Wario Land series - A Retrospective

[Jonnas]

So, for the past couple of months, I decided to (re)play a few games from one of my favourite series: the often overlooked Wario Land.

 

And I'm not talking about WarioWare, here. Not to belittle the the fatman's Microgame-related business ventures, but the original platforming series is fantastic. So I hope you don't mind if I do a small retrospective, here:

 

 

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (1994)

 

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The game that started the series. After Super Mario Land 2, its developers wanted to work on something they could call their own, instead of just doing Mario games. In a clever move, they decided to use the villain they had created, and thus the spin-off was born!

 

Even though the game still clings to some Mario staples (world maps, linear progression with the occasional secret, blocks, power-ups, turning into "Child Wario" when you're hit, etc.), it was pretty clear that the game's soul was turned elsewhere. This was not puny Mario, this was brute Wario!

 

Mario can throw fireballs, or maybe hover and fly? Wario has a flamethrower, jets through the sky and even causes earthquakes by butt-stomping the ground! Even his regular adult form can ram things with his shoulder.

 

But here's the most vital difference: Wario is the strongest thing in the game. He isn't damaged simply by touching enemies, in fact, most enemies are simply pushed around by this mountain of a man. A shoulder tackle can kill any enemy, and that's if you don't choose to simply pick them up and throw them around.

 

Furthermore, the entire plot is about Wario invading some poor saps' pirate island, plundering and stealing all their treasure, unprovoked. He's not trying to save anyone, he's not out for revenge, he's just a greedy asshole! The opening even shows Wario relentlessly pursuing an enemy out of nowhere, and the ending depends on how much money and treasure you've collected.

 

And it's with this unconventional, burly, villainous protagonist that a new series was born. I remember this game being one of the most popular back in my school. You could say Wario simply had an unique charm to him.

 

 

Wario Land II (1998)

 

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Originally released for the Game Boy, it saw new life with a DX release in full colour that same year. It was with the second game that the series fully formed its own identity. So, what changed...?

 

 

For starters, they run with the "Wario is strong" mentality even further: Wario can no longer die. At worst, he loses some coins, at best he gains superpowers. Are there flammable blocks in his way? No worries, he'll just set himself on fucking fire and power through them. Or maybe he'll get crushed by rocks, stung by bees, hammered by gorillas, get bitten by a zombie, eat too much candy... He doesn't care, it only makes him stronger.

 

It might sound like the game is easy, right? Not really. Levels are designed with his immortality in mind, and enemies will try to push you back at every opportunity they get.

 

 

One thing Wario does care about is money and treasure. After last game's shenanigans, the pirates are pissed and trying to get their loot back. Naturally, Wario needs to get back his stuff and then some!

 

The levels are much more fleshed out this time around, and the kleptomaniac in you will want to search every nook and cranny for coins and secrets. Seeing as you use these coins to unlock collectables, this behaviour is actively encouraged.

 

Speaking of secrets, have I mentioned how linear this game seems? Seems. After you beat it, you get treated to a chart of replayable levels, alternate paths, and yes, alternate endings. The game has plenty to offer.

 

So, after this gem of a game, what could they possibly do next?

 

 

Wario Land 3 (2000)

 

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I must confess: Wario Land 3 is one of my favourite games of all time. So, what's up with it, isn't playing as an overpowered fatso old by this point?

 

Well, I understand that a picture of him finding yet more treasure isn't that impressive by itself, until you realise that, in this game, treasures work like Mario 64 stars and Metroid power-ups all in one.

 

But first, some context here: Wario manages to get himself trapped in a magic music box with an island inside. A benevolent deity tells him that he can get out by finding other music boxes (meh) while keeping any other treasure he finds (zing!). Thus, he starts exploring this island. Back to world maps we go...

 

Once you enter a level, the treasure chest is your goal post, and you can usually only find one treasure. At first. That one treasure will shake things up considerably. Like, that ring over there can probably summon a mystical tower out of nowhere, thus unlocking a new area. Or maybe it will cause that one locked door in that one level to finally open, thus revealing new treasure in that level.

 

 

Unusually for this series, Wario starts out powerless. I mean yeah, he's still immortal, and he can still shoulder-ram stuff and gain random superpowers (more of them, in fact), but he can't swim, either! As you may have guessed, Wario can regain his fit form little by little with the help of said treasures, with each ability unlocking more stuff.

 

And have I mentioned that the game even offers a day&night system, with certain levels changing depending on that? I mean, how else would we be able to enter this door?

