WarioWare Gold review for Nintendo 3DS

Here?s WarioWare Gold for the Nintendo 3DS. If you?re not familiar with the series then in the words of Reggie, ?What?s wrong with you??

Well okay that?s a little harsh, but I mean who doesn?t know about WarioWare by now without living under a rock or being my dog? And even my dog does know about these high-tempo mini-games! Or as they’re called here, microgames! Because come on I had to tell someone back in the day! So I?ll just throw you a bone and stop with the puns.

Continuing with the series tradition of fast-paced mini games which serve as obstacles for the cast of WarioWare to overcome, WarioWare Gold is the first time that all the different methods of play are used in the same game. This takes the simple button-mashing gameplay from the first game, the twist controls from the follow-up, and the touch controls from the DS version to create some kind of super crazy definitive experience! Luckily the 3DS with its gyroscope and touch screen is more than capable of hosting the different types of gameplay, but if it sounds like a lot going on then you wouldn?t be wrong.

The real question is whether it?s too complicated and I?m happy to say that WarioWare Gold is just the right blend of frantic and playable. As with any WarioWare game you?ll be finding yourself with an initial frustration when trying to quickly process what you?re being asked to do within the few seconds that each microgame lasts, but the play methods all work well both on their own and in later levels where the game mixes them up between each challenge. One minute you?re twisting the 3DS to shave some stubble off this handsome guy, and the next you could be blowing into the microphone or mashing A to win the race.

While the game is fun throughout, some microgames just fall flat. The fact that they only last a few seconds is the saving grace, since there?s no time to be bored. I think the series really shines with the ones that have unique animation and hilarious scenarios, like guiding food through a digestive system all the way to watch it exit the backdoor. I also always enjoy the Nintendo-themed games and there?s always a special nostalgic pain to seeing assets from say, Wind Waker on my compact little 3DS. I know we?ll never see a full version of these games but I can dream, and for a few seconds it?s sort of a reality!

So as for most WarioWare games the campaign will only last you a few hours. The staying power can be had in playing around in the extras, seeing how long you can last in an individual microgame, or playing with special challenges like making sure your mom doesn?t catch you playing games in bed (even though I already did all my homework!). Some of the other extras just don?t hold my attention, like little Nintendo fact cards or the telephone activities. One thing I do appreciate are the 3D models you can look at, which sounds boring but maybe I?m also boring.

If you?re a fan of the series then this is another solid entry. Will it be your favorite? That probably depends on the person, but there?s definitely something here for everyone who has liked any version up to WarioWare Gold. If you missed the tilt controls or wish we had another stylus version, this is where you can enjoy an encore of series past with the largest collection of migrogames yet! Me personally, I?m not complaining about WarioWare being back in our lives.

Nintendo provided us with a WarioWare Gold code for review purposes.