Wario World is a short, but packed, GameCube exclusive
Wario World is the title character’s only major GameCube outing, but it is one that is absolutely worth checking out.
Wario is a cult favorite character. His goofy grin, lust for gold and money and overall ridiculous demeanor have gained him legions of fans. Gamers look see what Mario’s evil doppelganger is up to next. Gamers have played his Wario Ware Inc. games, which feature mini games that are addictive as chocolate or the hilarious Wario Land games on the various Nintendo handhelds.
Wario World is a little bit of both, showing off the silly sense of humor and intensely fun gameplay found in his other titles. Developed by the geniuses at Treasure, Wario World also features a ton of creative platforming and a personality reflective of the character.
Wario World received a lot of positive reviews back when it was released in 2003, but every critic pointed out the same issue: the tiny length. It was also released to a lackluster ad campaign, but it did have a genuinely funny commercial parodying the 80s classic Wall Street.
Wario World is short and bulky, like its protagonist
Wario World takes place after our anti-hero has amassed a collection of cash and gold that would rival Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark and Scrooge McDuck combined. However, there is a sentient jewel dubbed the Black Jewel, who turns the collection into monsters. Worse yet, Wario has been thrown out of his extravagant castle. Wario World has our portly hero going through four unique worlds and trying to get all of his money back. And he does this by any means necessary.
The bare bones story is more than enough for gamers to start playing Wario World. The game is incredibly short, clocking it at just under six hours. One part of a level can be completed quickly. Which is saying a lot since Treasure has packed each stage with enough collectibles, puzzles and secret areas to keep players glued to the screen.
Punching and smashing your way to wealth! Image courtesy of Giant Bomb user ddensel.
Along with the gold coins that need to be collected, Wario must find boss tokens, heart tanks and little elves who represent parts of whatever stage Wario is stuck in. The abundance of trinkets to find make Wario World a collect-a-thon not unlike any typical Rare game, however the collecting is not as daunting as some of their games.
Collecting the various objects found in Wario World does not require backbreaking grinding or searching every last miniscule pixel on screen, but instead allows for some minor exploration on relatively straightforward levels. It’s quick and easy and thanks to the spectacular control set up, jumping around in Wario World is always a blast. There’s is more than enough secret stages that keep ramping up the challenge of the game, such as the puzzles where the player will have to futz around with the camera to help Wario fund the macguffin he needs.
Wario World benefits from Treasure’s unique gameplay found in their games. Image courtesy of Giant Bomb user ddensel.
Wario will be using his fists and a repitore of over-exaggerated pro wrestling style moves. This element makes Wario World feel more like a beat ‘em up rather than a standard running and jumping platformer.
A unique atmosphere helps give Wario World an identity apart from other platformers
Where Wario World truly shines is its bizarre environments and character design. The basic idea behind certain levels are generic, boiling down to typical “forrest,” “ice,” and “spooky” levels seen in most 3D platformers, but it is in the enemy and boss designs that make it feel more creative.
Instead of jumping on goombas, Wario will be pummeling dinosaurs, strange machines and evil theme park-esque mascots. The bosses are even more uniquely designed and actually require the player to learn a good amount of skill with Wario’s repitoire of moves. Wario World’s antagonists are a breath of fresh air from the typical Mario rogues gallery.
Wario swinging around one of the game’s bizarre bosses. Image courtesy of Giant Bomb user ddensel.
The music can only be described as a cross between vaudeville and The Muppet Show, but composed by Primus. A large portion of Wario World’s music is horn-based and carries out the goofy tone set by it’s title character. The pause music has become infamous, due to Wario’s childish taunting.
Wario World has this overly animated, Tex Avery cartoon aesthetic where it is all over exaggerated and takes advantage of the fantasy elements found within itself. It could be compared to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, which also featured an innovative art style, inventive boss battles and an overall distinctive feel.
One of Gaming’s Undervalued Treasures
Wario World is very much like the protagonist. It’s stocky, but full of energy and character. Treasure spent a lot of time fleshing out this weird universe for Wario to destroy and it just reeks of originality. The game’s brief length may not warrant the price tag, as Wario World does fetch some decent prices on Amazon.com, but it’s worth shelling out for the craziness Wario gets himself into.
Excellent controls, a strong sense of identity and chock full of fun make Wario World worth playing. Player’s shouldn’t let the short length scare them off, if someone is into speed runs Wario World could scratch that itch for speed runners looking to try a new game.
