WarioWare Move It! review: Nintendo party game is on top form

WarioWare Move It! is the latest title in Nintendo’s beloved party game series, but does it push the series to new heights or fail to move it in a new direction? 

WarioWare games have always been the testing ground for Nintendo. A place for its developers to experiment and show off their whacky side. Not only do the quickfire microgames make great use of each console’s main gimmicks, they never fail to get players laughing. They’re as absurd, as they are ingenious. 

While WarioWare: Move It! isn’t Nintendo’s biggest release of the year (I’m looking at you Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom), it still delivers plenty of fun-filled moments that encapsulate what this series is all about. 

WarioWare: Move It! Key Details

• Price: $49.99 | £39.99
• Developer: Nintendo
• Release Date: November 3, 2023
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch

Back to basics 

WarioWare: Move It! kicks things off with Wario and his colorful crew being whisked away to Caresaway, a beautiful sunshine-soaked island resort that is the perfect place for some R&R. However, relaxation is far from the top priority here, as our titular troublemaker discovers mysterious items known simply as Form Stones – rocky replicas of the Switch’s Joy-Cons. 

Just like previous titles in the WarioWare series, Move It’s story is incredibly light and takes a backseat to the game’s main focus, which is the whacky and whimsical microgames. And, I’m happy to say that they are both bigger and better than ever before. 

Unlike WarioWare: Get It Together! which enabled players to pick specific characters and don their unique abilities, Move It! adopts a more traditional approach. Instead, players need to adopt specific forms using the Joy-Cons motion controls, carefully mimicking poses. And it’s here where the real fun begins. 

Microgames on top form 

Whether it’s using the Joy-Con IR motion camera to copy onscreen gestures, grappling with a rabbit-eared wrestler, or narrowly limboing out the way of a plane, WarioWare: Move It! is brimming with everything from ordinary everyday tasks to wildly absurd scenarios. 

By taking a physical approach to its smorgasbord of microgames, Nintendo’s party game is more active, silly, and fun than ever before. Oftentimes, the quick switches between forms made it feel like I was doing a weird workout of sorts, where I’d go from flailing my hands wildly in the air to mimic seaweed, then adopting a squatting sumo pose for some exaggerated leg stomps. Sorry downstairs neighbours! 

The added physical nature of the game was particularly prevalent when each stage sped up. This tested my reaction times and ability to fluidly switch between forms, before I entered the final fisticuffs with the level’s boss. These showdowns can be absurd, like an aerial mech battle, where I had to quickly maneuver my colossal robot’s arms in order to shoot little robots. This was then followed up with a final shoot-out, where I had to hit weak points on the boss to deliver the killing blow. 

Another boss stage had me playing whack-a-mole with octopus tentacles, hitting any attacking appendages before they struck me, before using my two hammers to parry back incoming cannon balls. 

Sacred Pose saves the day

Due to the quickfire nature of the microgames, mistakes are bound to crop up. Fortunately, if you fail, you can perform a Sacred Pose to hop straight back in. This comes at a price to your dignity though, with you having to recreate an outlandish pose that will oftentimes have you in fits of laughter, particularly if you’re playing with a group of friends. 

I did find that there was some repetition in levels, with a number of microgames cropping up in remix stages. This is not a major gripe by any means, especially when you consider that there are over 200 microgames to master, but something to bear in mind. However, one of the more egregious problems I found was that the JoyCon didn’t always register my movements, which is a problem when you’re trying to copy more precise forms. 

One example was during microgames that required the new drop feature, which sees the strapped Joy-Cons being dropped and then pulled up quickly in tandem with the on-screen cues. Fortunately, this didn’t happen very often and the motion controls of the Switch are a  welcome step up from frustrating days of frantically waggling the Wii remote about. 

Solo silliness & co-op capers 

WariorWare: Move It! is the kind of game where you may want to consider closing the curtains and locking all the doors before playing. That is unless you don’t mind trying to explain the strange yoga sessions that have been taking place from within your living room to your neighbor. 

Of course, you could always invite them all over and play the two-player story mode or four-player party mode. After all, nothing breaks the ice better and strengthens family bonds quite like watching your loved ones catch a fish between their thighs or frantically trying to mimic a steam train. 

One of the most notable party game modes is Medusa March, a fun take on the Red Light, Green Light game popularized by the hit South Korean survival drama, Squid Game. During this mode, four players need to complete microgames as quickly as possible, then use the Joy-Cons to carefully walk toward Medusa. Any mistimed steps result in the offending player turning to stone. The first to reach the Medusa and land the killing blow will be the victor. 

Another saw us competing on a Mario Party-style board, completing microgames to claim points, and rolling dice in order to reach the end goal and claim the 100-point prize. There’s even a tile that gives your points to your rival, which will really help test your friendship. If competing with one another isn’t your style, then there’s the Copy Cat Mirror mode. Here one player takes control of the Joy-Cons and looks away from the screen, while the other mimes the actions, relaying them so that you can pass each stage. 

WariorWare games have never been one for longevity, with most only taking a couple of hours to complete. WarioWare: Move It! is no different, and while the added party games don’t eradicate its replayability problems completely, they do help alleviate it somewhat. Just don’t go in expecting a meaty experience that will span hundreds of hours. 

Verdict 4/5

WarioWare: Move It! is the embodiment of fun. It’s the kind of game that pulls people together, quickly turning the quietest gatherings into laughter-filled frenzies. If you’re expecting a meaty gameplay experience that will have you hooked for hundreds of hours, then you’ll definitely come away disappointed. 

But, if you’re after a whacky party game to play solo or together with friends and family, then WarioWare: Move It! is a great addition to your Switch collection.