WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!

Press! Dodge! Sneeze?! WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! is a game that, within a few seconds, hands you a command whose failure stings — and then immediately serves up another, even more absurd one. It's one of the most original things Nintendo has ever released, and to this day it has no equal in the way it turns chaos into perfect entertainment.

The entire concept is built on so-called microgames. Instead of classic levels, the game throws hundreds of five-second challenges at you, each with a single simple objective, often expressed by a single word on screen. One moment you have to jump, the next dodge, the next perhaps pick your nose. The microgames come one after another, the pace gradually speeds up, and you must instantly read the situation and react on instinct. The controls are limited to the D-pad and a button, so all the challenge lies in the speed of recognition and your reflexes.

Behind the idea stands a team around Nintendo and a producer who had previously worked on the Mario Artist series and Wario titles. The game came out in 2003 and gave birth to an entirely new brand, in which the main antihero Wario collects money by forcing his friends to make crazy mini-games. The visuals are deliberately fragmented, mixing pixel art, photographs and cartoon characters, which perfectly underscores the sense of unpredictability.

Culturally it was a small revolution. WarioWare showed that a game doesn't need long levels or an elaborate story to keep you glued to the screen. This philosophy of short, addictive loops foreshadowed much of what would later dominate mobile gaming. The series grew with a number of sequels on the GameCube, Nintendo DS, Wii and Switch, each installment experimenting with the controls of the given console.

Critics showered the game with praise for its inventiveness and the sheer joy of playing, and to this day it ranks among the most acclaimed original concepts on the Game Boy Advance. It's a title that works just as well for five minutes on the bus as for an evening full of laughter with friends passing the console around, trying to beat each other's score.

Why play: If you want to experience the most creative and craziest idea on the GBA, WarioWare will sweep you away with an avalanche of five-second challenges you simply can't tear yourself away from.