I’m a big fan of the WarioWare games. They are far from being revolutionary or hardware-demanding, but I just can’t resist its sheer stupidity and chaotic gameplay. I was excited for the announcement of WarioWare Gold, a brand new game in the series for the 3DS, but I was also slightly disappointed with it. Nothing to do with the game, I’m going to actually praise it a lot over the next few paragraphs, but I see no reason this game couldn’t have been released on the Switch instead.

WarioWare Gold plays as you would expect. There are lots of microgames taking advantage of the motion capabilities of the 3DS, lots of microgames based solely around the touchscreen, as well as tons of microgames which utilize a more standard “d-pad + A button” aesthetic. It’s the same as always: it’s easy to play, hard to master due to ever-increasing speeds, and sometimes dated due to the fact we’re already used to the Switch’s infinitely superior motion sensoring capabilities. There are tons of returning microgames as well as dozens upon dozens of new ones, all retaining the same dumb humor the series is known for. There’s also a short but sweet story mode, the one you’ll spend most of your initial time with since you need to play those small episodes in order to unlock new games. At the end of the day, it sounds like business as usual, right? Well, not exactly…

The main addition to this version of WarioWare isn’t in its gameplay department or a huge amount of brand new microgames. Weirdly enough, the main selling point of this game is its presentation. The visuals still retain that same “crap, but intentionally crap” style that’s so endearing, but the main difference this time around lies on something I definitely wasn’t expecting: voice acting.

My oh my, WarioWare Gold features some hilarious dialogue. This is the first time I’ve ever heard Wario speaking more than just a few words, and it was great. Charles Martinet does what I can only consider the best work of his entire career in this title, with a greedy, arrogant, but also clumsy and hilarious portrayal of Mario’s cousin/stepbrother/rival/whatever the heck that weirdo is supposed to be.

WarioWare Gold is a fantastic game with an absurd but adorable sense of humor, as well as excellent microgames. It’s chock-full of content, secrets to unlock, and tons upon tons of funny dialogue. I’m still a bit annoyed this was released for the 3DS instead of the Switch (can you just imagine the things they can come up with by using the joycons?), but I can’t complain about the overall product. If you’re still playing your 3DS, give this game a shot. It’s WarioWare, you know it’s dumb as heck but it’s still a fantastic time.

 

Graphics: 6.5 WarioWare Gold looks like cheap crap, but given that’s the actual intention, I still have to give the developers credit.	Gameplay: 9.0 It maintains the level of simplicity from previous WarioWare games, but the motion controls might look a bit dated if you’re already used to the Switch.
Sound: 8.5 This game might actually feature the best performance in Charles Martinet’s entire career. The voice acting in this game was a lot funnier than expected.	Fun Factor: 9.0 Dumb, addictive, and with an amazing sense of humor, WarioWare Gold might actually be the pinnacle of the series on a handheld device.
Final Verdict: 8.5