WarioWare: D.I.Y.

Game Shark (A)

WarioWare: DIY is the “new” Nintendo at its absolute finest. It’s quirky, innovative, friendly, and so expertly designed that almost anyone can have fun with it – a tall order for what is essentially a piece of game design software. See that “DIY” in the title? It’s no joke.

IGN (9 out of 10)

This is truly Mario Paint for the Nintendo DS generation. Don't get WarioWare D.I.Y. if you're just interested in playing through the next batch of microgames from Nintendo; get it to show off that you have what it takes to do what Nintendo does. I love WarioWare D.I.Y. as a creative outlet: game builders have been around since the '80s but this is the first time I found myself truly engrossed in the process of building a game from scratch because of how simple yet powerful it is. Sure, when all is said and done there's not much to a five to 10-second "tap the screen" mini-game, but the fact that you can get something up and running and working in a short amount of time definitely fuels that sense of satisfaction and instant gratification.

Nintendo Life ( )

Being able to create your own microgames is a dream come true for many fans of the WarioWare series and the developers have come through with flying colors in delivering not only a very functional set of creation tools, but a package that is easy enough for just about anyone to make good use of. While the built-in games aren't quite of the variety and calibre of some of those found in previous WarioWare releases, they're still quite enjoyable and a nice blueprint for those setting out to create their own games. Fans looking to purchase WarioWare D.I.Y. simply to play the microgames might be a bit disappointed with the lack of variety in the included titles, but those who are willing to put in the time and effort to become familiar with the creation tools will likely find a very powerful and rewarding gaming experience limited only by their imaginations and free time.

Kombo.com (9 out of 10)

Much like the "Game Maker 21" in the game spits out micro mini-games, DIY will spit out gamers interested in learning more about the process of developing a video game. Even if the interface is over-designed, this is the closest thing to a true evolution to Mario Paint this generation might see.

Games TM (9 out of 10)

In practice, the software strikes that rare balance between accessibility and technical possibilities perfectly, making the creative process as fun as receiving your first paint set, and the satisfaction of playing and sharing your eventual products even greater.

Thunderbolt Games (9 out of 10)

WarioWare D.I.Y. is an inspired piece of software for the now-aging DS hardware. It gives players a taste of the intricacies involved in game making, as well as the tools needed to come up with great original content. It’s limited in many regards, but it’s also a near-perfect fit for the handheld space. As an on-the-go engine that will enable gamers to come up with bit-sized marvels on the fly, there’s simply nothing else out there quite like it.

Jeuxvideo.com (17 out of 20)

Intégrer un outil de création de micro-jeux dans un Wario Ware était exactement ce qu'il fallait pour relancer complètement l'intérêt de la série. Si on se lasse très vite des épreuves déjà existantes, on peut en revanche passer un temps infini à peaufiner la conception de ses propres micro-jeux. L'éditeur a le mérite d'être à la fois très complet et accessible à tous, et le fait de pouvoir échanger ses créations avec celles des autres sur le net est réellement motivant.

Play.tm (85 out of 100)

More than most games your personal level of satisfaction with WarioWare DIY will be directly proportional to what you expect out of it. If you're simply after another collation of mini-games then you'll be disappointed by the (relatively) thin pickings. However, have a desire to get under the bonnet, so to speak, and you'll find a fantastically realised game creation tool, one that manages to make learning to use it properly into a rewarding game in itself. Sure, you'll never create a 'real' game with it and there're certain restrictions even within the normal WarioWare parameters which trip you up now and then. However, even taking all that into account there's still a huge amount of scope for your imagination to run riot and that alone makes it well worth experimenting with.

NintendoWorldReport (8.5 out of 10)

Regardless of this, though, it would be foolish to ignore what Nintendo has accomplished here. Everything you could ever need to create the best microgame on the planet is in Wario Ware D.I.Y. Even if the learning curve is steep, you will be amazed at how much freedom the game offers when it comes to creativity. The additional comic and music modes, as well as the online modes, sweeten the deal even further. As long as you realize that this experience will be radically different from the rest of the series, WarioWare D.I.Y. should delight players.

1UP (B+)

WarioWare D.I.Y. is one of those games that frankly defies scores, and in fact I strongly encourage you to ignore the rating I put at the top. D.I.Y. isn't nearly as flexible as it could be, which means it does fall fairly short of its full potential, so, whatever -- B+. Yet despite the package's internal shortcomings, Nintendo has created a potent tool for expression here. Creativity often thrives under the most severe limitations, and those who relish the opportunity to entertain others (or even just themselves) in videogame form will love WarioWare D.I.Y. It provides a detailed yet streamlined mechanism for creativity, meaning the challenge is in coming up with creative ideas rather than wrestling with the interface. It's destined to appeal to a niche audience...but if you belong to that niche, you're likely to spend more time with D.I.Y. than with any other game this year.

