Wario Land 3

"Despite "tradition", the third game in the Wario series is actually the best."

Yes, that's right. Wario Land 3 is a first timer for me. This is the first time I've seen a series where the third game didn't suck (no one talks about Virtual Boy Wario Land, remember?). Ever since the first Wario Land came out for the Game Boy, the Wario series have always given us humorous storylines, top-notch platforming, and overall great quality. I'm proud to say that Wario Land 3 does not disappoint in any way. In fact, I have no doubt saying that Wario Land 3 is the best in the series.


Story
The story in Wario Land 3 is nothing short of original. Wario is flying over a large forest in his luxurious airplane one day, where all of a sudden he crashes to the ground. He lands near a small cave, and decides to go inside. In the cave, Wario finds a strange musical box. Upon touching it, he gets sucked into the musical box and is transported to a vast world! He lands in a temple, where a mysterious entity asks for Wario's help. The figure asks for Wario to bring him five music boxes, which will release the figure from his prison. In addition, he will transport Wario back to his home world and let him keep all the treasure he finds in the way! Unsurprisingly, Wario gladly accepts, knowing that he will be getting some moolah in his pocket at the end of the day. It's not the most eye-catching of stories in video games, but the story in Wario Land 3 is definitely original and impressive.


Graphics
Considering how this is a Game Boy Color game, we finally get to see Wario in color. Lush backgrounds and various critters are depicted perfectly, and Wario's moves look fresh and clean. There is a very nice focus and attention to detail, as you can pick out minor things that would normally be overlooked by others. Noticing things like that shows how much work was put into the graphics. The graphics in Wario Land 3 are near perfect; they feel like something off of the SNES.


Controls
The controls in this game are very simple and feel good. The A Button is simply used for jumping, and B is used to charge. Wario can pull out a large moveset to defeat his foes by using various button combos. The controls in Wario Land 3 are nothing to complain about, so I won't.


Sound
To be frank, I was impressed by the audio in Wario Land 3. Being a comedic game, there are many "funny" and cartoony sound effects and all sorts of different sounds. There is a wide variety of different music sets in each level. The music also changes when Wario turns into one of his many hilarious forms, and sometimes they fit with the situation. The audio in Wario Land 3 is very charming and all of the kooky sound effects and nice variety of music are top-notch.


Gameplay
Of course, the main craze of Wario Land 3 is from the gameplay itself. As it slowly pulls away from its predecessors more and more; Wario Land 3 has turned into a totally non-linear game. You can't necessarily go anywhere, anytime, but it is as non-linear as a Wario game is going to get. Here's the jist of things: there are 25 levels in this game. The levels are quite large by themselves, and each level holds four different treasures: a gray treasure, a red treasure, a blue treasure, and a green treasure. The treasure chests all hold an item of some sort. Some items are powerups that teach Wario new skills. Others let you progress through the game. Heck, some of the treasures are just dead weight and don't do anything. Now here's the catch: you cannot get all four treasures in one play through the level. You usually can't even get two at a time.

Once you get the first treasure of the level (the gray ones), you are usually given access to a new level. Now of course, some of the chests are harder to get than others. Usually it goes in order. Gray is the easiest, red is a tad harder, blue is pretty hard, and green is just frustrating. There are also several bosses in the game, and some hold treasure chests themselves. In order to reach all 25 levels, you'll have to do a lot of time backtracking. A LOT of time. For example, you will not be able to get the final treasure chest in the first level for a long time. In fact, the final treasure chest in the first level is the LAST treasure you must get before going on to the final boss. As you can see, you will be doing a lot of backtracking.

At first, a level may seem somewhat small and short when you first enter it. That's only because of the limited capabilities Wario is given. After gaining powerups (of course, found in treasure chests scattered around the levels), Wario can unlock an area or two and delve far deeper into the level. After that, it's almost a whole new level to explore. On top of that, a new system is incorporated into Wario Land 3. In fact, this is one of the first time I've ever seen this incorporated into a video game; it's the Day/Night system. After you beat a level (get a treasure), the time will change from day to night. Most of the time it's just for show (the graphics will also change according to what time it is), but sometimes you can only progress through a level at a certain time of day.

Despite all of it, you would think that the game is easy. Not by a long shot. Like in Wario Land 2, Wario has adopted the oh so magnificent trait of invincibility. That's right; he cannot die. Don't be fooled by this sweet ability. Wario Land 3 still remains as difficult as expected, for getting hit by a boss even once can result in you starting the whole level over again. It's troublesome and frustrating, so don't think you are being rewarded by Wario's invincibility. Luckily for us, Wario has also retained something else from his previous games: the ability to change physical forms. Wario can alter his body by coming in contact with enemies or scenery. For example, if you eat food thrown by an enemy, you will turn into Fat Wario. While this seems unaffective, being morbidly obese is quite rewarding. Wario's massive weight allows him to break blocks that were too strong for his normal self.

There are many different forms that Wario can take on, and all of them are as useful as the other. Many are needed to progress through the level or even solve puzzles. And on top of ALL of that, there are some nice rewards for you at the end of the day. Well, kind of. You are given a very neat mini-game in Wario Land 3. It's a mini-golf game, called "Wario Golf"! You can play the game just for fun, but beware, it is very hard. Other times, beating a game of Wario Golf is necessary in order to progress through the level. So in turn, you're pretty much being forced to play mini-games. I don't find that bad at all, considering how I think the mini-game is quite fun.

So, in short, the gameplay is top-notch, and it has massively exceeded my expectations. There is so much to do, and even though most of it is painfully difficult, the reward of playing through the game is enough.


Replay Value
Why is that? I'll tell you why. There are 100 treasures to be found in the vast land of Wario Land 3. The catch is that you only need 50 to beat it. That's right; you only need half of all the treasures in order to beat the game. So when you're done with the game, you can still go out and collect the other half! Once you collect all 100 treasures, you unlock Time Attack Mode. In Time Attack, you must race through each level, collect ALL 4 treasures, then exit in a record time. This is a very fun (and hard) addition to the game, which is definitely worth your time. Not only that, but there are special Music Coins to get in each level. There are 8 Music Coins in each level, and most are only accessible near the end of the game; when you have all of your powerups back. Because of that, collecting the Music Coins in each level is a good thing to put off after you beat the game. And of course, you can still play the mini-game "Wario Golf" on your free time.


Overall (not an average): 10/10

Pros
+ Story is quite clever and original
+ Graphics outdate the Game Boy Color and are top-notch
+ Controls are easy to use
+ Some of the best platforming gameplay ever

Cons
- While the music is good, it could be better
- Very tough game; may not be suited or a younger audience

Without a doubt, Wario Land 3 is honestly one of the best games I have played in my life. It is an incredible step up from the previous two games in the series and most certainly gives the Game Boy Color some fame. The story is original and cute, and the graphics are the best on the Game Boy Color. The sound surprised me and overall is very good, though I feel it could be better. The gameplay is massive and will take you MANY hours to finish completely. The concept behind the gameplay is very fresh and new, and the non-linearity (is that a word?) of the game is enough to make any platforming fan drool. The Day/Night system is very innovative for its time, and Wario gaining some old traits is a must. The various puzzle solving of the game adds new air to the game as well, and the mini-games are challenging yet fun. I HIGHLY advise you to buy this game, whether you are a Wario fan or not. It's an old game, so going far and wide for this game is worth it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/14/06, Updated 03/09/09

Game Release: Wario Land 3 (US, 06/01/00)