WarioWare Gold, known as Made in Wario Gorgeous (メイド イン ワリオ ゴージャス Meido in Wario Gōjasu) in Japanese, is the eighth game in the WarioWare series, and the only entry for the Nintendo 3DS family.

The title is a compilation of microgames from across the franchise, including a number of new additions as well. Many returning microgames, however, have been updated to new control schemes, scenarios and visuals. Overall, WarioWare Gold features 316 microgames, the largest collection in any WarioWare game to date, a record previously held by WarioWare: Twisted! for the Game Boy Advance.

WarioWare Gold is also notable as the first game in the series to feature fully voiced cutscenes. Though Charles Martinet reprises his role as Wario in the English version, other characters receive new voice actors.

Story

After stealing a golden pot from a temple at Luxeville, Wario comes to the realization that he is completely out of money. While reflecting on this in his house in Diamond City, Wario sees a report on television about Super Pyoro, a new entry in the Pyoro video game franchise that fans are eager to get their hands on. Acknowledging the money that could be made in the booming industry, Wario again sets out to capitalize on the video game craze. Using his laptop and a recording device, Wario streams his latest scheme to the residents of Diamond City: a gaming competition with a steep entry fee, but a ten million coin reward to the victor. True to form, Wario calls up his closest friends to do most of the work for him and again, they agree. With his fortune on the line, Wario sets out to begin Diamond City's first "Wario Bowl" games. Unbeknownst to Wario, however, a small girl named Lulu is pursuing him in attempt to retrieve the golden pot that was stolen.

Story Mode

Story Mode is divided into four leagues. The first three leagues all use a different control scheme: the Mash League (using the buttons like in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!), the Twist League (using gyro controls like in WarioWare: Twisted!), and the Touch League (using the touch screen like in WarioWare: Touched!). The fourth league is called the Ultra League and it uses all three control schemes plus a fourth involving blowing the microphone, which is unlocked by beating all three other leagues. The first three leagues each consist of 5 stages, with each one having its own theme. The first stage is always an introduction stage hosted by Wario; as a result, all microgames in said categories feature him in some way or another. The other 4 stages are hosted by one of Wario's friends and have one of the following themes: That's Life, Fantasy, Sports, and Nintendo Classics. All themes appear once in every league. In the Ultra League, there are 3 stages, including two "remix" stages which compile all the microgames from six of the previous stages, and center on two of the themes, and a final stage hosted by Wario's newest alter-ego, Wario Deluxe, which compiles all the microgames from the introduction stages and a brand-new set centered on a new theme: Anything Goes.

Other characters

These characters appear in Story Mode as side characters. Mike and Fronk have their own sets of microgames, but they are exclusive to the remix stages in the Ultra League.

Challenge Mode

Challenge Mode is unlocked after completing Story Mode and features stages with altered rules. The following Challenge stages are as follows:

