 4 seconds. At maximum speed, microgames flash by before any deliberate thought is possible.

The speed progression is the game’s achievement: a design where the challenge automatically escalates to wherever the player’s current comprehension speed sits, then pushes past it.

Wario’s Enterprise

Wario starts a game company because he wants money. This is the premise. WarioWare, Inc. is Wario’s money-making scheme, staffed by Diamond City residents he recruits without asking.

The irreverence is the point. Wario isn’t a heroic protagonist — he’s a selfish, scheming character using everyone around him for profit. Nintendo gave one of gaming’s archetypal villains a self-titled franchise and let him be consistently unpleasant throughout.

The games are more enjoyable for it.

Our Review

9.3

Outstanding / 10

🎮

Gameplay

★★★★★

🎨

Graphics

★★★★★

🎵

Audio

★★★★★

🔄

Replay

★★★★★

Gameplay

WarioWare, Inc. is a compilation of over 200 'microgames' — single-screen challenges lasting 3-9 seconds each. Each microgame presents a simple instruction ('Eat!', 'Run!', 'Dodge!') and requires one of two inputs (A button or D-pad) to complete in the allotted time. Microgames appear in rapid sequence at increasing speed across stage sets organized by character. Wario's stage features general challenges; Jimmy T's are sports-themed; Mona's are music-themed; and so on. Players have four lives per stage; completing the boss microgame advances the stage. Speed increases every few microgames, eventually reaching frantic pace.

Graphics

WarioWare's visual style ranges from crude to refined across 200+ microgames — each character's set has a distinct aesthetic, from Kat & Ana's ninja art to 9-Volt's Nintendo nostalgia. The variety is part of the design: players can't visually predict what's coming.

Audio

Brief musical cues accompany each microgame, often matching the themed stage content. The overall soundtrack is energetic and varied, matching the game's pace.

Replayability

Over 200 microgames with increasing speed, character stage unlocking, and record tracking. Endless mode allows survival runs. The frantic nature of microgame play maintains engagement through dozens of sessions.

Historical Significance

WarioWare, Inc. (2003, GBA) invented a genre — the microgame format, where dozens of minimal challenges appear in rapid sequence at increasing speed. The design had no precedent and created a format that subsequent WarioWare games (Touched!, Twisted!, Smooth Moves on Wii, etc.) refined while maintaining the core concept. The franchise became one of Nintendo's most consistently creative series. The microgame format influenced party games and mobile game design broadly. The game was developed as an internal project by Nintendo R&D1 with a small team as an experiment — its success surprised Nintendo.

✅ Pros

+ Invented the microgame genre — genuinely original design
+ 200+ microgames with variety across all character stages
+ Frantic speed progression creates increasing challenge
+ Short sessions suitable for handheld play context
+ Wario as protagonist adds irreverent energy to Nintendo's catalog

❌ Cons

- Extremely short per-session if stage progression is quick
- Some microgames more entertaining than others
- Lives system can end sessions abruptly at high speed

Also Known As

WarioWare GBAWarioWare Mega MicrogameMade in Wario

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! FAQ

What is a microgame in WarioWare?

A microgame is a minimal, complete game challenge lasting 3-9 seconds. Each microgame presents a one-word or two-word instruction ('Jump!', 'Eat!', 'Stop!') and requires the player to execute a single action — pressing A, pressing a direction, or holding a button — within the time limit. The challenge requires instant comprehension of what the instruction means in the context of the visual presented. There is no time to analyze; the player must read the screen immediately and act. Hundreds of distinct microgames appear in sequence during a stage, with each new microgame's challenge completely unrelated to the previous one. The rapid context-switching — each microgame has a different visual, different instruction, different required action — is the core experience.

Who are the characters in WarioWare, Inc.?

WarioWare introduces Diamond City's cast of characters, each hosting a stage of themed microgames. Wario is the self-employed entrepreneur who starts the game company. Jimmy T has sports-themed microgames. Mona (Wario's employee) has music-themed challenges. Dr. Crygor (scientist) hosts technical microgames. Dribble and Spitz (taxi driver duo) have action challenges. Kat and Ana (ninja girls) host traditional Japanese-themed microgames. 9-Volt (Nintendo fan) hosts stages featuring classic Nintendo game microgames — brief challenges referencing Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, and other Nintendo classics. Each character's personality and aesthetic is reflected in their stage's visual style.

How does WarioWare increase difficulty?

WarioWare increases difficulty in two primary ways: speed and content variation. Speed is the primary escalator — microgames begin at a manageable pace and increase in tempo with each successful completion until reaching a frantic rate where each microgame lasts 3-4 seconds total. At maximum speed, successful play requires immediate action without conscious processing. Content variation also increases difficulty — some microgames only appear at higher speed settings, and the variety of microgame types in a stage increases. Each character stage ends with a boss microgame — a longer, more complex challenge that must be completed to advance. The game tracks best completion records, creating personal improvement as a long-term goal.

Is WarioWare available on modern platforms?

The original WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! (GBA) is available through Nintendo Switch Online's Game Boy Advance library for Expansion Pack subscribers. WarioWare: Get It Together! (Nintendo Switch, 2021) is the most recent mainline entry, featuring cooperative multiplayer and control of multiple characters simultaneously. WarioWare: Move It! (Nintendo Switch, 2023) uses Joy-Con motion controls. The franchise has continued across every Nintendo platform since the original: Touched! (DS), Twisted! (GBA, with gyro), Smooth Moves (Wii), D.I.Y. (DS), Game & Wario (Wii U). The original GBA game is the purest version of the microgame concept in its simplest form.