Way back in 1994 after I got a Game Boy for my birthday (without any games), I went to the local Curry's in the high street to find a game. I ended up choosing a game which I didn't know anything about other than it was top of the new releases chart, and had a cool cover. It was my first ever game, and it was this:
Amazing game, still superb to play. Going back to Super Mario Land 1 and 2 after this was odd, and I've always felt Wario Land was the best of the three.
Wario Land VB I didn't get to play until many years later - but holy shit is it amazing. It takes the gameplay from WL1 and hones it to perfection, put together with awesome visuals and music. I played through it only once in VB migraine-o-vision, but it left a lasting impression. 3DS VC release, please. One of the best platformers ever made, and no one's bloody played it.
By the time I first heard about Wario Land 2 through Nintendo Official Magazine, WL1 had firmly placed itself as one of my all time favourite games. I managed to get a copy of the original monochrome version upon release when en route to Madrid in 1998. Regarded by many to be the best in the series, it expands further upon the basic gameplay in WL1. However, it also removes game over/death and introduces enemy based transformations, puzzles based on said transformations, and a non-linear progression with a huge amount of secrets.
Wario Land 2 received a conversion to colour upon the GBC's release. This edition contained both the original monochrome version as well as the rejigged colour version which also eliminated any slowdown present in the original release due to the improved specs of the GBC. The version chosen was dependent on the console being used, but the save games were not interchangeable.
Now we come to the GBC-only Wario Land 3. Personally, this is my favourite of the entire series. It takes the puzzle elements introduced with the transformations in Wario Land 2 and runs with it. The world is divided into a number of stages, of which only one is available to begin with. As you progress through the worlds, you gain new abilities which open up previously inaccessible areas and subsequently open up new worlds. It's essentially the Wario Land formula mixed with Metroid style progression. It's got a huge amount of depth, carries on even after you've beaten the final boss, and the graphics are simply some of the best the GBC produced.
Wario Land 4 for the GBA scaled back on the elements focused on in 3 whilst still retaining the puzzles and transformations that the series has become known for. Filled with fucking bizarre graphics, music and extras (dat music select), the game is a significant milestone in Wario becoming even weirder, leading to WarioWare. As a platformer, it's near flawless. The platforming is better than it's ever been, and even though a health bar has been introduced, the transformation and puzzle dynamic is as effective as before (despite being scaled down significantly from 3).
Wario Land Shake Dimension/Shake It for the Wii was developed by Good Feel, and essentially followed the formula set out in Wario Land 4. The transformation dynamic was all but removed, but the gameplay remained as great as before. However, the main selling point were those goddamn handdrawn graphics:
It's a shame it seems to be forgotten in the series. It's one of the best games the Wii has to offer, imo.
Anyway. Wario Land Shake was released in 2008. That was 7 years ago. So like, where's Wario Land 6? Super Wario Bros? Goddamnit Nintendo.
Amazing game, still superb to play. Going back to Super Mario Land 1 and 2 after this was odd, and I've always felt Wario Land was the best of the three.
Wario Land VB I didn't get to play until many years later - but holy shit is it amazing. It takes the gameplay from WL1 and hones it to perfection, put together with awesome visuals and music. I played through it only once in VB migraine-o-vision, but it left a lasting impression. 3DS VC release, please. One of the best platformers ever made, and no one's bloody played it.
By the time I first heard about Wario Land 2 through Nintendo Official Magazine, WL1 had firmly placed itself as one of my all time favourite games. I managed to get a copy of the original monochrome version upon release when en route to Madrid in 1998. Regarded by many to be the best in the series, it expands further upon the basic gameplay in WL1. However, it also removes game over/death and introduces enemy based transformations, puzzles based on said transformations, and a non-linear progression with a huge amount of secrets.
Wario Land 2 received a conversion to colour upon the GBC's release. This edition contained both the original monochrome version as well as the rejigged colour version which also eliminated any slowdown present in the original release due to the improved specs of the GBC. The version chosen was dependent on the console being used, but the save games were not interchangeable.
Now we come to the GBC-only Wario Land 3. Personally, this is my favourite of the entire series. It takes the puzzle elements introduced with the transformations in Wario Land 2 and runs with it. The world is divided into a number of stages, of which only one is available to begin with. As you progress through the worlds, you gain new abilities which open up previously inaccessible areas and subsequently open up new worlds. It's essentially the Wario Land formula mixed with Metroid style progression. It's got a huge amount of depth, carries on even after you've beaten the final boss, and the graphics are simply some of the best the GBC produced.
Wario Land 4 for the GBA scaled back on the elements focused on in 3 whilst still retaining the puzzles and transformations that the series has become known for. Filled with fucking bizarre graphics, music and extras (dat music select), the game is a significant milestone in Wario becoming even weirder, leading to WarioWare. As a platformer, it's near flawless. The platforming is better than it's ever been, and even though a health bar has been introduced, the transformation and puzzle dynamic is as effective as before (despite being scaled down significantly from 3).
Wario Land Shake Dimension/Shake It for the Wii was developed by Good Feel, and essentially followed the formula set out in Wario Land 4. The transformation dynamic was all but removed, but the gameplay remained as great as before. However, the main selling point were those goddamn handdrawn graphics:
It's a shame it seems to be forgotten in the series. It's one of the best games the Wii has to offer, imo.
Anyway. Wario Land Shake was released in 2008. That was 7 years ago. So like, where's Wario Land 6? Super Wario Bros? Goddamnit Nintendo.
would love to replay virtualboy warioland. Only ever played it once back in the day and thought it was the best one- though it's been so long since I've even seen a virtual boy that could just be nostalgia talking.