Wario Land 4

"Another proof that Nintendo's still unrivaled in the 2D platformers field"

It all began as a spin-off to the greatly entertaining Mario Land series, but now Wario Land has reached its fourth installment, and for the first time it arrives on the new Nintendo handheld system. I had only played the first Wario Land game before, and it was probably the best platformer the Game Boy could offer at the time - not to say one of the best, and most original, Nintendo platformers ever. This fourth chapter probably isn't the kind of game you'd call a classic, but it's still a lot of fun.

STORY
Wario's read about a golden pyramid having been discovered in a jungle, and he has no doubt it must be packed-full of treasures waiting only for him to take them away! He immediately gets in his Wario car and zooms towards the pyramid site. A mysterious cat and a funny-faced professor are also looking for the pyramid... will any of them ever get back again?

GRAPHICS
The graphics in Wario Land 4 are excellent. Character and level design is impressive, and so is the use of colors, always bright and clear. Backgrounds are very detailed, and animation is perfect. If you look close enough, you won't fail to notice Nintendo's typical little nice touches here and there, which contribute to make the game a real joy for your eyes. Even if definition is not up to par with that of a Super NES, this game looks absolutely gorgeous if compared to many other 2D platformers around. End-level bosses are nicely designed and animated too, in the classic Nintendo tradition. There are even some FMV of some sort - check out the Sound Room and you'll be amazed. On the graphics department, Wario Land 4 just won't disappoint you.

SOUND
Am I exaggerating when I say that this game features the best sound heard so far on GBA? Maybe, but I don't think so. Music's no less than beautiful, and there are even lyrics in two of the many tunes you can listen to through the game (the Japanese song in the Palm Tree Paradise level is unforgettable). Nintendo is always great at composing simple, funny tunes that little by little take control of your mind, until you catch yourself humming them while you're walking on the street on your way to school or work. The sound FX are very good, too, with funny effects and even some digitalized samples of Wario's voice (bad guys always talk too much, you know). You HAVE to play this game with headphones - music is just too good for you to pass it by.

GAMEPLAY
As usual, the game is simple to master, but too good and too compelling to allow you to put down your GBA before the batteries have run out. Wario Land 4 plays wonderfully, and every move can be easily executed. There's nothing wrong in the controls department, nor in the structure of the levels - everything's been perfectly built up. Your aim is pretty simple - collect four pieces of a jewel, find a switch, press it, and go back to the level entrance before time expires. The countdown only starts after you've pressed the switch, so you have plenty of time to explore the level. And believe me, there's a lot to be discovered. Many walls and floors can be broken, opening the way to tons of treasures, and you can perform a wide arrange of moves to find secret passages and get rid of enemies along the way. If you search very, very well, you may even find a secret CD in every level, which you can listen to in the Sound Room. Every passage of the Pyramid consists of four levels, and if you can collect all the jewel pieces in all four, the door to the boss will open up. Beat all the bosses and the final passage of the Pyramid will open up. Interestingly enough, you must defeat bosses much before the time expires, or you won't be able to see the complete ending. But you'll discover why by yourself. And of course, you want to collect lots of $$$.

You can play Wario Land 4 in Normal or Hard mode. They're significantly different to each other - for example, key items are found in different places. Moreover, if you complete both modes, you'll open up Super-Hard mode, which is the ultimate challenge - maybe the ONLY real challenge this game can offer you, as Normal mode is probably too easy, and Hard mode can still be afforded even by not-so-expert players.

FUN FACTOR
It's fun, fun, FUN!!! Wario Land 4 is pure Nintendo fun at its best. It's entertaining in its every moment, and it will keep you playing until you've seen every little bit of it. It's not that different from other Nintendo platformers, but if people is still waiting for more Mario games after 16 years, there must be a reason. This game will remind you how video games are meant to be - fun, simple, and downright playable. A game doesn't need a zillion different cars to steal to keep you glued to the screen, and Wario Land 4 is actual proof of this fact. Remember this the next time you get a few hours to spend playing video games.

REPLAY VALUE
As you may have already imagined, Wario Land 4 is not a long game, nor it is any difficult to get through. If you don't care about high scores and hidden items, you can probably finish it in one or two days, and with little effort. Anyway, I don't think you'd buy a game like this just to see the ending. If you want to find all secret passages and all treasures, get high scores, and complete the game at all three difficulty modes, rest assured that you'll spend at least a couple of weeks on this title if you play it non-stop. Yes, it's got that much. I've played it a lot, and every further day I was finding yet another secret passage I had missed before. Remember, if you play the game at all difficulty levels, you'll be forced to find secret passages, so you'll get the max from the game. If you do care for games, you won't regret buying this. And even if you decide to just rent it, you won't be disappointed.

BOTTOM LINE
Forget Super Mario Advance - Wario Land 4 is far better than it. Actually, I'll go ahead and blame Nintendo for not releasing THIS game at launch - the GBA would have sold even more if this game were made available from day 1. I think it's a good reason to own a Game Boy Advance, not to mention one of the best and most entertaining games I've been playing lately. If you like the genre, ignore the Super Mario Bros 2 remake and go for this instead - it's definitely worth your money. It's probably beaten by Super Mario World in terms of sheer size and gameplay excellence, but only if you've never played SMW on the Super NES before. If you have, get this before, and say thanks to Nintendo for making it. It's one of the best games for the GBA, full stop.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/14/02, Updated 03/14/02