Wario World Review

Developer	Treasure
Publisher	Nintendo
Genre	Platforming

[Gristly Italian accent] I saw some dino dude, and I punched his face in! There was another one with a baseball bat. I punched his face in too! Then there was a guy with wings attacking me, so I punched his face in! Later on, there was some guy throwing bombs at me in a sand trap. I got so mad that I punched his face in! And after I found the guy that stole my treasure, and guess what? I punched his face in! He had it coming! [/Gristly Italian accent]

And so goes the first real home console Wario adventure. You’ll spend a lot of time punching people’s faces in, but that’s what’s so great about Wario. The game has so much personality that it’s easy to overlook its shortcomings; the most notable of which is its brevity.

Gameplay - Someone stole Wario’s treasure – again – and it’s up to you to help him get it back…again. Wario World is a straight up, old school platformer in 3D clothing. The levels are extremely clever, requiring you to search every nook and cranny to get Wario’s treasure back. Although not being able to adjust the camera takes some getting used to, the 2D style is pulled off extremely well and just popping in the game and playing for a few moments will send you back to the days of the SNES and the scores of side-scrolling beat-‘em-up platformers of old. Fans of the N64 games Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and another Treasure platforming gem, Mischief Makers, will be more than pleased with what Wario has to offer.

Fortunately, Wario has more in his arsenal of attacks than just punching people’s face in. I mean, how could he let that J-Lo booty of his go to waste? He utilizes that ample tush to butt-slam enemies, trap doors, bricks, and pile-drive the baddies. Wario can also grab an enemy and swing him around, taking out everybody and everything in his path. The enemies are vintage Nintendo and the bosses are all well thought-out and entertaining, if a tad too easy.

There’s a great deal of platforming action to be had here. Wario’s special abilities aren’t just used to dispatch a screen full of adversaries, but can also be handy to open special gates and areas. The game contains scads of treasure, secret areas, and hidden switches, and by using your noodle, these can be uncovered without too much difficulty.

Wario World also contains mini levels very similar to the ones found in Mario Sunshine. These are brief, very platform oriented puzzles in which Wario must go from the start point to collect the jewel located at the end. Again, these are also very enjoyable, but sometimes disappointingly brief and simple.

Graphics - Wario World doesn’t necessarily push the GameCube’s graphical ability, but this game is clean, polished, and refined with tons of character and eye candy, which makes up for the simplistic game design. To see it run in progressive scan is definitely a plus, given all the surprisingly impressive lighting effects. The backgrounds and landscapes are exceptional with lush color and design.

That being said, some of the more foreground objects really lack detail, which is at times glaringly obvious. It would have been nice had Treasure gone back and added subtle details to the bricks and especially the features of the enemies.

Sound - It’s difficult not to love Wario. I could spend hours listening to him repeat the words “Excellent” and “Bye-Bye!” over and over again, and the soundtrack to the game matches his kooky, obnoxious, but somehow charming personality.

It’s honestly what you’d expect from a Wario game. A bunch of goofball tunes which to give the game a big, fat, healthy dose of that “he’s so evil we love him” feel. It’s nothing you’d want to pump through your home entertainment system, but definitely true to the Wario form.

Overall Value - I love Wario. He’s my single favorite character in the Nintendo family and I can’t get enough of him. However, the game’s simplicity, linear structure, and brevity really keep it from being a great game and is hard to recommend for a purchase to anyone other than hardcore fans like myself because once you whip through the game in five hours or less, you’ll ask yourself, “Sure it was fun while it lasted, but was it really worth the fifty bucks?” Granted, there are the hidden Wario Ware bonuses you can unlock through the game, but if you’re smart, Wario Ware is already in your GBA collection.

Wario World is an extremely solid platformer that is a joy to stomp through, but by no means introduces anything new or innovative to the genre. If Wario’s your character of choice in the Nintendo lineup, and if you can’t get enough of hearing “Have a rotten day!” over and over and over again, it’ll definitely be up your alley. If not, take an evening off and give it a rental. It’ll make you laugh and please every gaming bone in your body.

Review by John Luedtke