Retro Review: Wario Land 4 (VC)

A wacky, treasure-filled adventure.

 

 Wario Land 4 was one of the earliest games to be released for Nintendo's GameBoy Advance back in 2001. The fourth entry in the Wario Land series, it stars Mario's rude and crude rival, Wario, as he reads in a newspaper about treasures that lie hidden in an ancient pyramid. Little does Wario care that's its actually booby-trapped and haunted by monsters when riches is all he sees. I've bought Wario Land 4 years ago on the Wii U's Virtual Console and kind of forgot about it. So I finally decided to check the game out and play it. Is it any good?

Wario's on a quest for treasure!

 Wario Land 4 is a 2D platfortmer where you control Wario as he explores the levels in the pyramid. Wario can jump and attack enemies with a dash as well as pick them up and throw them around. Each level tasks you with finding four gem fragments that unlock the boss door as well as a key that'll unlock the next stage. It won't be an easy ask as each fragment is cleverly hidden across the level in treasure chests while the key will require some tricky platforming to reach it. Fortunately, there's a bunch of treasures like diamonds, coins, and gold to collect that will increase your score. As you reach the end of the stage, you'll trigger a timer that requires you to rush back to the entrance or else you'll lose points from your score.

The levels were a lot of fun as Wario will fight a bunch of enemies, some of which will turn him into a flying bat, a dead zombie, or an inflatable balloon all of which were entertaining to watch and offered a slight change in the gameplay formula. Levels like Pinball Zone made use of Wario's rolling ability and had him roll like a pinball, which was oddly amusing to see. I also enjoyed the colorful aesthetic of Toy Block Tower and its cheery track. 

Fight some freaky-looking enemies!

 It took 8 hours to beat with replay value being good as you can replay levels and bosses for higher scores in addition to getting all treasure chests for the better endings. My biggest issue with the gameplay was the aiming when throwing objects as it wasn't accurate and often, you'll miss the direction you were supposed to throw. This becomes frustrating when fighting bosses as you can accurately hit their weak spots.

Wario will transform into a bunch of odd forms!

 For a 22 old game, Wario Land 4 looks fantastic. The character sprites and backgrounds look bright and detailed are accompanied by Wario's signature charm. The sound effects were loud and memorable and Wario's "Hurry Up!" line never got old. The soundtrack is upbeat and energetic with tracks that nail the zany nature of the game. Among my faves were Toy Block Tower, Hurry Up, 40 Below Ridge, and the main theme.

The game is full of character thanks to
its bubbly presentation.

 Wario Land 4 was a fun and challenging adventure that exceeded my expectation with how good it was. The gameplay was great, the levels were solid, and the presentation was full of charm. Its eccentric nature also helps differentiate it from numerous other platformers on the GBA. Fans of the genre should definitely give it a play.