One of my favorite parts of WarioWare is its unique and colorful cast, and being able to finally play as all of the characters is an evolution to the WarioWare series I didn't know it needed. It adds a ridiculous amount of replay-ability as there are 20 characters with unique properties that will solve the 200 microgames differently. It also adds an incredible amount of difficulty since there is a higher learning curve for this entry. The story mode is essentially a 3-4 hour tutorial on all the characters. While this may sound overwhelming, this game brings the microgames back to their roots by using one simple control scheme, moving and pressing one button. No tilting the controller, no touch screen, no blowing into the mic, no tech-demo gimmicks are being used here, just fast paced, high-score action.

Being able to play through the whole story with a second player makes the game so much better too. In previous WarioWare games, multiplayer was only for the side modes, in Get It Together you can play through everything but two modes with a player two. I think this WarioWare is an essential Switch game for those looking for a two player game. I do think there is enough content here for single player buyers too, the weekly Wario Cup with online rankings has been bringing me back and leveling up my characters on my own.

I have a soft spot for this franchise, and I hope this entry leads to Nintendo using these characters in different ways in the future. It was so refreshing buying a first party Nintendo Switch game that was complete on release and filled with a ton of charm. Don't know the last time I said that

There is a 2012 Nintendo Direct where Iwata (RIP to a real one) spoke about the idea of Dokusou (独創). He explains that in English it means "to make something new or unique" and talks about how that idea drives Nintendo.

WarioWare as a series is Dokusou. It feels bombastic and exciting and unique; Unique even among Nintendo games which often stray away from the mainest-of-streams. Really, how many games from Nintendo or otherwise are this forward with their potty humor? Partner that with twitchy mini-games testing your reflexes and the punk rock gonzo-Richard-Linklater's-Slacker vibes, you're really playing something special. Sure, if the five second mini-games aren't your thing, you just aren't gunna like this game. But if it hits, Wario Ware hits.

However, WarioWare: Get It Together really feels like it has the edges sanded down. Perhaps Nintendo knows that Wario is a known property, and maybe they should go a bit broader this time around since their Switch console is such a hit, but this decision makes Get It Together to be one of the duller entries in the shining series.

Here's some examples of what I mean.

1. Every mini-game is controlled with just the control stick and the click of one button. This is because the gimmick in Get It Together is you are playing as Wario and his friends. While I like Wario and his friends (more on them later), this hampers the mini-games' opportunities to really go bonkers mode. Yes, the game mixes up who you are playing as, and yes, there are almost twenty unique characters to play as. But in old WarioWare games, you wouldn't have almost twenty unique play experiences- you would have roughly two hundred. Every mini-game included a meta mini-game of "what the heck am I doing in this one?" Get It Together instead asks a much less interesting question- "Who am I playing as again in this one?"
2. Touched is perhaps my favorite game in the franchise. I haven't played them all (including the much loved Smooth Moves), but Touched felt like a generous game. You don't expect a series about microgames to be so packed with content. I kid you not, I think I put 50+ hours into Touched... Get It Together I beat in under two hours. I don't want to overstate my discontent. It was a fun two hours, and I will be going back to unlock what little is left (basically just costumes), but this feels paltry. Especially when WarioWare was overwhelmingly a handheld franchise with a handheld price. Paying $50 for a smaller version of this mostly inexpensive series left a sour taste in my mouth. Maybe that stuff doesn't matter to you. It does to me.
3. Wario and his friends feel more marketable/sanitized. When Mona was first introduced, she was escaping the cops on her Vespa. Now she is a teenager concerned about her dirty room. Jimmy T used to have these wonderfully odd elements to his fascination with disco and the disco aesthetic. Now he is the sports guy. Wario used to screw over his friends as he was only interested in himself. Now he is less maniacal, and more just interested in money. At least 9-Volt still disobeys his mom.

I am being very harsh toward this game, but only because I know how good this series can be. I think Get It Together is a fun game, and I do recommend it. I just also think it could be better. It could be more WarioWare. It could be more Dokusou.