Wario Land II

"No 'Game Over' isn't that bad?"

When this game first came out I wanted to get it because the pervious Wario game was very good. After getting the game I knew it was not as good as the first just for one reason which is not being able to die. Despite what Wario says in the booklet Wario land 2 is not better than the first, just read on to see what I mean.

Story 7/10
The story is similar to the original game. After collecting treasure Wario goes to sleep then Captain Syrup and the black sugar gang steal it, so Wario has to go and get it back. It's not much of a story but because it isn't to complex I don't see much of a problem.

Game Play 7/10
Although it doesn't sound logical, Wario dying was a good thing but this immortal business just spoiled the game. When I first saw that I thought what's the point in playing, the only danger is loosing coins. Battling bosses can be frustrating the stages are set up that the boss you're battling tries to places you back up the stage, meaning you have to go all the way back down to try again. Wario has fewer moves than in the first game and now there's no more items that make Wario fly and breathe fire. Instead certain enemies transform Wario which help you get past certain areas but it isn't as good. Another new innovation which wasn't in Wario Land 1 are the mini-games which unlock certain things including treasure. The controls are simple so it's not much of a problem to control Wario. Being immortal makes the game play monotonous having to do things over and over, other than that the game play is acceptable.

Sound 8/10
The sound effects are not the best; just listen to Wario when he gets hit by an enemy to see what I mean. Most of the background music has a similar tune I can still remember most of them. The music changes when Wario turns in to certain conditions like 'Hot Wario' but they aren't that good to listen to. Only a few of the sounds in the game are
terrible.

Graphics 10/10
Wario Land 2 has better graphics than most game boy color games I've seen. Everywhere is very detailed no hard to see areas, everything is clear to the spot which is good for the matching mini-game. All of enemies look how they are supposed to look even Wario himself is nicely drawn. The graphics is the best part of the game nothing to complain about.

Re-playability 8/10
It is possible to replay (and enjoy) this game after beating it the first time because of all the secret treasures and stages to unlock. Once you have gotten everything you can still have fun with the mini-games, so I'd say it's still good to play once in a while.

Overall 8/10
Most things are better than the original, this game is an example. If you have played the first Wario Land you may be a bit disappointed with the 2nd. As long as you don?t mind having to do certain task over and over Wario Land 2 is a good game to get.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/13/02, Updated 12/13/02