The perfect game to take you out of lockdown.
Nintendo recently launched WarioWare: Get It Together, which was developed in conjunction with Intelligent Systems – it’s the first title in Wario’s super-speedy spinoff series to exclusively release on Nintendo Switch, and it’s a great game to remind us of what the Switch can do. In fact, it’s a perfectly timed reminder of what the Switch was intended to do.
The Nintendo Switch was originally envisioned as a hybrid console, after all – a device you could use docked to your telly at home or in handheld mode on the go. After all the lockdowns and uncertainties of the last 18 months, it’s such a treat to have a brand-new game that is well suited to different environments – whether you’re sitting on your own at home, squeezing in 15 minutes of play on the train to work, or meeting up with a mate in real life, this game will entertain you nicely and give you plenty of opportunities for chaotic fun.
The WarioWare franchise has been going since 2003, with the original release in the series being a Games Boy Advance title. Fans of the franchise will know that microgames are the main focus of this series. These ultra-short tasks only last a matter of seconds, and you need to build up some quick reflexes and muscle memory if you want to succeed without losing lives along the way.
WarioWare: Get It Together continues this rapid-fire tradition, but with one big twist – this time, there are multiple playable characters and you can even partake in local multiplayer if you’ve got someone else to play with. We’re pleased to report that these additions really ramp up the fun factor, and you can keep on reading for our full thoughts.
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To start with, you might be a little bit put off by the graphics in WarioWare: Get It Together – rather than updating the visual language of the franchise to keep up with the ever-advancing world of gaming, here Nintendo has opted to keep things old school. The characters are flat 2D models and many of the levels are so simple that they look like they were made in Microsoft Paint. The cut scenes in the story mode, especially, are so simplistic (and unskippable) that it can be a bit of a turn-off.
Thankfully, graphics were never the main draw of this franchise – no one comes to WarioWare for an eye-bulging showcase of visual fidelity. You’re here for the manic microgames, and WarioWare: Get It Together more than delivers in that area. There are 222 microgames to be unlocked here, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. In fact, you could argue that this entire game is sublimely ridiculous.
The sheer depth of the offering here is staggering when you think about it – you’ve got brief visual gags about food, you’ve got homages to classic Nintendo games, you’ve got split-second snippets of domestic life, and you’ve even got a few boss battles to reckon with. One minute you’ll be frantically attempting to place some toothpaste on a brush. Next thing you know, you’re hunting for ghosts in a tribute to Luigi’s Mansion. There are loads of treats to enjoy, and long-term fans of Nintendo will find particular delight in all the fan-favourite franchises and retro consoles that are touched upon here.
The brief story mode (you should be able to blitz through it in under three hours) will introduce you to all 20 playable characters, each of which brings their own unique gameplay mechanics to the fore – some can teleport, some can shoot projectiles, and one fella can walk on the ceiling. You’ll likely gravitate to a few favourites, but there is an extra level of challenge to be had if you’re willing to take some of the trickier ones into battle. This extra level of tactics really adds to the replay-ability.
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Once you’ve made it through the story, WarioWare: Get It Together opens up a number of different multiplayer options (going from two-player up to four-player), and we’d say this is where the game really shines. Even though you can play the campaign in two-person co-op if you wish, it’s in these alternate modes that you’ll experience the most thrilling multiplayer options in the game. And in a nice twist, not all of them are cooperative experiences – in some of these modes, you’re going up against your mates in competitive showdowns.
In the Puck ‘er Up mode, you’re playing a twisted version of air hockey to try and get the highest score. In Frenemy Frenzy, you’re fighting against each other in a way that draws to mind Super Smash Bros Ultimate. In Balloon Bang, you’re playing a hot-potato kind of game where you’re trying to pass the buck of an ever-inflating balloon onto your rivals. In Gotta Bounce, you’re all working together to keep a football off the ground.
These games are quick to understand but slow to master, and it’s particularly great to bring the game round to a mate’s house and test your skills against each other. There’s no online multiplayer, sadly, but you can connect up two Switch consoles if you’re in the same place. And you can try to beat your friends’ high scores in the Wario Cup online mode. Playing locally with friends is where he had the most fun, though, with the frantic chaos of each experience helping to create some really memorable multiplayer moments (and a few little arguments between pals).
All things considered, WarioWare: Get It Together does everything it needs to do. The graphics may not be great but the breadth of the microgames more than makes up for it, with the multitude of characters and multiplayer modes adding into the mix nicely. The musical score is also fab, and we’re looking forward to bringing WarioWare: Get It Together to a few more mates’ houses. This sublime ridiculousness is best when it’s shared – it’s the perfect game to take you out of lockdown and back into a more sociable world.
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