WarioWare DIY gets 'big name' creators

As WarioWare DIY hits shelves next week, its console companion game WarioWare DIY Showcase will be arriving on WiiWare, letting gamers create and share their own quirky minigames. To promote the fast-paced compilation's release, Nintendo has tapped a handful of professionals to show the enthusiast crowd how it's done.

Beginning March 29, gamers will be able to download free levels created by Nintendo heavy-hitters Masahiro Sakurai (Super Smash Bros.) and Yoshio Sakamoto (Metroid). WarioWare DIY's "Big Name Games" section will expand every Monday through July 26. Gamers can also check out behind-the-scenes making-of videos for these shorts through the Nintendo Channel.

To flesh out the "Big Name Games" section, Nintendo has selected a number of top indie developers and studios to create microgames for the DS and WiiWare games. Thus far, creators include Pixel aka Daisuke Amaya (Cave Story), 5TH Cell (Scribblenauts), WayForward (A Boy and his Blob), Gaijin Games (BIT.TRIP series), and Team Meat (Super Meat Boy).

An extension of Nintendo's zany line of chaotic minigame compilations, WarioWare DIY for the DS includes 90 bite-sized games. As its name implies, DIY lets gamers take these experiences one step further by creating their own microgames either by using premade graphics and sound samples or by starting completely from scratch. WarioWare DIY Showcase for WiiWare doesn't include game-making tools, but players can download minigames crafted in the DS edition. It also includes 70 exclusive minigames for players to work through.

For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of WarioWare DIY and WarioWare DIY Showcase.