See, I usually love the WarioWare games with all my heart, but unfortunately this one missed the mark! :(

Building the titular microgames around multiple characters and their unique movesets sounds like a great idea, considering how large and varied the cast has gotten, but in practice? It felt less like a rapid fire smorgasbord of ideas and more like... a rapid fire series of sidescrolling platforming challenges? And, realizing that, it kinda drained a lot of the fun and surprise out of the experience as a whole, considering that so many of these challenges/characters felt identical mechanically. The novelty wore off well before the credits rolled, which is exactly the sort of thing you want to avoid in this sort of genre...

So much of this game felt similarly half hearted, as well. The surprisingly listless script really sucks the life out of the multiple, monotonous cutscenes during the game's dull story mode. A weird lack of variety in the minigame graphics, which feature a noticeable amount of reused assets between minigames (and not in a 'hidden lore/narrative' way, like in past entries). An online mode that honestly feels more like an obligation than anything with passion put into it? It's such a shame, considering how otherwise lively and charming the presentation as a whole is. the UI work is so quirky-yet-clear, and I can never get enough of the bizarre soundscape the series as a whole has created for itself!

...I just wish it were in a better game than this. It's hard to be spontaneous after nearly two decades of existence, and no doubt COVID-19 impacted it in some way, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't leave me feeling a little disappointed overall. Here's hoping they don't rush out a Rhythm Heaven in the same vein, ey...

Reviewed on Oct 16, 2021


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