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Wario World

by Michael Cole - May 22, 2002, 4:22 pm EDT
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NYAHAHAHAHA! Didn’t you hear? Wario’s got a new GameCube game, and TYP was all over it!

Wario on GameCube was a pleasant surprise: like Pikmin, no one expected it and it will help flush out the Nintendo’s lineup. Many already know how much I love Wario, but I’ll contain my love for the big lug and give an un-tainted overview.

The layout of the game could best be described as a glorified side-scroller. Sticking close to Wario’s Game Boy roots, the camera is at a fixed angle and moves in a fashion not unlike Luigi’s Mansion, following the big lug as he explores the various levels. While there were definitely platforming elements in the three playable levels, the game reminded me of an old Double Dragon title. One of the easiest games to pick up and play, Wario World only uses the A and B buttons in conjunction with the main analog stick. In any given level, Wario clobbers the multitudes of baddies with his trademark weight problem. He bashes, punches and ground-pounds the various monsters, knocking them out. He then performs one of many throw moves (with the B button) for the kill, from a standard toss to the ever-popular pile-driver, which can knock out other enemies near the fiendish hero. He can also throw some of the items scattered about. Wario will most likely find power-ups scattered throughout the game, much like in Wario Land 3, as Wario’s poor jumping abilities were not enough to reach certain areas. Learned techniques could add more to the controls and provide more variety in Wario’s arsenal. Mario’s nemesis will need to find and save five monkeys in each level to clear the stage. Of course, there’s lots of money to collect on the side as well. It really does feel like a side-scrolling fighter, and throwing Waluigi into the mix could make for some killer co-op action.

Wario World is still quite early in development and is therefore rough around the edges. The bosses were just put in last week and the three playable levels (a mansion, a circus and a pyramid) are the only ones running. The models are impressive, but game has a mild case of the jaggies, some of the textures are lackluster and the throwing is sometimes a little off, but keep in mind that Wario World is in better shape than NOA was expecting for E3. These problems will surely be taken care of by its launch. The audio isn’t all there either: sound was in stereo and I had to provide my own Wario voices, but the music was in place and was pretty good. What does worry me is the game’s style. The Wario series is famous for its zany attitude and its unique puzzles. The feel just isn’t completely there. Wario jiggles as he moves and conveys his personality to some extent, but there were very few puzzles and I saw none of Wario’s crazy transformations at E3. The gameplay is great, but unless there are lots of ideas yet to be implemented I predict another Luigi’s Mansion: a game that is great but short due to a lack of variety and a threatening due date.

Wario World is really fun, but after playing it I can only tell you a delay is imminent if Nintendo wants it to be as good as possible. The designers need to inject more craziness into the title to make it part of the Wario series. But since this game has just become truly playable, I’m sure some of my complaints are already being addressed. I expect a much more interesting experience next time I see this game.

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Genre Action
Developer Treasure
Players1

Worldwide Releases

na: Wario World
Release Jun 24, 2003
PublisherNintendo
RatingEveryone
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