When it comes to the thrill of mini-games, few series hit the spot quite like the WarioWare titles, which over the years have mastered the art of delivering a short and sharp burst of gaming mayhem. The latest game in the series is WarioWare: Move It! which is developed by Japanese studio Intelligent Systems and aims to capture the WarioWare magic on the Switch.

Oddly, there is often a tale running through its mini-game shenanigans and Move It! is no different. Wario hears of a new burger place running a competition to promo a garlic burger.

The winner scores a ticket to ‘Caresaway Island’ so he orders 50 burgers and bags the top prize. However, his friends get wind of this win and insist on joining him on the trip.

Wario Story

And so it all begins. You are tasked with finding your friends scattered around the island, each with a number of stages to take on – that leads you to a boss fight at the end.

It’s a fun and light hearted tale and the story mode is a good showcase of what the game has, though it’s a bit short only lasting about 2 to 3 hours. Which oddly is actually the expected standard length for a game in the series.

The biggest change to gameplay this time round is that WarioWare: Move It! truly embodies its name as each mini-game needs you to move your body over just pressing buttons.

Before each game a narrator will tell you what pose, or ‘form’ as the game calls them, you’ll have to take before beginning. From acting like a set of scales, to a crocodile, you never truly know what the game will ask of you.

Second Chance Saloon

If you’re not quite nailing the controls, have no fear as the game gives you a second-chance stance to win back all your lives if you lose them all – where you are required to strike a certain pose. Though later in the game this system changes a little.

This also means to play the game you’re going to have to have your Joy-con detached from the Switch. There is a strong old-school Wii vibe to its brand of motion-based fun.

WarioWare: Move It! basically only supports docked and table-top play, but not handheld. Plus, you can only play the game with the Joy-cons, so no pro controllers here.

It also bleeds into the fact that this game is 100% a party game. You throw some truly odd shapes at times and your mates will have a good time laughing at you. Until it’s their go that is.

Wario Party

All games WarioWare: Move It! are co-op with up to four players. Play switches between players mostly, but a few involve two (or more) or more playing simultaneously.

There are over 200 mini-games to unlock in WarioWare: Move It! so you’ll be at it for a while if you’re looking to unlock the full suite of games. Plus, you can head to the temple to practice them, as well as get a few helping hints on how best to play them.

It’s Wario You Ware

WarioWare: Move It! is bright, colourful and bursting with joy as you would expect from a Nintendo IP. The game’s visuals perfectly capture the series’ signature ‘afternoon kids cartoon’ vibe.

Sound on the other hand is a mixed bag. There is some good stuff from Wario himself as voiced by Kevin Afghani, who picks up the gauntlet from series legend Charles Martinet.

The cutscenes are funny and well written, though you can tell some characters are using old audio files mixed with new. And this flighty quality can be extremely jarring. Some may also see the mission system being absent here as a letdown. This also means there are no gadgets to spice things up.

WarioWare: Move It! is a fun and enjoyable addition to the WarioWare family, that fully embraces the Switch and what its tech can do, it’s a refreshing move this late into the console’s life cycle.

WarioWare: Move It! is enjoyable alone thanks to the story mode, but it really comes to life with a few mates on the couch as you battle to not only win, but also cry with laughter at each other.