WarioWare: Snapped! (2009)
WarioWare: Snapped! is a 2009 DSiWare microgame collection that turns the Nintendo DSi camera into the controller. Instead of buttons, it reads your face and movement—tilts, nods, and goofy expressions—to trigger actions in rapid microgames.
Game Data
| Release Year | 2009 |
| Developer | Nintendo SPD |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Platform | Nintendo DSi (DSiWare) |
| Genre | Party / Microgame Collection |
| Players | 1 |
| Original Media | Digital Download (DSiWare) |
Gameplay:
Sit in front of the DSi camera and use head movement and facial reactions as input. Many microgames boil down to
“move left/right,” “get closer,” or “make a face,” translated into simple on-screen actions at WarioWare speed.
Story:
Wario discovers the DSi camera and immediately tries to monetize it. The result: a bizarre microgame “photo studio” idea
where you’re the controller, and the cast reacts to your movements like you’re part of the gag.
Trivia:
Snapped! is one of Nintendo’s earliest releases built primarily around camera-based control—basically a prototype mindset
for later gesture/camera experiments.
Snapped! is pure experimentation: it takes a tiny DSiWare concept and asks, “What if the player’s face is the controller?” The result is awkward, funny, and surprisingly forward-thinking for 2009—especially as a handheld download title.
Screenshots
Timeline / Versions
Why WarioWare: Snapped! Was Historically Important
WarioWare: Snapped! showed how handheld cameras could be used for playful interaction long before “AR filters” and camera-driven input became mainstream. As a small DSiWare release, it’s a snapshot (pun intended) of Nintendo’s willingness to prototype unusual control ideas—and it remains a quirky example of early camera-based gameplay on a portable system.
