WarioWare: Remove It!
MSRP $50.00
“WarioWare: Take It Off! The series is an enjoyable return to the motion-control era, although it doesn’t evolve the formula too much.
Pros
hilarious micro game
smart stance gameplay
Great use of IR sensor
Strong multiplayer focus
Shortcoming
stale structure
some artificial methods
lack of reasons to return
WarioWare: Remove It! The best Nintendo Switch launch game that never was. Sure, the motion-controlled “microgame” collection is launching towards the end of the console’s lifespan, but this is one of the few games that really takes advantage of all of its unique, and underutilized, features. From minigames built around the Switch’s lightweight Joy-Cons to extremely clever use of those controllers’ forgotten IR sensors, this is the multiplayer game Nintendo needed on day one. 1-2-switch,
Of course, that didn’t happen. The WarioWare series, previously a hardware showcase for Nintendo’s more creative systems, seemed absolutely dead in the early days of the Switch. Meanwhile, developers struggled to make good use of the console’s features as the introduction of the Switch Lite discouraged motion-controlled play. surprise release of WarioWare: Get It Together! Will disappointingly fail to take advantage of the system’s potential in 2021, choosing instead a weak cooperative base. Only two years later, Remove it It feels like a course correction designed to give the Switch the zany multiplayer games it always deserved.
WarioWare: Remove It! It’s a much-needed reset for a series that has long struggled to reach the creative heights of its Nintendo Wii entry. return to the physical pleasures of WarioWare: Smooth Moves This is just what the doctor ordered, creating one last essential Switch party game that isn’t afraid to let loose. Although it takes two steps forward, it takes one step back get it togetherThis is the simplest mode, leaving more room for Nintendo to improve its wackiest series.
I like to move it, move it
Despite the fact that it’s known for its unpredictable microgames, the WarioWare series operates on a surprisingly rigid formula that doesn’t change an inch. Remove it (Save for its tropical island theme). The two-hour story mode requires players to complete a series of microgames that last only a few seconds and are bookended by cartoon cinematics about the holiday misadventures of Wario and his friends. There aren’t really any surprises there, as each familiar character’s quick playlist is kicked off with a “Boss Stage.” It’s that stagnant format that perhaps explains why Nintendo spent nearly two decades struggling to reinvent the inflexible series.
The layout of the minigames is not as important as how they are played, and that’s where Remove it Brings change for the better. It plays like a direct sequel to the Wii’s excellent smooth gait, each game is built around the unique nature of the Switch’s Joy-Cons. Before each game, players are given a different stance that they must adopt. In Night Stance players hold the Joy-Cons like the hilt of a sword, while in “Ba-Kaw” they hold one with their mouth like a beak and the other with their butt. That setup allows Nintendo to experiment with a lot of clever two-handed movements.
Take Archer Stance, for example, in which I hold my arms as if I’m drawing a bow. In a game, I’m using it to control a dancing couple, going up and down to perform a dip. The next minute, I’m pocketing a pool ball by lining up the shot and moving my back hand. As with every WarioWare game, the fun comes from experiencing a microgame for the first time and figuring out what you have to do as the seconds go by. These orbs turn the process into a slapstick comedy where you’re the star.
What is particularly exciting is how Remove it Takes full advantage of the Joy-Cons, in some of the games out there ring fit adventure passed. A handful of games use the controllers’ rarely used IR sensors to show what we’ve been missing all these years. The “hand model” posture has me pointing a Joy-Con at my free hand and tracking gestures as I play rock paper scissors, or catch a Frisbee by snapping my fingers. Although this only includes 10 or so IR games, it’s enough to make me think that the developers could have experimented a little more with the feature being enabled in the Switch’s declining lifespan.
It looks like Nintendo is giving players one last chance to completely demolish their Joy-Cons before upgrading to something new.
