“Get It Together!” makes for an excellent party game with its two-player campaign, as well as Variety Pack modes for up to four players.
Wario debuted in “Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins,” in which he stole Mario’s castle. History repeats as “WarioWare: Get It Together!” steals the title of “Switch’s best party game” from “Super Mario Party.”
The WarioWare series centers around Wario’s titular game company, which breaks into the games industry with a revolutionary new concept: microgames. Instead of spending millions on one complex game, Wario’s games are simple, cheap and disposable. Players have seconds to solve a bizarre objective before moving on in a microgame marathon. (Yes, Wario predicted the mobile games industry in 2003, except somehow Wario is less greedy.)
WarioWare games feature unique controls based on their respective consoles, like the DS touch screen in “WarioWare: Touched!” However, instead of using the Switch’s features, “Get It Together!” uses the console’s namesake by switching between 17 characters with different 2D controls. For example, Wario can dash horizontally and fly, while 18-Volt is stationary and throws projectiles. There are even character pairs, like Kat and Ana, that two players control together.
Before every microgame marathon, players select a handful of characters to randomly switch between, changing the controls with every new microgame. This naturally expands WarioWare’s spontaneous gameplay, forcing players to be alert for both objective and control changes. Brief intermissions between microgames allow for practice with whichever character swaps in, so although players have more to adapt to than previous WarioWare titles, it’s never overwhelming and gives fair reaction time.
Two-hundred-twenty-two microgames are split between categories themed around Wario’s friends and their interests. While there are a few stinkers, most microgames are fun to play. The highlight is 9-Volt’s Nintendo Classics featuring objectives from other games, such as navigating Donut Plains in “Super Mario World.” Nothing says “WarioWare games are high art” like tea time with Claude von Reagan from “Fire Emblem: Three Houses.”
Like the controls and microgames, the presentation benefits from variety. The visuals change with every microgame, from simple sketches to hilariously detailed art styles. Characters remain constant with adorable chibi models, which fit well with every microgame’s visuals while standing out enough from background elements. Most of the music lasts seconds for each microgame, but it always compliments the visuals and occasionally impresses with longer songs.
Characters, microgames and bonus modes are unlocked from a relatively short, but entertaining story mode. Since this is a party game, the plot is standard, but it does its job with fun boss fights and a few structural curveballs. Along with the wacky microgames, the dialogue and cutscenes continue to prove that Wario and company are instantly funny in any scenario that doesn’t involve Elon Musk hosting Saturday Night Live.
“Get It Together!” makes for an excellent party game with its two-player campaign, as well as Variety Pack modes for up to four players unlocked late in the story when there are enough characters to support larger games. The campaign doesn’t bore in the slightest and only lasts three to four hours, but for those hoping to play extra modes immediately at a party, these limitations slow the game’s pacing.
Fortunately, the Variety Pack is absolutely worth the wait. From surviving the work commute in “Daily Grind” to a rapidly changing best-of-five volleyball match in “High Five,” these bonus games add hours of replay value. The best of these modes is “Friendless Battle,” an arcade-like single player challenge in which one character survives an endless onslaught of evil clones, reminiscent of “Multi-Man Melee” from the Super Smash Bros. series.
Wario’s games bring seconds of cheap and disposable fun, but “WarioWare: Get It Together!” is neither cheap nor disposable. This entry brilliantly expands on WarioWare’s core mechanics, and the microgames and extra modes will keep players coming back for more. For Switch owners wanting a new party game, “WarioWare: Get It Together!” is an excellent pick.
“WarioWare: Get It Together!” is available for $49.99 on Nintendo Switch. A demo version is available for free on the Nintendo Switch eShop.
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