Nintendo-Online.de (8 out of 10)

Durch die einfach gestalteten, jedoch mit vielen Möglichkeiten versehenen Editoren erhält man in „WarioWare: Do It Yourself“ die Möglichkeit absolut vielfältige Minispiele zu erstellen und beinahe jede Idee auf irgendeine Art und Weise umzusetzen. Eine minimale Einschränkung ist gegeben, die jedoch nicht davon abhält tatsächlich kleine Meisterwerke hervorzuzaubern. Durch die guten Online-Möglichkeiten sind zudem stets neue Minispiele gewährt, jedoch sollten wahre Spieler bei diesem Teil nicht vergessen, dass der Hauptaspekt auf dem Austüfteln von eigenen Mikrospielen liegt und der spielerische Anteil eher gering ist. Letztendlich sollte jeder daher selbst abwägen, ob dies einem zusagt. Wir können den Titel hingegen jedem Interessierten nur empfehlen.

Fragland.net (80 out of 100)

This new WarioWare is qua gameplay not really better than its predecessors and also the innovation is quite limited. Only when you start creating stuff yourself and like going online with your DSi this is worth getting. You'll find a beautifully worked out editor which will have you amaze friend and foe and can keep creating micro-games for hours. Excellent game but it would have been even better with a more accessible online infrastructure.

Giant Bomb ( )

It needs an easier way to track down user-made games, but the tools and concepts in WarioWare DIY are really sharp, which makes the process of making your own "microgames" a lot of fun.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (8 out of 10)

Perhaps hoping for proper online is missing the point, however. With its bright colours and bizarre comics, WarioWare DIY is built for the playground: built to allow you to hack a game together on a lunch break and show it to your friends during double maths. The uncomfortable truth, perhaps, is that Nintendo's take on user-generated content works because of what's left out, rather than what made it in. That's why the end result is constrained, but necessarily so: another effortless piece of cleverness, another modest marvel.

GameSpot (8 out of 10)

WarioWare DIY is a great WarioWare game if you're a fan of the series, but it's also much, much more than that. The included creation tools are user-friendly enough that anyone can work with them, but they're not so dumbed down that you feel like they're doing the work for you. There's even more fun to be had solving design-related challenges for these games than there is playing them, so if you have even a passing interest in making your own games, you'd do well to pick up a copy. And if you don't, you should still get a copy just so that you can enjoy the fruits of everyone else's labors.

4Players.de (80 out of 100)

Als reines Spiel betrachtet ist es ein eher durchschnittliches WarioWare: Es fehlt das alberne Drumherum, die Minigames sind zwar cool, aber zum größten Teil doch aus früheren Episoden wiedergekäut. Die wahre Perle versteckt sich im Editor, der ein echter Schatz ist: Hat man die wirklich langen Tutorials hinter sich gebracht, steht der Phantasie des Stylus-Schwingers kaum ein Hindernis im Weg - sofern er sich innerhalb der engen Minigame-Bahnen bewegt. Ein erstklassiger Blödel-Baukasten, der wirklich dauerhaft für Spaß sorgen kann, wenn man bereit ist, Zeit und Schweiß zu investieren.

411mania.com (8 out of 10)

For all of you design-oriented gamers out there, this is a title that you can't afford to miss. If you're just looking for a fun, "micro" mini-game experience though, you'd be better off grabbing one of the previously released WarioWare titles.

Level 7 (7 out of 10)

I WarioWare: Do It Yourself är det superenkelt att göra egna minispel som sedan lika enkelt går att dela med sig av till sina kompisar. Spelet är dock mer ett verktyg än ett spel och de korta formatet på spelmomenten kan bli en aningen uttjatat i längden. Möjligheterna är oändliga och för den som gillar att skapa och experimentera med spel på egen hand, är det som en skänk från ovan. Det kan vara extremt kul att vara kreativ.

The A.V. Club (C)

All of which is a lot of effort for little reward. The user interface isn’t nearly as transparent or intuitive as Nintendo believes it is. The paintbrush is for painting—that’s clear—but what about the button with a happy-faced guy with a beard? Or the button in the shape of a frog? There are good ideas here, and around 100 pre-made micro-games to play, but WarioWare: D.I.Y. ultimately reveals itself as an obscure, cluttered experience.