Wario World

Starring roles in video games have never eluded Wario, Mario's evil nemesis. The greedy treasure-gobbler has had his fair share of handheld titles, each garnering a fair share of success and critical acclaim. Finally, Wario makes his jump to 3D in Wario World, a charming game from Treasure (the developer of classic shooters such as Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga) that is sure to capture a good audience with its fast gameplay, entertaining levels, and inspired boss battles.

The short opening sequence of Wario World introduces our protagonist in his lofty castle. All is well until a mysterious black diamond mysteriously changes piles of money into gangs of monsters. Quite honestly, there really is no backstory that sets the mood for the game other than the fact that Wario is after his lost treasure; which, in retrospect, isn't actually shocking since more than a few products courtesy of Nintendo tend to be thin in plot. And while I would have enjoyed some facts about our hero to help flesh him out, I learned to look past it and admire Wario World for the amusing atmosphere.

Wario begins his adventure in a small courtyard, which serves as a hub to the game's various stages. Unfortunately, while levels certainly possess quality, the same couldn't be said about their quantity. There are a total of four worlds, and each contains three stages--two normal levels (with several short sub-levels) and one boss battle. Although each level allows the player to choose multiple paths, usually resulting in a few run-throughs to collect everything, the exploration is limited and the journey linear.

Technically, the game is 3D in thought, but the levels are fundamentally 2D in execution; often lending a side-scrolling view and a camera that only shifts slightly a bit in front or in back of you. For better or worse, important items are commonly a tad obscure because they're simply difficult to spot. None of this thankfully affects the speed of the levels; I find it refreshing to run through a stage without stopping every few minutes to collect something.

Controls, though not always as responsive as they could be, are easy and quick, which is basically what makes the game a pleasure to play. More depth would've been nice, but as it stands, combat never gets monotonous anyway. The platforming portions are normally precise--save for a few times that had me yelling at the screen--and nothing is ever impossibly hard.

A given level in Wario World requires you to run, jump, collect, and battle your way to the end. The main goal is to retrieve a certain amount of red diamonds, usually found in brief sub-levels, thus allowing entry to the bosses' lair. Some of the best--and quite often bizarre--moments are showcased courtesy of these bosses; they're huge, creative, and a blast to pummel. While these unique creatures are fairly simple at the outset, they later become pretty frustrating. But because of the overly-easy regenerating system, things never become impossible. The coins earned by defeating enemies and smashing obstacles can be spent on garlic to replenish health and also serve as the continue system; but because this money is so effortless to come by, a shortage is basically impossible. It would have been nice to see more options as to how the coins can be spent, like purchasing new combat moves, but alas, there isn't.

Above all else, the fighting in Wario World is the true draw to the game. Outside of the bosses, however, enemies in the game are both too easy and too similar. True, Wario has some nifty abilities; pile-driving, tossing, punching, charging, and spinning a creature around never gets old, but it becomes apparent that foes really only exist to solve puzzles and acquire coins. Why else do you think they respawn so damn often?

Complaints aside, Wario World's gameplay is still both rewarding and legitimately entertaining thanks mostly in part to the furious action. Frankly, smashing enemies never bored me; and that's a good sign of this game's addictive nature.

Graphically, this game definitely doesn't push the GC to its limits, but what is here doesn't look terrible by any stretch. Wario himself looks especially good; that chubby face showcases obvious detail and his movements are animated well. Likewise, the enemies, while not varied enough, are clean and colorful. And the bosses, no matter how outlandish they are in design, possess quality visuals.

In terms of environments, simplicity still reigns. There are some nice effects going on, like birds fluttering away as you land near them, but everything else is fairly average. Some more polish around the edges would've helped matters greatly. Mainly, some ugly textures tend to stick out like a sore thumb.

The music in Wario World is very standard fair, and although it serves the premise well, we've all heard tunes like these dozens of times. The real champion here is Wario and his catchy voice, inducing a few chuckles from me as he muttered comical lines during battle. Unfortunately, these lines are limited in terms of variety, but what's there is still good.

Sound effects are adequate, but much like the music, nothing out of the ordinary. The thuds and bangs that accompany punches and throws are dead-on, but since you'll be caught in combat so much of the time, things begin to recycle as the game wears on.

The biggest problem here is with length; it's just too short. A ton of replay value may have compensated, but there really isn't much in that respect. Going through levels multiple times to nab every gold statue and piece of furniture to increase Wario's life gauge and uncover little goodies might give gamers a little more bang for their buck. Once this is over with, however, you're bound to place Wario World on your shelf as it gathers dust.

Wario World's short length overshadows the amusing combat and secret-packed stages. I'm glad Treasure has shown that they truly can craft a solid game outside of their coveted shooters, and much like their other GC title, Ikaruga, it's good while it lasts. A perfect rental.