Stage Description In-game description All the microgames from all stages are mixed together. "It's one big mash-up of all the microgame genres! Brush up on your skills in the Story first, and then you can knock it out of the park here!" All the microgames are mixed together and only one life is available. "Fail just once in this mode, and it’s game over for you! We’re not messing around with these games. They're super tough right from the start. How long do you think you can last?" All the microgames are mixed at high speed. "Want a whole lot of games coming your way at top speed? You’re in the right place. It only gets faster from here on out. Try to keep up!" Similar to its version in WarioWare: Twisted! No lives can be lost in this mode. Instead, the game ends when the clock reaches 0. When a microgame is completed, more time is added to the clock. Microgames must be completed as fast as possible to get high scores. The game has separate modes for the Mash, Twist, Touch, and Ultra control schemes. Each control scheme also comes with a harder variant called "Close Shave," in which the clock starts with less time. "A mode produced by the one and only Wario! Time will keep slipping away, so try to earn it back! How do you do that? Clear the microgames!" Similar to its version in Game & Wario. The player controls 9-Volt playing microgames after bedtime while avoiding being caught by 5-Volt. When 9-Volt hides, he becomes tired, so he cannot hide for a long time. The game ends when 5-Volt catches 9-Volt playing, if 9-Volt loses all of his lives, or if 9-Volt falls asleep. "Hey, you guys! 9-Volt here! I love to play games right before I go to bed. Too bad my mom doesn’t approve. Could you keep watch for me?" Wario Interrupts is available after completing the Story Mode. Every single microgame using the Mash, Twist, Touch and Blow controls gets mixed in this mode on the lowest difficulty level only. Speed-ups happen gradually every five microgames without warning. Wario Deluxe is shown on the Top Screen, while every microgame occurs on the Touch Screen. Every three microgames, Wario Deluxe will unleash a distraction to block with or mess with the microgames. After each microgame, a small gauge in the bottom-right corner of the screen will fill up. Once full, tapping the Hero Button will summon Lulu, who will clear the current distraction for the next three games. After that, the meter will have to fill up again. The game ends once the player loses all four lives, which are represented by gold blocks at the top of the Top Screen. List of distractions The Touch Screen may be flipped upside-down; which reverses the up, down, left and right controls on The Touch Screen's colors may be inverted. The microgame's speed might randomly slow down or speed up. All of the sounds in a microgame may play the Mario Paint baby face sound. The control schemes used before each microgame may be hidden, similar to what happens in the final stage of Story Mode. Three Tiny Wario heads attached to balloons may block the screen. Mash League microgames will not appear until the distraction is cleared. Similarly, if the Wario Deluxe may fart three times in a row, leaving clouds of gas to block the screen. Mike's microgames will not appear until the distraction is cleared. The gas can be blown away by blowing into Two paint blobs may block the screen. Touch League microgames will not appear until the distraction is cleared. They can be wiped off using The Touch Screen may shrink in size. A glass full of wine may block the screen. Twist League microgames will not appear until the distraction is cleared. The wine in the glass can be removed by tilting the system to the far left or right. "Wario Deluxe is back...and this time I'm powered up! If you thought Wario was aggravating, wait till you get a load of me!" Cruise Controls is a game mode unlocked after playing the Wario Interrupts mode once. Control the speed of Dribble and Spitz's taxi by tilting the Nintendo 3DS. The faster the taxi's speed, the faster the microgames are played. The player must complete a set of 15 microgames in as little time as possible. "Remember your ol' pal Dribble? I'm keeping cool with my new mode that lets you adjust a game's speed by tiliting your system. When you reach the finish line, we'll see how you did on time." Kat and Ana take turns at playing microgames. Kat's games are played on the top screen of the Nintendo 3DS, while Ana's are played on the bottom. There are no transitions between games, so the player has little time to prepare. This mode can be played using the Mash or Ultra control schemes. "This is Kat and Ana! There's no time for rest in our mode! When the game on the top screen stops, another one'll start right away on the bottom screen. You're gonna need all your concentration skills here!" Battle Time is a Local Multiplayer mode hosted by Young Cricket and Master Mantis. Two players battle against each other by playing the same microgame at the same time. The objective is to keep playing microgames until the opponent loses their last life. Lives are lost after losing microgames. The players can choose one to four lives, and the host can also choose which league to play from. If both players lose their last life from the same microgame, the mode will enter sudden death and the next person to lose a microgame will lose the battle. After a winner is declared, the results for each microgame played will be shown. "Hello, player. I, Young Cricket, have the honor of introducing an exciting new mode. Here, you challenge your friends who also have WarioWare Gold! Face-to-face competition is key to any training regimen, so don't hesitate. Let the battle begin!"

Names in other languages

Wario Interrupts

Language Name Meaning French Wario s'en mêle Wario Gets Involved

Microgames

Main article: List of WarioWare Gold microgames

WarioWare Gold is a collection of 300 microgames (not counting the boss microgames), 54 of which are new to the series. Each microgame falls under a specific genre – "Intro Games," "Sports", "That's Life", "Fantasy", "Nintendo Classics", "Anything Goes" – and a control scheme – "Mash", "Twist", "Touch", "Blow".