 

I guess you got the gist of the game. If you like Metroid, do yourselves a favour and play it. The level design is ingenious, and you'll always be pining for that next treasure.

 

 

Wario Land 4 (2001)

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To be honest, when Wario Land 4 came out, I disliked it due to its main flaw: it is not Wario Land 3

 

 

I mean, what kind of Wario game has health, what happened to immortality? Not to mention it goes back to more linear levels. But when I finally played it properly, I noticed there was more to it than that... I mean yeah, sure, you actually choose which levels you play first, Megaman-style (actually Mole Mania-style, but it's not like any of you played that one), but it's not that.

 

The goalpost is far more interesting in this game, as each level is actually a separate world you are visiting. You need to get in, find the bird, set it up the bomb and escape before the timer runs out and reality collapses. That doesn't sound like interesting level design, until you notice that many levels change dramatically once you hit that switch. Even certain treasures can only be found when you're running for your dear life.

Joining Wario's repertoire is the running headram. Sounds redundant (I mean, the shoulder is usually so much better for this), until you need to

(also, destroying stuff with the headram is more fun than you'd expect)

 

And as you can see from the picture, the art direction for this game is pretty inspired. The sprites are very fluid and dynamic, and that might just be the friendliest-looking boss in the game. That's a really unique pyramid that Wario chose to plunder (yes, that's the entire plot)

 

Another thing of note about this game is the soundtrack, which is actually pretty good (previous games had repetitive soundtracks, but this one may as well convince you to wear headphones).

 

In a nutshell, I was unfair to Wario Land 4 at first, but now, I think its only flaw is how short it is.

 

 

Wario Land: The Shake Dimension (2008)

 

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And now I must apologize: I have not actually played the Shaking game.

 

 

It sure looks pretty, though. And even though his transformations are not back this time around, his new powers sure keep in line with Wario's brutish nature. Between, throwing things farther than usual and causing earthquakes, it's like Wario is willing to break the world in half just to find those coins.

 

 

 

Shake it, Wario! Shake it like you mean it!

 

 

 

 

Yeah, that guy, too! Choke that chicke-wait a sec...

 

 

Virtual Boy Wario Land (1995)

 

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It was released between Wario Land 1 and 2, and considering the console it was on, it is easy to see why barely anybody played this game, even if it was one of the few games (if not the only one) worth playing on the Virtual Boy.

 

Supposedly, it plays very similar to Wario Land 1, except it features better sprites and animations, as well as the possibility to play on foregrounds and backgrounds (not unlike Donkey Kong Country Returns)

 

 

Sporting a red&black colour palette and rudimentary 3D technology, there doesn't seem to be any way to play this game properly, either... until you realise that the 3DS exists. "The game's still red", you'll think, but black&white versions of the game exist, and how hard would it be to give it a proper colour scheme, even if rudimentary?

 

Doesn't sound like it's worth the trouble, true... but to be honest, that demonic Mr.Burns intrigues me. I wanna try it just for that

 

 

Wario World (2003)

 

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I almost got this game instead of Mario Kart once. Never got around to play it, though.

 

I hear the main appeal of the game is, once again, Wario's burly nature. Picking up enemies, swing'em around, piledriving the shit out of them... And also that it's very short.

 

 

Don't know much else, I'm afraid. Sure looks and sounds fun, though. Especially if we consider that the game is made by Treasure, who are experts at action games.

 

 

Wario: Master of Disguise (2007)

 

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Yet another one I haven't played. In this game, Wario has multiple transformations at his disposal. Sounds zany enough for him, and keeping with the Wario spirit.

 

 

Unfortunately, it was panned by most reviews. The most common complaint was how gimmicky the use of the touch screen was, and how the disguise system could've been much better implemented.

 

But all I can say for sure is that I like the art style, and that everything is named after Italian food.

 

 

And there you have it.

 

So, what's your experience with this series? How many games have you played? Can you do a better job than me at describing the games I haven't played?

[Retro_Link]

Nice one @Jonnas!

 

I've played...

 

Wario Land: Super Mario land 3

 

I ABSOLUTELY love/ed this game!!

One of the best games on the Gameboy and I played it all the time!... however I honestly can't remember completing it!? (I'm not sure if I ever did), but I would go back and play levels over and over to find all the hidden treasure chests and hidden exits etc...

 

The hat's were SO much fun!!

The dragon hat... picking up an enemy and throwing it into the flames! :p The rabbit hat, and the bull hat... I just loved the concept, they were so much fun... Kind of in the same way the three different Animals were in Kirby's Dreamland 2 for example!

 

One of my favourite games from way back when for sure!!

