WarioWare Gold

WarioWare Gold is a celebration of the entire series on the occasion of its fifteenth anniversary – this 2018 Nintendo 3DS title compiles over three hundred microgames from previous entries and adds new ones, split into three difficulty levels for each character. For the first time in the series, the characters also received full voice acting, which brings much more humor and personality to the short skits between games and gives the whole collection a more unified presentation than earlier entries had.

Structurally, the game follows classic WarioWare – the player gradually unlocks sets of microgames belonging to individual characters from the cast's world, with each set having its own visual style, music, and pace matching that character's personality. The three difficulty levels (easy, normal, hard) for each microgame mean that even earlier lightning-fast games that could be cleared in a few seconds now offer more variety and longer replay value, since speed and precision demands change as difficulty rises. The console's stereoscopic 3D display also adds depth to the games despite their deliberately minimalist graphics, and the game offers bonus microgames and rewards for completed challenges that encourage players to revisit older sets and try them again at higher difficulty or speed. The package also includes small side activities between rounds of microgames, serving as a break from their hectic pace.

Gold thus works as the most comprehensive overview of the whole brand on a single cartridge and also as a sensible entry point for players who haven't played the series before, since it requires no knowledge of previous entries or their stories – each microgame is self-contained and understandable at a glance.

Why play it: The best choice for players who want to sample as much of WarioWare's history as possible at once and enjoy short, chaotic, funny microgames – thanks to the sheer amount of content, difficulty options, and character voices, it's the most complete entry in the series.