Super Mario Land 3 - Warioland Game by Nintendo Reviewed by Iwan iwan@lamble.demon.co.uk Size: 4 megabits Save: Three slots Released: 1994 Works with: All Game Boys (no color features) ************************************************************************ Opening Snide Remarks: Nintendo doesn't really go for milking licenses. At the end of 1999, Eidos will have made, I think, 13 versions of Tomb Raider across four formats in just 3 years since the original was released. At the end of 1999, Nintendo will have made only 10 Mario platform games across four formats in 15 years since the original was released. Warioland could have easily been a Mario platformer. Nintendo could have just stuck 20 new levels on a cartridge with the Mario Land 2 engine and would have sold millions. They didn't. They created Wario Land, starring the end boss from Mario Land 2 in a game that seems to have one aim at its core: to be the anti-Mario. ************************************************************************ Gameplay Description: Though looking quite similar, Warioland plays nothing like a Mario game. Most enemies can't be destroyed by jumping on them - you pick them up and throw two of them together or charge into them to destroy them. It's takes a while for this to sink in, but once it does, Warioland plays a great game. There are three reasons why Warioland is so good: 1. You can be bad. While Wario isn't invincible like in Wario Land 2, he's still pretty powerful and gets to use all the best equipment. He can torture enemies, discover hidden treasure and multiple routes and wear a selection of powerful hats. The bull hat lets him charge around destroying blocks and enemies, the dragon hat is a very cool block- and enemy-destroying flamethrower and the jet pack hat lets Wario fly through the air for as long as possible without losing height. You're not doing this to save a princess and you don't look camp like Mario in Mario Land 2. You're a selfish, evil, coin-grabbing bad guy who wants to steal some treasure by beating up a female pirate and her crew. Nice. 2. It's almost cinematic. On one level you're charging along, destroying blocks and enemies and you find a stationary train. There's nowhere else to go, so you look inside. Inside are some more enemies, blocks and platforms to deal with. But half way through the inside of the train, the screen starts shaking and the speaker lets off a 'chunk-chunk... chunk-chunk...' sound. Go outside again and the train's moving, leading to a forced-scrolling race along the train with enemies trying to stop you. Another level is set on a beach. If you come back later to try to find more treasure, you'll discover that the tide has risen, opening up whole new areas of the level. Throughout, Wario Land tells a story as well as presenting you with lots of platforms to jump. The first time you reach an exit door, for instance, you'll watch as a harmless character uses it in front of you. And then there are the action sequences: the mine cart, the lava chase, the train... Every level is a gem that you'll want to play again. And you'll have to, since there's lots of treasure to go back to find and coins required for mini games. You get a better ending for collecting everything, so its worth doing. 3. It's tough. Mario Land 2 was critically bashed for being so easy to complete, so Nintendo *had* to make their next platformer harder, and they did. Wario Land is hard but fair and has enough secret levels and treasure to find to last you months. Liked: Fun, good story telling, lots of challenge Hated: Not much ************************************************************************ Graphics Description: Wario Land looks great. It's not quite as good as Wario Land 2 and it's not in color but apart from that it's fine. The sprites don't blur much on a B+W Gameboy and the levels are large and open, not confined like Wario Land 2. There is some flicker when lots of enemies are on screen, but not much. Liked: Everything Hated: Nothing ************************************************************************ Sound/Music Description: The best. The tunes are better than the Mario Game Boy ones, although unlikely to achieve such classic status. I might even risk saying that it sounds better than Zelda, but don't get angry with me for that. Sound effects are good, particularly the meaty flamethrower and jet pack sounds. Liked: Everything Hated: Nothing ************************************************************************ Play Control/Game Design: Control can take a little getting used to (particularly up+B to take out a coin) but Wario has plenty of moves and is responsive. The level design is what Nintendo are best at and it is, unsurprisingly, great. Liked: Good level design, lots of moves, responsive controls Hated: Controls can take a while to get used to ************************************************************************ Improve: More of the same, in color. RIYL: Warioland 2, Mario Land 1 and 2, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe ************************************************************************ Final Words: This is some of the finest platforming available on the Game Boy and is pleasingly different to play than the usual platformer fare. It's still not as good as Mario Bros. 3 or the SNES Mario games, though. ************************************************************************ Score Gameplay: ***** Graphics: ***** Sound/Music: ***** Play Control/Game Design: **** Personal Opinion: ***** Total: 24 out of 25 Final Score: 96% ************************************************************************ Currently Known Codes: There's a debug mode where you can change Wario's hat, lives and coins but I can't remember how to get to it.