Microgame

Microgames are short minigames first appearing in Mario Artist: Polygon Studio and later in the WarioWare series. In the WarioWare series, each WarioWare, Inc. developer typically has a different style or control type of microgame. In WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! and in WarioWare: Twisted!, the average microgames are 8 beats (4 seconds) long, but Orbulon's ones and two ones of Wario-Man in WarioWare: Twisted!, which require thinking, are 16 beats (8 seconds) long, and Fronk microgames are 4 beats (2 seconds) long. Also WarioWare's microgames have a unique time limit which will result in a Game Over, but the timer for the other microgames will appear if the player has not completed the microgame for a long time. In WarioWare: Touched! and WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase, Orbulon does not offer a set of microgames; all the other developers have microgames that last twice the time and partly require of thinking, making Orbulon's special role in previous installments obsolete. The same goes for WarioWare: Smooth Moves, although in this game, Wario, Dribble and Spitz and Penny don't have microgames that last twice the time to complete. Some microgames, such as Gold Digger, Dry Eye, Crazy Cars and 9-Volt's microgames, are recurring.

The term "microgame" is, according to Mario Party Advance's manual, also applied to any small challenge given in that game's quests. As such, the microgames of Mario Party Advance can be very varying in style, purpose, and simplicity; completing a microgame typically rewards the player with a Gaddget.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl & Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, the WarioWare stage is made up of a series of microgames. If the players win the microgame, they are rewarded with item effects, including growing (Super Mushrooms) and becoming invincible (Stars). Also, in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, there is a stage called Gamer, based off of Game & Wario

In Game & Wario, microgames are present in 9-Volt's minigame, Gamer. Some of them are recreations of microgames from past games (i.e. Gold Digger and Sole Man).

In Mario Party: Island Tour, four microgames appear in the minigame Puzzle Pronto.

WarioWare microgame lists
There are a total of 1002-1164 microgames in the series (not counting WarioWare: Snapped! and Game & Wario).
 * WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! and Mega Party Game$! - 213 microgames
 * WarioWare: Twisted! - 223 microgames
 * WarioWare: Touched! - 190 microgames
 * WarioWare: Smooth Moves - 205 microgames
 * WarioWare: D.I.Y. (Referred to as simply "games") - 95-185 microgames
 * WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase - 76-148 microgames