Souvenirs

Main article: List of WarioWare Gold souvenirs

Similarly to WarioWare: Twisted! and Game & Wario, WarioWare Gold features extra content in the form of souvenirs, obtainable via the Capsule Machine. These souvenirs are divided into eight categories: Minigames, Phones, Studio, Movies, Cards, Nintendo, Records and Miscellaneous.

Missions

Main article: List of WarioWare Gold missions

Missions are certain milestones that could be achieved, similar to medals in WarioWare: D.I.Y.. Once a mission is completed, the player is rewarded with certain number of coins.

List of changes

Main article: List of WarioWare Gold microgame changes

General

All microgame speeds are 120 bpm by default.

Some of the sounds and music in the microgames are either remixed, rearranged, or replaced entirely.

Several returning microgames are given new names; for example, I Spy from WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! was renamed to Busted!

was renamed to Busted! Microgames returning from WarioWare: D.I.Y. and WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase now have three difficulty levels like the microgames returning from other games, rather than simply using one set difficulty level.

and now have three difficulty levels like the microgames returning from other games, rather than simply using one set difficulty level. All WarioWatch microgames are usually set to normal length.

American English version The infamous schemer, Wario, is back! Play his brand-new microgame collection, where you'll have seconds to complete 300 different microgames. Better think fast to succeed! You'll use the touchscreen, tilt the system, push buttons, and rock the mic as you laugh through fully voiced stories featuring new and classic characters! British English version The latest in the WarioWare series is coming to Nintendo 3DS family systems! Which means, there's a new way to play Wario's strangely satisfying microgames. With classics and new additions, there are 300 microgames to enjoy, making this the biggest entry in the series! Press buttons, tilt the system, use the Touch Screen and microphone, and dig that crazy action while it's hot!

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:WarioWare Gold.

As in Game & Wario, the characters have been redesigned in a much more simplified style, with some details being removed like Wario's gloves lacking Ws and characters looking far more angular such as Dribble.

Media

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of WarioWare Gold media.

Jingles

Development

All returning microgames in WarioWare Gold were reprogrammed and redrawn from scratch.[7] To select microgames for inclusion, Goro Abe polled the staff on their favorites and then ranked them according to other factors, such as how easily understood the microgame is or if it did not feel dated[7]. The team aimed to update the microgame with new scenarios, more gameplay variables and also created connections between them that did not exist in their original form, with Abe citing how the remade versions of Hookin' Up, Love Tester, Rocky Reunion, Tearful Reunion, and Long Lost Love depict "a drama between a man and woman that spans several microgames." The Split Screen challenge mode was an idea that the WarioWare development team had wanted to do since the days of the Nintendo DS, but the concept had been too taxing on the hardware.[7]

Full voice acting was included for the first time in the series as the development team felt that it would lead to a deeper connection between the player and the game and make the characters feel more alive, although Abe stated future games would not necessarily also have full voice-acting[8]. While the game was released after the launch of the Nintendo Switch, Goro Abe ruled out porting WarioWare Gold to the platform, stating it would "come with a number of issues" and that it would be difficult to reproduce "the same sense of fun"[8].

Speaking about the design of the unlockable souvenirs, Goro Abe explained that while WarioWare: Twisted! and WarioWare: Touched! featured a large number of toys centered around the touch screen and gyro as both technologies were still fairly novel at the time, the team felt such unlockables were unnecessary for Gold due to how commonplace both forms of inputs had become, and that with the end-of-development crunch, they preferred to focus on extras that didn't require as much programming effort like Records.[7]

In a 2018 interview with GameInformer, Goro Abe explained that the future of the WarioWare series would be contingent on the reception to Gold[8].

Reception

WarioWare Gold has received positive reviews from critics, being hailed as a return to form for the series after the poor reception to Game & Wario. Reviews praised the return to the microgame formula, the amount of content, the humor of the cutscenes and the quality of the voice acting. Common points of critcisms were that due to the game's nature as a compilation, WarioWare Gold lacks much of the sense of surprise found in previous titles and the large amount of "filler" unlockables such as alarm clocks and phone calls.

