You just popped the cartridge in. You’re ready to be the next big game designer, or at least make a 5-second microgame about picking a nose. But then, there’s Penny. She’s nice, sure, but she won’t stop talking. WarioWare D.I.Y. is notorious for its "Assembly Dojo," a mandatory series of lessons that feels like it lasts an eternity when all you want to do is draw some pixels. If you are looking for how to skip the tutorial in Warioware DIY, the honest truth is a mix of "you can't entirely" and "here is the fastest way to break through the wall."
Most players assume there is a secret button combination or a cheat code to bypass the hand-holding. There isn't. Nintendo built this game with a very specific, almost stubborn philosophy: if you don’t learn the logic, you can’t make the game. It’s frustrating. It feels like being told you can't play with Legos until you've read a 50-page manual on plastic polymers.
The Assembly Dojo Bottleneck
The tutorial is basically the game's gatekeeper. To unlock the full suite of tools in the DIY Shop—which is where the actual fun happens—you have to complete the first set of lessons. You're stuck in the Dojo with Penny, learning how to make a basic "Click the Object" game. It’s slow.
Here is the thing: WarioWare D.I.Y. isn't just a drawing tool. It’s a simplified programming language. The game uses "If/Then" logic, which they call "Triggers" and "Actions." If they let you loose without explaining that a "Mona" object needs a "Tap" trigger to execute a "Jump" action, you'd probably quit out of confusion within ten minutes anyway. But that doesn't make the dialogue bubbles any less annoying.
Speedrunning the Lessons
If you want to get to the creative stuff, you need to treat the tutorial like a speedrun. Don't read. Just look at the red arrows. Penny will point to exactly what you need to click.
- Mash the A button. Seriously. Just keep your thumb moving to breeze through the dialogue.
- Follow the pulsing icons. The game highlights the specific menu button you need to hit next. Don't explore. Don't try to be creative yet. Just do exactly what the arrow says.
- Finish the first three "Basic" lessons. These are the primary blockers. Once these are done, the game starts to open up its menus.
Actually, there is a tiny bit of nuance here. Some people think they have to finish every single lesson in the Dojo to use the game. That’s a myth. You only need to finish the initial introductory arc to gain access to the "Workroom." Once the Workroom is unlocked, you can stop being a student and start being a creator.
Why the Game Won't Let You Skip
Nintendo's design team, led by Goro Abe, wanted this to be an entry point for game design. In interviews around the game's 2009/2010 release, the developers emphasized that the "Dojo" was meant to prevent "creator's block." By forcing you to build a specific, working game, they ensure you have a template in your brain.
But for the modern player—especially those of us playing on an emulator or a cleared save file in 2026—it feels archaic. We’re used to "sandbox" modes being open from the jump. In D.I.Y., the "sandbox" is technically the DIY Shop, but it's empty until you prove you know how to use a paintbrush.
Using Pre-Made Assets to Cheat the System
One way to effectively "skip" the learning curve of making everything from scratch is to use the "Template" games. Once you get past that first hour of tutorials, stop trying to build "New Data." Instead, go into the pre-made games provided by the staff.
You can open these up, see how they are wired, and just "Save As" a new file. It’s the fastest way to bypass the logic-building headache. You aren't skipping the tutorial per se, but you are skipping the need for the tutorial's information.
The "Used Cartridge" Strategy
If you are playing on original hardware, here is a pro-tip that sounds silly but works: buy a used copy. Most copies of WarioWare D.I.Y. floating around eBay or local game shops already have the tutorials finished.
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When you boot up a used copy, check the "Dojo." If the lessons are checked off, do NOT reset the save data. Just go in and delete the previous owner's weird microgames. This is the only legitimate way to skip the tutorial entirely—by letting someone else do it ten years ago.
If you've already started a save and want to wipe it, you hold L, R, A, B, X, and Y at the startup screen. But be warned: doing this brings Penny back. And she has a lot to say.
Bypassing with Emulation and Save Files
For the crowd using Desmume or MelonDS, you don't have to suffer. There are "100% Save Files" available on sites like GameFAQs or various Reddit archives.
- Download a .sav file that has all tools unlocked.
- Rename it to match your ROM filename.
- Drop it in your battery folder.
- Boot the game.
Boom. No Penny. No Dojo. Just a full toolbox ready for you to make the weirdest 5-second games imaginable. This is technically the most efficient way to skip the tutorial in Warioware DIY, provided you aren't a purist about doing everything on your own hardware.
The Limits of Logic
Even if you skip the tutorial, you'll hit a wall if you don't understand the "AI" tab. In this game, AI isn't ChatGPT; it's a simple grid of instructions.
- Object: The thing on screen.
- Trigger: What makes it happen (Timer, Touch, Collision).
- Action: What it does (Move, Change Graphic, Play Sound).
If you skip the tutorial, remember that every game needs a "Win" condition. Usually, this is "If Object A is touched, then Win Game." If you forget that, your game will just loop forever until the time runs out and the player loses. It’s the most common mistake for people who found a way to jump past the lessons.
Actionable Steps for New Creators
If you're stuck in the Dojo right now and losing your mind, do this:
Spend exactly 20 minutes mashing through the first three lessons. Don't try to understand the "why" yet. Just get the checkmarks. Once you see the "DIY Shop" icon on the main map glow, click it immediately. This is your exit ramp.
From there, ignore the remaining lessons. Go to the "Workroom," select a "Template," and start swapping out the art. It’s much faster to learn by breaking a working game than by building a boring one under Penny's supervision. You can always go back to the Dojo if you get stuck, but getting those first tools unlocked is the priority.
The game is a masterpiece of constrained creativity, but the intro is a slog. Get through it as fast as your thumbs can move, and the real game begins.