Wario World for the GameCube




Wario is an odd character. He is suppose to be the archrival of Mario, and as you can tell, he is a fatter and uglier version of the red plumber himself. Though he is a rather odd character, he has one of the best plat forming franchises of all time. Though the Gamecube’s lifespan, a Wario game was, in my opinion, overlooked. This little but great game is called Wario World for the Nintendo Gamecube. So does Wario prove he doesn’t need the next size overalls? Or does he need to go to the nearest Old Navy and grab a pair?

Basically, the plot of this game is that Wario is enjoying himself inside his new castle, which he could have gotten in either Wario Land 3 or 4. I really don’t know when he got it. Inside, the castle is filled with riches. A dark ruby-like gem that is inside one of his many money-filled rooms turns out to be a dark and powerful jewel. The ruby then wakes up after hundreds of years and destroys Wario’s castle and turns all his gold into monsters. Wario ends up in an overworld-like setting, and is on to another adventure to take down who ever did this and get his gold back.
Wario World was made by Treasure. Old school gamers mostly know this company to have made high class shooting games like Gunstar Heroes, Alien Soldier, Astro Boy: Omega Factor, and Ikaruga. They have also made a small side scrolling plat forming game for the Sega Genesis called Dynamite Headdy. This means if you recognize this company, you know you are going to get a great amount of entertainment out of any game they make.

The whole game play style of Wario World is in the form of a beat ‘em up plat forming game. You basically have your basic punch attacks, but Wario this time around doesn’t have the crazy power ups it had in the last couple of games. Though this doesn’t mean he isn’t a wuss by any means necessary. He still has his strong shoulder-ramming attack, and he has brought a few wrestling moves with him. He can pick up enemies and throw them, he could also simply spin around and become a twirling tornado of death, and he can simply just pile drive them right into the ground. I admit, I do miss the power ups, but this game is still fun without them.
The levels are amazingly well made and are a blast to go through. You basically go through the level and collect fairy-like creatures that give you slightly helpful hints. You also go through the levels, and find treasure and pieces for a golden statue of Wario. It just wouldn’t be a Wario game without him getting some cash on the sidelines. This is what made the Wario games awesome. You aren’t some goody two-shoe hero. Instead, you are a selfish greedy fat guy who goes through the whole ordeal just to get the cash. One of the more interesting facts about this game is when you fall off the edge by accident. Instead of dying when you fall off, you land in some underworld where rhino-like heads chase you around, and take your money if they hit you. The only way out is to find a spring, and to jump out of the darkness.
The graphics are amazing. These have to be some of the best graphics on the system. Besides the Mario, Zelda, Metroid Prime, and Resident Evil games, Wario World was one of the best looking games on the Gamecube. The music is no slouch either. It really sounds like a Wario game since the music is zany and just really fun to listen to. Still, I am not surprised about how good this game is. Treasure has been known to make some really great-looking console or handheld games.

Now, it is time to shoulder ram into the parts of the game that annoyed me, personally. The game itself isn’t that hard. The difficulty is right in the middle. It’s not easy, but it isn’t hard either. This leads up to the next issue I have, the length of the game. It’s a little short, but that’s just a small gripe.

All and all, this is one of the greatest plat forming games ever. Still, it’s no surprise that when you combine treasure and Wario you can get a really good game. I would highly recommend picking this up. If you are a fan of Wario and love plat formers then go out right now and pick it up.

This game gets an 8 out of 10.

Comments