Review: WarioWare: Move It! (Nintendo Switch)

A celebration of the series’ 20th anniversary, WarioWare: Move It! channels the microgame mania of Smooth Moves on the Wii. Time flies, but this format remains as fun as ever. This is one motion-controlled party you won’t want to miss.

200-plus minigames give nods to one of the series’ best sellers, offering some of the most entertaining motion controls seen on Switch. While Lite players, as well as those with certain disabilities or injuries, will sadly miss out, I, as a fan of motion controls since the Wii days, got a kick out of these nostalgic input methods.

You’ll kick things off with the story mode. The plot is meh (I prefer that found in the game’s predecessor), with “a powerful deity” bestowing Joy-Cons to island residents. I’m unsure how powerful this “deity” could be with Joy-Con drift being so widespread, but I digress. Thanks to purchasing a garlic burger (or 50), Wario wins a vacation trip to a luxury resort for himself and familiar faces to series veterans. Most of the characters excel where the main tale does not. Each player (up to four) uses two Joy-Cons, so there’s no risk of getting one beefy arm a la Trogdor. Or Homer when he took up arm wrestling. True to series tradition, you can beat the story in a couple of hours, but plenty of unlockables will keep you invested.

The main gimmick with these motion controls is the various “forms” you’ll have to take. These lead to plenty of smiles, and younger players will surely laugh at the forms (and visuals) that highlight the backside. While it bears repeating that these are some of the best motion controls I’ve seen on the Switch, a couple of forms give me pause.

Using the IR camera is very clever but perhaps ill-suited to the rapid-fire format of a WarioWare game. While certainly playable, the learning curve is higher than expected. It’s telling that this is one of only a handful of forms that offer “tips.” Another requires the Joy-Cons to be flat, which had my wife and I scrambling for the ottoman. WarioWare Gold separated gyroscopic microgames, and it would’ve been advantageous for Nintendo to offer similar options here for practicality.

Of course, one could argue (fairly) that sometimes less is more. Nintendo might have a few too many forms for this style of game. On the other hand, it’s tough to complain about too much content. And even the worst of said forms still offer some entertainment and satisfaction.

Once again, fan-favorite 9-Volt connects with me most, with nods to various Nintendo classics. From NES-era games like Dr. Mario and Hogan’s Alley, to the GBA ‘classic’ Mario Pinball Land, Ocarina of Time 3D on 3DS, and recent titles like Metroid Dread on Switch, to name just a few.

The story mode’s not too tough, especially when playing with a friend who can save you from a failed microgame. Poses also allow for continued play if failure is too frequent. These are incredibly easy to do unless you lack the patience to hold in place for a few seconds or skill with motion controls in general. While a smart inclusion, it lacks balance, with no choice for limiting or disabling. Perhaps it’ll be patched in an update; I’d like to see Nintendo offer more options for those seeking an additional challenge.

Party mode (unlocked after beating the story) ditches the dual Joy-Con movements for a single one only, placing you on a small board in the vein of Mario Party. A copious amount of spaces designed to keep things close send the lead player back to start, split the points, and more. While done excessively, given this mode’s tiny boards and the overall nature of this title in general, it gets away with it – this time. As the first of its kind for a WarioWare game, I expect future entries to keep this setup while expanding and refining it.

The varied graphical style runs the gamut from greatness to okay to just plain odd. Yet, it practically ensures you won’t find a dull moment. The audio serves up a blend of tunes, some that are catchy and memorable, complementing the superb vocals. It’s well worth noting that the new voice actor for Wario does a great job.

A couple of other unlockables worth mentioning are Mega Game Muscles and Copycat. The former is a marginal workout (unless you’re really out of shape), but the games that are more mini than micro are pretty intense. Meanwhile, copycat has one player mimic the TV while another (out of TV sight) tries to do a mirror image of the player. It’s interesting, and those intimidated by Joy-Cons or motion controls should enjoy being able to participate. There are even more unlockables, but I won’t spoil the surprises.

Nintendo has taken some risks with this entry. While Smooth Moves was released during the peak of motion control popularity, the bloom has fallen off the rose by 2023. Also, putting a Mario Party-style board when the Switch hosts a pair of great original MP entries invites comparisons. But it paid off. With families having extra time off this season, I suspect this game will be a hit.

While WarioWare Gold on 3DS remains my favorite for solo play, when it comes to multiplayer parties, it’s hard to overlook Move It! It’ll keep you returning to it as you discover all the microgames, experiment with every mode, and shoot for hi-scores. Expect lots of smiles and laughter with the time-proven format. Fans will want this entry in their libraries to enjoy the hysterical hijinks.