Wario World

"Is this what Nintendo has become?"

When I first saw some movies of Wario World, I was very suspicious. The story seemed real bad, the graphics themselves were OK, but the camera style was simply horrible. For a while I stayed as far as possible from this game, but lately I had no more games to rent so I went to my video store to rent this game. After only fifteen minutes of playing, I realized why I was so suspicious of this game.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
For the very first instants I played this game (during the video), I noticed how good the graphics were, and I also noticed how far-fetched and lame the story was. When I started playing it, everything went all wrong. Graphics were a mix of 3D and 2D, which is just plain horrible, the controls were real bad, and so was the story. I quickly realised that this game is meant for five years old kids, so if you are old then around ten, STAY AWAY FROM THIS GAME.

GAMEPLAY
Completing a level in this game is just like old super nintendo game, and no, nostalgia isn't good on a Gamecube game. You start at the left side of the map, and must go to the far right. Sure you can go a little up or down, but it's basically left to right, and this is also how the camera scrolls; left to right. The game doesn't last long at all!! It took me five hours to finish it. In total there are eight levels (four "worlds" with two maps in it), and each level are ridiculously short, so you will end up playing a maximum of seven or eight hours before you finish this game. As for the puzzles, they are so easy that even a five year old kid could do them with ease. To complete a level, you need a certain amount of red jewels, and to do that you must solve some childish puzzles or play stupid mini games, which are really boring. At least there are some interesting moves that Wario can do to fight off monsters, but the problem is that with those moves, you will barely never lose any life at all.

STORY
One word: Simplistic. Wario is a greedy treasure hunter that has more riches then he needs, with a golden castle (made of gold, duh), and one day, he steals a magic-made black jewel that belonged to an ancient tribe, which turns ALL his treasure and coins into monsters (which is actually not true... You will understand why I say that if you ever play the game). The story is boring, not interesting at all and too simple. Not the kind of story that can keep you on playing a game.

GRAPHICS
Like I mentioned earlier, it's a 3D game playing in a 2D environment. The backgroud is pretty nice looking, and so is Wario, even though WAY too cartonny. If you compare Wario World graphics to any other Gamecube Game, you will think they are horrible, but those kind of graphics suits well the quality of the game: Childish graphics for a childish game.

SOUND
One thing I REALLY hated of the sounds in this game is the annoying "na-na-na-nannaaaaaaaaaa" that Wario does all the time. It's so childish, so ridiculous and so annoying!!!! The music is also horrible. After few minutes of play I just turned down the volume and listen to some Celine Dion, which is 100 times better (and yes, I HATE Celine Dion)... Shows how horrible the music is. The sound effect is also horrible and very immature.

REPLAYABILITY
None at all, and thank god this game does not last long at all. If you are the kind of person that always want to finish a game, as bad as it is, you will be pleased by this point: the game is way too short. If you ever finish the game, you will never want to play it again to do the same boring stuff while looking at horrible graphics and listening to horrible music.

CHALLENGE RATING
Way too easy. You can buy one heart of life back for 20 coins, but at the end of level one, I had more then 1000 coins. And beside, the only times I lose some life is against bosses, and when you finish a level, you get your life back. Once again, this game is mostly made for five years old kids.

SCORE

GAMEPLAY = 1/10
STORY = 3/10
GRAPHICS = 4/10
SOUND = 1/10
REPLAYABILITY = 1/10
CHALLENGE RATING = 1/10
Overall (Not an Average) = 1.7/10
Gamefaqs score = 2/10

Reviewer's Score: 2/10, Originally Posted: 08/31/04, Updated 09/01/04