WarioWare: Touched!

WarioWare: Touched! is the first entry in the WarioWare series designed specifically for the Nintendo DS's touch screen and microphone, and as such it also served as a demonstration of what the new console could do. The game consists of fast, several-second-long minigames called microgames, which show the player only a one-word instruction - tap, drag, blow - and expect an immediate reaction. The microgames are split into themed sets based on the bizarre characters of the Wario universe, each with its own style and humor, and as the score climbs, their pace keeps accelerating until a quick loss.

Each microgame uses a different way of interacting with the touch screen - drawing, dragging objects, tapping to a rhythm, or blowing into the microphone - and it was precisely this variety that turned the game into a catalog of ideas that later inspired other creators of mobile and touch-based games. The visual style is deliberately garish and colorful, with the grotesque humor typical of the whole series, and a short, punchy soundtrack underscores the absurd pace of the individual scenes. After completing the main campaign, the game unlocks additional microgames and small bonus toys that extend the fun even after the story is finished.

WarioWare: Touched! was among the launch titles that helped convince players at the Nintendo DS's debut that the touch screen wasn't just a gimmick but a full-fledged input method. It was critically received as a snappy, witty showcase of the new console's capabilities, and it still plays surprisingly fresh today, thanks to the fact that each microgame lasts only a few seconds and offers immediate feedback without requiring a long learning curve. Its approach to touch controls also foreshadowed the later wave of simple, gesture-controlled games on mobile phones and tablets, even though nobody knew that yet in 2004. The rapid alternation of completely different microgames also keeps the game surprisingly alive even after repeated play, since the player is never quite sure which instruction and which control method will come up next.