Wario Land 3

"Wario Land 3 makes the entire Mario Land series eat some gravel due to its original and deep gameplay"

Wario Land 3 is my only real foray into Mario's seedy underground world, where greedy tyrants, like Wario, rule.
Maybe I had never bothered with the likes of Wario before because I wasn't really all that impressed with the original Mario Land series, which offered nothing more than the standard gameplay mechanics found in the NES and SNES versions. I thought Wario Land would be just the same...and clearly I was wrong.

While it's true that the concept of "Wario" is extremely cheap and flat-out unoriginal (come on, the whole "evil twin" thing is WAY overdone), it has been proven to me by the likes of Wario Ware, Inc. and Wario Land 3 that Wario himself creates a breeding ground for depth and originality.

To set it straight right now, I should say that you should NOT play this game if you're looking for a standard "jump,kill, make it to the finish line" platformer...because you will be severely dissapointed. But hey, that's what I LOVE about this game.
What makes Wario Land 3 so much better than its Mario Land counterpart is the fact that THINKING plays a pivotal role in the overall gameplay. This game is so chock full of little mind-benders that it could keep you caught up for hours in just ONE spot if you're not sure what to look for. As Wario gains abilities he can do more, and then you can revisit old levels and find lots of new things -- treasures, to be exact.

Each level has four treasures, and each level has two main objectives : 1) find a certain color key, and then 2) unlock the corresponding colored chest to get the treasure. It sounds cumbersome, but in execution it really isn't. You really have to work to get each piece of treasure.

What may turn people off about the whole treasure-collecting concept is the amount of backtracking involved...and there's lots of it, especially if you want to get ALL of the treasure. Remember, I said that there is four sets of keys and four chests for each level (there's also a lot of levels) -- but you can't unlock them all at once, due to the fact that Wario needs certain abilities to reach certain areas. By unlocking treasures in other levels you can gain the power-ups you need to be able to do such things as a)swim, b)pick up and throw enemies and c) break blocks with your head, just to name a few.

My only complaint about this game besides the uninspired soundtrack (which isn't really bad, just boring) is the learning curve. When I first sat down with this game I was completely daunted and confused by the overall gameplay concept, because I didn't really understand my objectives (I bought my cartridge used without a manual). I would HIGHLY recommend reading through the game manual if you have it just to make sure you have the basic gist of what's going on gameplay-wise.

Besides that, Wario Land 3 is golden -- a true gem for the Gameboy Color, with unrivaled originality and depth. If you really want an unconventional twist on the platforming formula, then this game is exactly what you're looking for, and it will keep you occupied for a long, LONG time.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/07/04