Wario Land 4

"Awesome side-scroller action!!"

I'd like to start off saying that this game is very well done! I've never played any of the Wario games so I don't know if its like any of the other ones, but it is an excellent game wether you've played the other ones or not.

Story = 6/10
Wario finds out about a pyramid in the newspaper.
Blah-blah-blah
Wario goes to pyramid.
Blah-blah-blah
Wario kills baddies.
Get the point?

Gameplay = 10/10
Just like Mario but you're Wario! Wario has a lot more actions and attacks, plus he has more health and certain baddies don't hurt him, they only have special effects on him, such as turning him into a bat and setting him on fire!
In every level you must find 4 pieces that form together to become a diamond. Some of the pieces are hidden and you must use special actions to find it, which adds puzzle qualities to the game.You can still find coins and points from killing baddies. The controls are responsive and there has been no sign of slowdown yet. Wario can duck, walk while ducking( looks incredibly funny!), jump, Bash(main attack) jump bash, run, roll(duck on a slope), ground smash and jump duck.This game is a very simple game, but its not too easy and not too hard. The controls are very easy getting used too and this game is suitable for ages 6 and up. There are even some levels that teach you moves and how to do them! All in all this game has over 20 levels including the bosses. There are several mini-games you can play by exchanging money and items you can buy. If you like side-scrollers you'll love this one!

Graphics = 10/10
The graphics are perfect for a side-scroller!
There are plenty of colors and animations, each level is TOTALLY different! One level will look like you're playing in a freezer and another will be a jungle! the intro is pretty cool because you see Wario gets in his car and go to this pyramid. The sprites were well done and the bosses look sweet!!! Whenever you hit a boss his eyes will go blank and they will look very freaky. This game really puts the GBA's color pallet to the test!

Music and sound = 7/10
This game has very good SFX. Better than average. Every level has different music to blend in with the mood of the level. The Intro is really cool to because you hear someone singing in the background! A sweet feature in this game is that in each level there is a CD that you can find, Then when you go back into the main menu you can listen to those CDs !! Nothing fantastic though, just a little improvement on the GBA. Don't buy this game just for its sounds!

Replay Value = 6/10
Like a lot of side-scrollers once you're through this game you won't be playing it for a while.
It takes a while beating it though and part of the fun is finding all the CDs.
Whats really a bummer is that there is no multi player! they could've at least added a battle mode just to lengthen the expiry date on it.

Overall = 8/10
This game is excellent! It's an awesome 'on the road' type game and can keep you busy for hours at a time! A really good feature that eliminates the frustration is the mid-game save feature!
You heard me, MID-GAME SAVING! wherever you are! you can be in the middle of the air and still save! Wow, now that is what I call innovation!
If you love side-scrollers be sure to pick this one up!

Rent / Buy
Since I don't want to cause a lot of unhappy people, I recommend you RENT this game first.
But if you can't rent it and you need an answer right now, then if you like side-scrollers buy this game!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/28/01, Updated 08/28/01