Wario Land 4: A Timeless Adventure on the Game Boy Advance

This review was initially published before its release in May 2014. We are revising and republishing it to evaluate the game’s debut in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack GBA library.

While Wario’s main platforming franchise has been eclipsed for years by the whimsical microgames of WarioWare, his remarkable platformers boast a dedicated fanbase that inspires 600-page eBooks. It’s easy to see why: Wario Land 4 adopts the classic 2D platforming mechanics of Mario and flips them upside down in a playful, loud adventure that dares to take chances.

It’s hard not to compare Wario Land 4 to the inaugural entry in the WarioWare series, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!. Both titles were developed by Nintendo R&D1 with largely the same design team; Wario Land 4 premiered shortly after the Game Boy Advance hit shelves in 2001, while WarioWare followed two years afterward. Visually, they are quite similar, showcasing much of WarioWare’s psychedelic visual style and recurring musical themes first introduced in Wario Land.

It is undoubtedly a vibrant, colorful game filled with ample reds and golds to complement its main character, and the whimsical pixel art humorously contrasts with the cartoonish original art style. The soundtrack employs the recurring vocal samples for which WarioWare would become known, although some of the surreal tracks evoke another classic Nintendo title: EarthBound.

In a possible nod to Birabuto Kingdom, the initial ancient Egyptian-style setting of its predecessor, Super Mario Land, Wario Land 4 narrates the story of our titular antihero raiding a mysterious golden pyramid for treasures. Rather than a typical platformer where your goal is solely to reach the end of each stage, Wario Land 4 features several objectives: retrieve the key that unlocks the next level; collect the four jewel fragments that unlock the boss battle at the end of each world; activate a frog-shaped time bomb that obliterates the entire stage; and rush back to the start of the stage before the bomb detonates.

This structure has its advantages and disadvantages. In many respects, it might feel like a fetch quest, with a seemingly random array of magical items necessary to progress to the next level. However, it truly offers both a sense of freedom and nonlinearity, reminiscent of earlier Sonic areas, as well as a variation in pace between the beginning and conclusion of a level.

The first section of each stage is about exploring and searching for various collectibles, with the absence of a time constraint inviting you to take your time and enjoy the scenery. The latter part kicks in once you’ve triggered the time bomb, transitioning from a leisurely stroll to a frantic dash back to the starting point. R&D1 borrowed its ‘carefully explore the environment and then unleash chaos at the end within a time limit’ mechanic from Metroid and applied it to each level.

Wario employs standard platforming controls, with D-pad movement, ‘A’ for jumping, ‘B’ for attacking, and ‘R’ for sprinting, but there’s a plethora of additional skills and mechanics that you’ll need to master. When Wario knocks an enemy upwards, he can then pick them up and throw them; unlike the throwing mechanic in Mario games (which is typically an optional part of the plumber’s toolkit), Wario must excel at throwing at various velocities and angles to solve puzzles and defeat certain foes.

That’s not all there is to know: there’s also swimming, rolling, jump attacks, dash attacks, slam attacks, stomp jumps, and crouching jumps. You might want to keep the guide handy if you find yourself struggling with some of the game’s ambiguous challenges. For instance, one of Wario Land 4’s bosses is an adorable rat riding an inflatable teddy bear. To defeat it, you need to:

• Avoid the parachuting nails released by the teddy bear and jump on them mid-air without destroying them
• Catch the nails and toss them upwards at the floating teddy bear so it deflates enough to get in range of your jump attacks
• Wario has no direct upward attack, so his jump attack involves smashing sideways and then leaping. You must then jump up and hit the bear’s feet to rotate it 180 degrees and expose the rat on top
• Leap and strike the rat pilot while dodging the fireballs it hurls at you. Phew!

Only in that final step do you inflict damage, and if you falter at any other step, you must start over. This process is repeated about a dozen times to conquer the boss. Oh, and you must complete it all within a four-minute time limit. While Mario appeals to players of all ages and skill levels, Wario is designed specifically for seasoned gamers.

One of the game’s selling points is Wario’s powers. Similar to Kirby, he acquires abilities from specific enemies and uses them to defeat foes and solve puzzles. However, it’s a twisted, Garbage Pail Kids spin on the Kirby mechanic: instead of conquering enemies to gain their powers, Wario acquires abilities when he’s struck — and they’re all rather sadistic twists on the unfortunate protagonist.

If he’s hit by an apple, he swallows it and transforms into ‘Fat Wario’, a grotesque giant straight from Monty Python who lumbers slowly but can smash through walls. If he’s stung by a bee, he has a wild allergic reaction and inflates into ‘Puffy Wario’, who unintentionally floats to the ceiling. He can also be squished, set ablaze, zombified, and buried in snow, all under the guise of ‘abilities’.

True to its Game Boy roots, Wario’s sprite occupies a significant portion of the display, which is actually a positive aspect: his hilarious, meticulously detailed animations are one of the game’s highlights, and it’s entertaining just to watch him move around. In today’s 3D realm of polygonal characters, Wario Land reminds us of the lost artistry of flawless sprite design, as every action he performs radiates his arrogant, larger-than-life persona.

Occasionally, Wario’s substantial sprite can get in the way — overshadowing the environment.