New Screenshots and Gameplay Analysis for Game & Wario

Game & Wario was first announced at E3 2012, and since then, little information has surfaced about the game. We know that it will revolve around a smaller collection of minigames akin to Nintendo Land, rather than the traditional frantic WarioWare, Inc. gameplay based on completing dozens of seconds-long microgames. But now five screenshots have surfaced, and looking closely, they reveal several little tidbits of information about the game.

This first image is quite simple, but it reveals quite a bit. First of all, the minigame featured in this screenshot has yet to be announced, but it would appear to be a digital drawing game similar to Pictionary. The person drawing the image appears to have a clue as to what to draw, while the other players must guess within the given time limit, with points awarded to those guessing based on time remaining. It also shows that the game allows five users to play at once, each with their very own avatar, rather than a Mii. This could mean that five local players in the same household rotate controllers based on the roles they play in any one round, but it could also hint that the game allows online multiplayer for people who wish to play from multiple households.

This image shows off a previously-announced minigame called Arrow. In Arrow, players use the GamePad to help Wario fight off a herd of miniature Wariobots from his precious crop of strawberries. You can shoot explosive items to take out multiple robots at once. Don’t let them get to the front of the screen, or you’ll have to fight the hoard of robots as they swarm your GamePad.

This image shows off Gamer, where 9-Volt appears to be playing video games late at night when he should be sleeping, instead. Nintendo really hit the nail on the head with the “child gamer” concept there. In the background, you can spot a picture of a woman, presumably 9-Volt’s mother, who may be patrolling to make sure he gets a good night’s sleep. Judging by the meter at the top of the screen, your mother’s attention is caught by certain actions in the game, and allowing her to see you means big consequences for the player. As we can assume from the balloons in the upper-left corner, it’s three strikes and you’re out, which could mean either failing three minigames, getting caught by your mother three times, or some combination of the two ends your game.

9-Volt has traditionally been known to enjoy retro video games, and it would appear that Gamer revolves around 9-Volt playing minigames from the original WarioWare, Inc. released nearly ten years ago, now. There’s also a nice easter egg in the background in the form of a Virtual Boy sitting next to 9-Volt’s TV.

In this screenshot, we see two players go head-to-head on the GamePad in some sort of club-themed minigame DJ’ed by Mike, the Robo MC from WarioWare: Touched!. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the players take on the form of dancers whose outfits allude to Mario and Luigi, with possibly a wider set of costumes to be revealed in the future.

The gameplay seems to involve the two players either hitting objects back and forth across the screen as if playing a dance-based version of Ping Pong. Alternatively, the two players’ goals may not be directly competitive, but rather based on individual score. Given the musical setting, it seems that that type of gameplay would be similar to Tap Tap Revenge for iOS devices.

This last image shows off what become of the Wii U’s tech demo, “Shield Pose.” Shield Pose has players using the GamePad as a shield, defending their ship from pirate attacks from the left, right, and center. With only a moment’s notice from the opposing pirate indicating what direction to move the GamePad and block the attack, Shield Pose now takes on a new form as Wario fills the role of the opposing pirate leading the charge against your crew.

Now knowing a little bit more about the game, I’m certainly feeling more compelled to pick up a copy of Game & Wario when it releases this Spring. What are your thoughts on these new screenshots? Are you looking forward to seeing your favorite WarioWare characters back in action?