Collection essentials #576: WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!

Wario’s creative new series started with “Mega Microgame$!” on the Game Boy Advance. That game had been single-player only, but Nintendo saw multiplayer potential in the gameplay formula. And so, later on in the same year, Nintendo released this…um…I’m not sure what to call it, because it’s not a sequel, not exactly a port, so I guess you could call it a spinoff maybe? Anyways, Mega Party Game$ borrows all the “microgames” found in the GBA original. It has fewer single-player features than that game and has basically nothing new to offer in that regard, something that’s perhaps more forgivable when you consider that this was a budget title that retailed for less than normal video games of its day. The main focus of this game is local multiplayer, offering a variety of fun and/or wacky modes for groups of friends to play. For more info on the basics of WarioWare, you can refer to my post about the GBA original.

Most of the multiplayer modes in Party Game$ are designed for four players specifically, so that’s the group size you’ll want for this game. There are a couple “pass the controller” modes that allow for up to 16 players.

As you’d expect, the various multiplayer modes usually involve succeeding at microgames in some way. A couple of the modes are pretty straightforward “play microgames until you fail” types of things, but many of them have an amusing and creative gimmick to bring to the table. For example, there’s one where you’re supposed to try and take over spaces on a square grid by clearing microgames, and it’s possible to convert other players’ claimed spaces into yours in a way that reminds of the board game Reversi/Othello. One mode has the players taking turns trying to clear as many microgames as they can while the other three characters move around on the screen trying to obstruct the action. “Balloon Bang” is a sort of “hot potato” mode where the person currently playing a microgame loses when the balloon bursts. “Listen to the Doctor” asks players to do silly things in real life while playing a microgame, and the other three players have a moment to applaud to let the game know whether the person actually followed the instructions or not. There’s even a cooperative game, where one person plays microgames in the dark and the other three players shine flashlights to illuminate relevant parts of the screen.

Back in the day, since I was someone who was into the first WarioWare and had younger siblings, this game was a no-brainer pickup for me, especially at a budget price. The copy in the photo is my original from way back then. The game was a hit with my siblings and I, and was one of our most-played video games together from that point on. I still have my original save file so I know that I have played precisely 191 total multiplayer sessions. My sisters’ favorite of the modes was “Wobbly Bobbly”, where the characters are placed on a growing stack of turtles which increases when one of the other players wins at a microgame or when someone loses at one.

Mega Party Game$ didn’t really set the world on fire. Some who weren’t really into the multiplayer content voiced their displeasure with the game. However, this is a game that was niche by design, and for what it is, it’s very good. I also love a good couch multiplayer game, and this is a really good one that I have nostalgic memories with, so it’s an obvious inclusion in my collection as an essential.