WarioWare: Twisted! may be the second game in the series, but Nintendo was already looking for ways to make it stand out from the crowd – and in this case, we got a special cartridge with a tilt sensor inside.
This might seem fairly twee in an age where every device has an accelerometer inside it, but back in the pre-smartphone, pre-Wii days of 2004, it was a groundbreaking innovation. Equipped with a NEC-made piezoelectric gyroscope, WarioWare: Twisted! was built around mini-games where the player was expected to manipulate their GBA console in all manner of directions.
The oversized cartridge – which also includes rumble functionality – meant that WarioWare: Twisted! needed to be housed in an equally oversized box.
The Japanese version shown here – released as Mawaru Meido in Wario – adopts a different design aesthetic to its Western counterpart and comes with a gloriously detailed instruction manual.
"Without a doubt, WarioWare: Twisted! Is one of the strongest inclusions to the series, offering oodles of micro-games and unlockables, meaning there's plenty of replay value to be had in this downright surreal game," is what the good folks over at Nintendo Life had to say in a 9/10 review. "It's got some great graphics and appropriately wacky sounds, as well as some catchy jingles to listen to. Whilst some of the stages are notably weaker than others, and the final big souvenir is a waste of time to unlock, this game is most definitely an excellent step-up to the otherwise already brilliant first game in the series."
Let us know if you have any fond memories of this game by posting a comment below.
Comments 13
As a kid, I remember looking through magazines such as the Official Nintendo one, getting really excited to play on this. When I discovered that it wasn't getting a UK release, I was gutted. Back in 2004/2005, I would have only been 14 or 15 and wasn't overly familiar with the world of importing back then. Ever since, I have always been a huge WarioWare fan, I've picked up every release and has since gone on to become one of my favourite Nintendo franchises. A couple of Christmases ago, I saw a shop have a copy of WarioWare Twisted in their collectors cabinet. I was umming and arring as to whether or not I should have picked it up. After a half an hour phone call discussing it with with my girlfriend, we eventually settled on it being a Christmas present, but it would be the only present I would receive that year because of how expensive it was. I went up to the counter, told them I wanted it, and they told me I couldn't have it because not 5 minutes ago, they had sold it on their eBay store. I was wounded. Why did I not just pick it up?! Seeing this one continuously skyrocket in value is something that has always made me sad, but just this month, funnily enough, I thought stuff it and went on ebay to track a copy down. The prices were insane, but was adamant that I would find a copy that I would at least be happy to part my cash for. Wouldn't you know it, I found it at the same price I saw it at that retro games shop a couple of years ago. It's fantastic. It's so much fun and is easily the best in the series in my opinion. With Switch having gyro, I'm hoping they take a leaf out of Kirby's Tilt n Tumbles book and release it on NSO for everyone to play.
Damo you have the all time classiest GBA 🤤 always love to see it. 👍
Japanese release = cheap (especially cart only), western release = expensive. I was hoping I could replace the ROM chip on the Japanese cart with a chip flashed with the English version, but there's no flash chip that's a drop-in replacement. Bah, I'll probably play it in Japanese at some point. That or play it emulated on Switch, if the emulated tilt works well enough.
@-wc- Thanks! I'm pretty proud of it! There are some amazing custom GBAs out there now, and they're not too expensive, either.
I do have this game, including its mammoth box, though it's the US version, which does not look quite as classy, I must say. It's interesting looking at Nintendo's pre-Wii dabbles with motion control. I find Kirby Tilt N Tumble pretty difficult and have never gotten very far. But I am seemingly one of the only people that enjoyed Yoshi Topsy Turvy. I'm not saying it's Yoshi's Island good, but I think it's pretty fun.
I was fortunate enough to pick up Twisted when I was visiting New York with my then girlfriend in the Nintendo store. It was the only game shop on the island I found.
As the GBA was the only console I could buy for back then, I also randomly picked up Boktai and Golden Sun.
Still got all of them, good memories and all that.
Flipping mental how much these are worth now pretty sure they'd pay for a return trip now. Crazy.
I'm still mad at Nintendo for not releasing this on the switch online app, it's one of the best WarioWares without a doubt. For those who couldn't try the game, i could play it on my Android cell phone with an emulator. The lack of buttons wasn't a problem since the game barely uses them. And you can also emulate it on a modded new 3DS with mGBA, but it has a few slowdowns although it's quite playable.
@Damo
it reminds me of my beloved (and long gone) childhood "play it loud" clear gameboy, but i like it even more with the raspberry buttons!
and the OG shiny black dpad style on a GBA really is a look!
anyway cheers, thanks for the article 😊👍
I am not interested in WariWare, but seeing the pictures you made, makes me want to try Twisted! . Looks like fun.
I still have my boxed US copy I obtained on import. Played it a lot back then.
Holding out hope this game will finally release in Europe via Switch Online. Kirby Tilt n Tumble is on there so surely it's not out of the question!
I love this game so much!
The tilt mechanic really makes this game stand out.
I own both the Japanese and the US version (which I bought fairly cheap from CEX sealed!) 😁
Have the japanese team, felt like little magic... bit overtaken by warioware because that incorpates most of its games with- more modes.. will put it my analogue pocket tonight just to admire its box..
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