In some ways, it almost feels like Remove it Only exists because the Switch is on its last stop. Some microgames made me surprisingly carefree, providing a bit of physical catharsis after years of being careful with light controllers. One stance requires me to drop my Joy-Cons (while wearing wrist straps, of course) to deep-fry vegetables and put them back in my hands when they’re ready. Similarly, the pounce stance requires me to place my controllers on a flat surface and lift them up to grab a toilet plunger or save a mouse from the cat’s watchful eye. It looks like Nintendo is giving players one last chance to completely demolish their Joy-Cons before upgrading to something new.
All these fun control tweaks do come with some downsides. Both motion-control and IR detection can be spotty, with most of my failures coming from the camera misreading my four-finger gesture as two. Stances also add some significant slowdown to the central story mode, as each level consists of one to three stance tutorials that lead to a very short campaign. As always, the most fun is had when replaying the playlist after the main story, as it’s more fun to seamlessly chase the high score at an increasing pace. Even with those hiccups, I’ll enjoy the physical pleasure of popping balloons using my butt get it togetherThe disgusting gimmick of changing character at any time.
multiplayer madness
More than any other game in the series, Remove it WarioWare is trying to establish itself as one of Nintendo’s core multiplayer experiences. It works with lots of creative methods that seem to be made specifically for families and couples. For example, each story stage can be played in co-op, and unlockable challenge playlists have players working together to clear the game and compete in elimination mode. Couples who play together will get more benefit from the package than single players.
Its larger party game Swing is housed within the multiplayer-only Party Suite, which includes games designed for up to four players. One is a short, simple spin on Mario Party that has players moving around a board and clearing lengthy, mode-specific minigames. Then there’s the two-on-two situation of “Who’s in control?” Mode where one player from each team pretends to complete minigames with their partner, causing the other team to guess who is faking it. Modes like this provide some of the most creative multiplayer experiences seen in the series so far.
There’s not much to come back to after getting through each microgame’s fun in about five hours.
Nevertheless, the offering still feels a bit lacking. Cute additions like Mirror Mode, where a player turns away from the TV and must complete the game by mirroring a teammate’s actions, are fun additions that don’t rise much above clever curiosities. What is particularly disappointing is that there is no sign of smooth gait‘Defining Mode: A 12-player, remote-passing elimination game. This was probably a necessity, given that passing around two Joy-Cons and attaching wrist straps between each game would be a major hassle, but the lack of a mass-multiplayer mode makes it feel like it would have less legs. smooth gaitA game that defined casual multiplayer in the Wii generation.
For solo players, there is even less to explore in depth. In addition to a handful of unlockable modes (including a standout mode in which players can beat 20 fast games and track their “muscle” scores), there’s plenty of reason to jump in once you’ve unlocked everything. Are not. There are a large number of bonus “poses” that players can collect by getting high scores in the playlist, but there’s not much to come back to after getting through the fun of each microgame in nearly five hours.
This is the area where Remove it takes a disappointing step back from get it together, While that game failed its central gimmick, it remains one of the series’ most replayable and progression-focused entries. This is due to a smart ecosystem where players earn coins for completing goals, spend them on gifts for characters who level them up, and use that power to compete in the Wario Cup. Which is a rotating online competition. All of this felt like it was setting the right foundation for the future of the series by giving players a better reason to chase high scores and show off their reflexes. Remove it Returns to square one to understand the basics, but doesn’t advance the series at all.
This is probably an existential angst in a game where I use my butt to create characters in space. Even if I don’t get more time than this, WarioWare: Remove It! Provides the same jolt of unexpected comedy that has kept me coming back to the series since its first Game Boy Advance entry. I’ll always tune in long enough to unlock each microgame and see what bizarre, gross heights the creative minds behind it have dreamed up this time. Whether I’m poking a hole in a koala’s mouth or holding a fish between my thighs, Remove it Never ceases to entertain me.
WarioWare: Remove It! Testing was conducted on a docked Nintendo Switch OLED connected to a TCL 6-Series R635.