4.9 KiB
| title | date | score | howlongtobeat_id | howlongtobeat_hrs | game_name | game_genre | game_release_year | game_developer | tags | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 | 2023-12-07T08:35:00+01:00 | 3 | 11067 | 4.0 | Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 | 2D Platformer | 1994 | Nintendo |
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After the events in Super Mario Land 2 (SML2) where Mario kicked out a fat intruder called Wario, the aggressor hatched a big plan for revenge: why not steal heaps of money to build a castle yourself? In the Wario Land series, the trusty main protagonist is swapped out to follow the greedy adventures of the series' garlic-loving antagonist. The first entry, still subtitled Super Mario Land 3, seems to serve as a test-bed: is the world ready for Wario? Judging from the financial success this game booked in 1994 and later, it most definitely is.
Wario Land feels weird, especially when playing it right after Mario Land 2. There's no run button! No run button in a Mario-esque game feels like blasphemy. On top of that, Wario's bigger sprite/body moves slower, meaning the platforming in Wario Land feels less tight than when controlling Mario. To compensate for the speed loss, Wario can rush into enemies and literally bump them off screen---he even gets a coin for that as a reward. Of course, a Wario game shouldn't feel like a Mario game, but since this is still very much classic 2D platforming with breakable blocks and mostly left-to-right action, it can feel a bit finicky and floaty.
In this first Wario entry, Wario still behaves like Mario: he can pick up powerups, he can lose his powerups when touching enemies or spikes, he can collect hearts to earn a 1UP, and he can die. Most of these mechanics will be radically altered for Wario Land II, but for now, it's in essence still a classic Mario Land game but with a clear focus on (hidden) treasure, perhaps not unlike New Super Mario Bros. 2 for 3DS.
I must have finished this game more than ten times now, but the more I replay it, the less I enjoy the first Wario entry. The scenery and mischievousness of the new protagonist is wonderful but as soon as you start moving Wario, it becomes clear he's not a very agile platform expert. A few more examples: catching a start grants---as expected---invulnerability, but also temporarily increases walking speed. Except while jumping, which results in janky hops. The most overpowered power-up, the Bunny Wario (just like Bunny Mario in SML2)---officially called Jet Wario---, drastically increases Wario's walking speed on top of his flight powers. This made me skip almost all other power-ups that were thrown my way (a dragon suit that spits fire immediately killing enemies and a bull suit that allows Wario to hang onto conveyor belts).
Being compressed onto the ROM of a beige Game Boy cart, the level design stays small and straightforward, although the variety of the sprite work and the size is quite impressive. The open world of SML2 is no more: instead, you'll be following along a set track in the world map, that here and there splits off provided you manage to find the secret exit. If you're in a hurry, the game can be finished in two hours.
The best part of Wario Land is perhaps it's ending. After beating up the pirate leader that is also after the gold, she blows up her castle, revealing a huge Princess Peach statue of solid gold. Wario can't believe his eyes! Unfortunately, Mario suddenly comes swooping in and nabs the statue, leaving Wario bankrupt yet again, ready to shed a tear or two. In a desperate last move, he wakes up the genie of the lamp Captain Syrup used against him, who grants Wario a single wish. A castle, of course. One slight problem: the genie requires cash to do his magic.
That means the more gold you collected, the bigger this "castle" will be. Hidden treasure you managed to discover throughout the journey will be converted into cold hard cash (on average 5000 gold a piece!). Depending on the amount of money bags you give the genie, your wish will result in different alterations of "castles", from simple birdhouse up to a whole planet! After finishing the game, you can go back to levels with flashing marks revealing the presence of hidden treasure to up your chances.
All in all, Wario Land is still one of the better Game Boy platformers that finally made Wario as introduced in its predecessor playable. The result is somewhat clunky gameplay but still an enjoyable game that will pave the way for more exciting Wario silliness to come: Wario Land II in 1998.