WarioWare: Get it Together! Review
The WarioWare series returns with multiplayer and a new style of gameplay
Verdict
Nearly two decades after its first entry, the WarioWare series still knows how to keep things feeling fresh, and the series’ chaotic bombardment of microgames is as addictive as ever. While the experience might not be as rich as say The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey, Get it Together! is still tons of fun to play.
Pros
- Fresh new take on the WarioWare formula
- The animation is delightful
- Tons of replayability
Cons
- Story mode doesn’t amount to much
- Some characters feel like a hindrance
Availability
- UKRRP: £39.99
Key Features
- PlatformsNintendo Switch
- DeveloperIntelligent Systems
Introduction
Wario and his microgame loving circle of friends are back in the brilliantly bizarre but no less entertaining WarioWare: Get it Together! on Nintendo Switch.
Some of my favourite gaming memories are easily owed to the WarioWare series. Between absolutely decimating the bottom-screen on my DS with WarioWare: Touched and later flinging my arm’s around like no-one’s business for WarioWare: Smooth Moves on the Wii, the series has always felt like such a rush to play.
With the lacklustre Game & Wario for Wii U however, and the fact that the series’ last entry – WarioWare: Gold – launched on the 3DS long after the console had seen its prime, it’s been a while since I dabbled in some of the frenetic gameplay the series is well-known for.
With Get it Together! launching on a Nintendo home console however, and at just the right time as the Switch is in need of some new first-party titles, I couldn’t wait to dive into the title. Luckily for me (and my expectations), Nintendo hasn’t let me down.
Story and graphics
- The story takes place inside a rogue video game console
- The game’s art style has been adapted to suit its digital backdrop
- Character designs stand out against 2D backgrounds
The WarioWare series has never really been known for its story – after all, how much narrative do you really for a series that revolves around completely out of context microgames? To its credit however, Get it Together! does have more of a narrative than the average WarioWare game, with the series’ cast pulled into a possessed video game console of Wario’s making.
Wario isn’t completely to blame however, as the console’s been overtaken by an army of bugs and glitches, meaning that it’s up to the titular anti-hero and his friends to set things right and escape from their digital prison.
Sections in between the microgames are filled with brief conversations that did make me chuckle on occasion, and even through these short moments the personality of each character does come through. Unfortunately, despite its set-up, the story mode doesn’t really amount to much other than simply introducing the player to the game’s mechanics, and the whole thing can be completed in just a few hours.
What can’t be faulted are the game’s graphics and character design. Because of its video game setting, Get it Together! turns the typical WarioWare crew into bite-sized versions of themselves with 8-bit underpinnings, albeit on a 3D model. That might sound odd, but the aesthetic sticks out in such a way that you just can’t keep your eyes off it.
Gameplay
- Players now directly control WarioWare characters from a 2D perspective
- Each character has a different way of handling micro-games
- Added layer of challenge over previous games in the series
For almost every game in the WarioWare series, Nintendo has tried to implement a new mechanic to keep things feeling fresh, and Get it Together! is no different. Instead of having the player input be contextual to the particular microgame you’re playing, you now take direct control of the series’ characters – akin to a 2D side-scroller.
While that might not sound like a challenge at first, be aware that each character controls differently and so they can all approach the same microgame from a completely unique perspective. For instance, Wario can fly around with his jet pack and barge into things (similar to his Wario Land moveset), but 18-Volt remains stationary as you aim and shoot bolts of energy around the stage. You won’t be playing as just one character either, as you’ll need to select a team before you delve into each gameplay cycle.
What this all means is the challenge is now two-fold. It’s no longer just of case of working out what the solution to a particular microgame is, but it’s also about trying to understand how the traits of each character can be applied correctly in said situation. It definitely takes some getting use to, but once you wrap your head around it, the game becomes an absolute pleasure to play.
The only issue is that some of the characters, whether intentionally designed this way or not, are far more of a hindrance than others, and so they quickly fell to the wayside unless the game forced me to include them in the main team.
Multiplayer
- Two-player co-op is now available for the first time
- Up to four players can enjoy several mini-games
In addition to its unique take on the WarioWare experience, Get it Together! also adds a major first for the series: multiplayer. Yes, I know that some of you are just jumping to say that multiplayer has technically featured before, but this time around you’re no longer passing a controller from one player to the next.
The entire story mode (and indeed, any of the microgames) can be played co-operatively between two players. Communication is key here as trying to steamroll your way to victory as opposed to working together, tends to lead to failure. Still, the experience ran smoothly during my playthrough without a hint of slowdown which might otherwise impede on WarioWare’s fast paced gameplay.
There’s also a ‘Variety Pack’ mode that’s filled with more substantial mini-games that can be played with up to four players, instead of just two.
Replayability
- Wario Cup offers weekly challenges
- Game art can be unlocked via in-game currency
- High score hitters will become obsessed
Given that Get it Together! isn’t too far off being marked as a full-price Switch game, it’s only fair to question how much longevity you’re going to get out the title. If for some reason you’ve bought the game squarely for its story mode, then you’ll only be getting a few hours of gameplay, but as any WarioWare aficionado knows, the true joy of the game comes from trying to set high scores.
In recognising this appeal however, Nintendo has added a new mode in the form of the ‘Wario Cup’, which brings a new challenge each week that players from around the world can compete in. If ever there was a chance for you to show off your WarioWare skills on the global stage then this is it.
There are also missions to complete which earn you currency for the game’s shop, letting you level up your characters and unlock game art in the process. It’s a great little feature but it does serve as a reminder that the Nintendo Switch would be much better off if it simply had an overarching achievements system, much like with the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
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Should you buy it?
If you love fast-paced games: the WarioWare series is known for its frenetic energy and Get it Together! delivers exactly that with an exciting gameplay twist.
If you prefer laid back games: Animal Crossing this not. If you like to wind down with a game then the WarioWare series probably isn’t for you.
Final Thoughts
Nearly two decades after its first entry, the WarioWare series still knows how to keep things feeling fresh, but the series’ chaotic bombardment of micro-games is as addictive as ever. While the experience might not be as rich as say The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey, Get it Together! is still tons of fun to play.
How we test
We play every game we review through to the end, outside of certain exceptions where getting 100% completion, like Skyrim, is close to impossible to do. When we don’t fully finish a game before reviewing it we will always alert the reader.
Played through the entirety of the single-player campaign
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
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FAQs
The game can be played with up to four people
Largely no, but some of the later modes can be difficult
Only several hours
Full specs
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
