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From Donkey Kong to Yoshi and beyond, plenty of Mario side-characters have their own gaming series. But few are quite as wild and iconic as Wario’s own WarioWare series. These games star Mario’s villainous foil and, rather than straightforward platforming, they consist of a series of interlinked microgames. From the first game onward, Nintendo employee Goro Abe has been involved as a Game Designer and Director. But Abe recently shared that he’s leaving Nintendo, and that has fans wondering about WarioWare’s future.
WarioWare Director Goro Abe Departs Nintendo After 27 Years
From the start of his career at Nintendo, Goro Abe has been linked with Wario. His first Nintendo programming credit was on the 2001 spinoff Wario Land 4. From there, he has largely been known for his work on the WarioWare series. He served a key role in the Game Design and programming for the franchise’s debut title, WarioWare Inc.: Mega Microgame$! in 2003. Abe also served as Game Director for its GameCube version, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! that same year.
Since then, there have been 8 additional titles in the WarioWare series. And Abe served as a Director for each and every one, often also working as part of the Game Design team. Most recently, Abe served as the Chief Director for the 2023 release of WarioWare: Move It! Fans of the series have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of a new installment in the beloved, chaotic spinoff series. In fact, many fans were hoping to see one in 2025, following the series’ recent tradition of a new game every 2 years or so. But no such entry emerged. And now Goro Abe, who has been closely linked to the series since its beginnings, has left Nintendo.