 

 

Shake Dimension

 

This game is a gem and seriously overlooked!... which is SUCH a shame because IMO it's exactly the direction the 2D Mario series in general should be headed in for me!

 

Beautiful hand drawn animation, funny, original and fun boss fights, imaginative level design... Ships, Mines, Swamps, Casino's, Skies... it's more like the DKC games in this regard... not your standard boring themes!

 

I had great fun playing this and I'd recommend anyone to give it a go!

 

Great games!!

Edited April 24, 2013 by Retro_Link

[Mr-Paul]

Brilliant post Jonnas

 

Wario Land II was the first Game Boy game I owned, alongside Conker's Pocket Tales. I loved it. I had played the first one on my neighbour's Game Boy (on which we managed to get the best end-game prize - the whole planet!) and had to play the sequel! Number 2 remains my favourite, although I haven't played The Shake Dimension. I think I actually had a nightmare about the end boss of the third game, and Wario Land 4 was alright, although I didn't like how they sold out on the invincibility. The bosses were pretty awesome though.

[Magnus]

I like how you say that it's one of your favorite series, and then you haven't even played half of it. :p

 

There's a Virtual Boy emulator, if you don't want to wait for Nintendo to decide to port all five Virtual Boy games that were released to the 3DS. The 3D works perfectly with red/blue glasses.

[Jonnas]

I like how you say that it's one of your favorite series, and then you haven't even played half of it. :p

 

There's a Virtual Boy emulator, if you don't want to wait for Nintendo to decide to port all five Virtual Boy games that were released to the 3DS. The 3D works perfectly with red/blue glasses.

 

Well that's how damn good it is

 

Regarding the VB game, what I have is more like mild curiosity. I'd rather play a 3D game on an actual 3D machine. If a PC can't a run a rom perfectly, it's not worth it.

[The Peeps]

I loved the first 3 games. 1 and 2 were amazing, 3 felt like it lacked something but was still good. I started to fall out with the series after 4. It wasn't the same at all and each game after that felt like it was getting further and further away from the games that I loved.

 

Wario Land 2 was really great with the alternate routes you could take - and how to get there. I remember I had completed all of the game and had opened all the levels except for the trail leading off the very first level. I searched through the whole level for ages trying to find the secret exit. Then I realised I could stay asleep at the start (the first level you start off in bed and have to press A or something to wake up) and that turned out to be the hidden exit! Seemed really cool at the time.

 

The music in the first two games is really memorable but I can't say I remember any from the third game...

[Magnus]

If a PC can't a run a rom perfectly, it's not worth it.

But it can...?

[Jonnas]

But it can...?

 

It can't reproduce 3D by itself is what I mean. Even the lack of portability in GB/GBA roms irks me.

[Aneres11]

I really enjoyed reading through that @Jonnas : peace:

Great post!

 

Are any of the Wario games available on the eshop to play at all?! Be great to pick them up after hearing such glowing reviews from you and others!

 

I played the Shake Dimension and absolutely loved it! It was one of my favourite games on the Wii. I love when Nintendo makes their less likely characters the star of a game - it always seems to bring a very different feel to what is usually a familiar style of game.

All I'm waiting for now are games where Waluigi and Daisy get to be the star and I'll be a very happy man haha!

 

But yeah, cracking post!

[Jonnas]

The original trilogy is available on the 3DS eShop, I believe. I also think Wario Land 4 was part of the ambassador program, not sure if it's still available.

[Gentleben]

You forgot a Wario platform based game, Warioworld. I always felt the jumping was a bit awkard but it was a fun game regardless.

 

 

 

 

 

My fav has to be Warioland 4, has anyone else beaten the Extra Hard mode?

 

The time is soo tight and you have to grind at he minigames to buy weapons from the shop to help defeat the bosses without loosing any treasure. The only disapppintment is no extra bonus/boss for clearing that mode.

[Magnus]

He didn't forget Wario World - he listed it as one of the many, many Wario games he hasn't played.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

YES. I have sunk many, many hours into Wario Land II and III. Amazing games. Now I want to dig them out and replay them all over again!

[dwarf]

Played the original and no.4. Both awesome in their own ways - loved the world map and secret paths in 1, and the puzzle rooms and music of 4. The crunch sound effect + rumble really gave those butt stomps a kick. I remember the original gave you the ability to pull coins from your pocket for throwing at enemies/opening areas, which was really damn cool. You could tell the level designers were avid gamers.

[Retro_Link]

Seriously, look how pretty Shake Dimension is!!

 

You suck NSMB series!