Reviews Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment Nintendo 3DS Tristan Ogilvie, IGN 7/10 "Like the gaming equivalent of binge-watching a playlist of the funniest Vine videos, WarioWare Gold provides some enjoyable short attention span shenanigans, particularly for newcomers. But in the absence any substantial new additions and a paucity of worthwhile extras, WarioWare Gold is more like a runner-up silver for long term fans of the series." Nintendo 3DS James O'Connor, GameSpot 8/10 "WarioWare Gold might not be entirely new, but it's the best representation available of what makes this series special. It's a true greatest hits package that showcases Wario's unique weirdo vibe, and this style of play remains inventive and thrilling 15 years after the original Game Boy Advance game. We're still hoping for an entirely new title on Switch in the future, but for now Gold is a compelling, generous victory lap.'" Nintendo 3DS Steve Bowling, Nintendo Life 9/10 "WarioWare Gold is proof that there's life yet in the venerable 3DS line of handhelds. The microgames on offer are some of the series' best, and the fully-voiced cutscenes in the Story mode are hilarious. Challenge mode will give you plenty of reason to come back and the unlockable souvenirs are our favourite in the series to date. We would have loved to have seen this on Switch as well, but it's clear this game was designed for the 3DS from the ground up. With its absurdist humour, wonderful voice acting (courtesy of Charles Martinet, naturally), immensely satisfying gameplay and stern challenges - many of which will make even the most seasoned players' palms sweat - WarioWare offers something for everyone. If this does turn out to be the 3DS' swansong, then it's going out on a high.'" Nintendo 3DS Chris Carter, Destructoid 6.5/10 "My main concern with WarioWare Gold, exacerbated by the lack of download play and only one real multiplayer gametype at that, is that it doesn't really have legs. Many of the extra modes are homogenized to the point where if you've played a few of them you've played them all, and it only took me a few days to unlock every game and peruse them individually. It's a step down from the Wii U's Game & Wario; a flawed but creative romp that I still play to this day.'" Aggregators Compiler Platform / Score Metacritic 78 GameRankings 79.98%

Sales

According to Japanese sales tracker Dengeki Online, WarioWare Gold sold 138,024 units by December 30, making it the best-selling new 3DS release of 2018[9]. In a Top 100 list of the best selling games of 2018 published by Famitsu, the game was ranked #38th [10].

Staff

Main article: List of WarioWare Gold staff

Unlike previous WarioWare titles which were even collaborations between Intelligent Systems and Nintendo's SPD 1 team, WarioWare Gold was primarily developed by Intelligent Systems staff (most of which had previously worked on Paper Mario: Color Splash) outside of the involvement of series lead Goro Abe (who returns as the chief director) and Ko Takeuchi, who produced the character art, storyboarded and animated the game's cutscenes, and voiced Joe in the Japanese dub of the game[11]. Youichi Tada acts as the game's sub-director and Nami Komuro, one of the writers of Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem Fates, wrote the game's cutscenes.

WarioWare Gold notably recasts every character beside Wario, who were previously voiced by members of Nintendo of America's Treehouse department, with professional anime and video game voice actors. It is also the first game in the series to be fully dubbed in languages other than English.

Pre-release and unused content

An early version of Penny Crygor's intro cutscene exists in the game's files. This cutscene mostly consists of sketches by the game's character design Ko Takeuchi, and features a few minor differences in character and background designs as well, like for the laboratory in the background. [12] [13]

Just like the other stage jingles, the Index has an intro jingle too, but it ends up unused.[14]

References in later games

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: WarioWare Gold's artwork for Wario, 5-Volt, 9-Volt, 18-Volt, Ashley, Dr. Crygor, Dribble and Spitz, Fronk, Jimmy T., Kat and Ana, Orbulon, Mona, and Young Cricket is reused for their Spirits in this game.

Trivia

Because the game is fully voiced for all regions, WarioWare Gold marks the first game since Mario Kart: Super Circuit where Wario is voiced by someone other than Charles Martinet (although he reprises his role for the English localization), and the first game since Mario Kart 64 to give him different voice actors for different international markets.