Review
Release Date: 11.20.2001
Platform:
Game Boy AdvanceDeveloper:
Nintendo Co., Ltd.Publisher:
Nintendo of America, Inc.Reviewed by
Brian J. Balsan on 4.21.2003
| Review Rating: 9/10 | User Rating: 7.78/10 |
When Wario first made his debut as the bad guy of Mario in Mario Land 2, what people saw was a passing of the torch in Gameboy mascots. Mario would proceed to continue promoting Nintendo's major consoles, while the somewhat larger evil twin would continue its reigns on the portables, from the original Gameboy and Gameboy Color to the Virtual Boy and now, the Gameboy Advance.
In his fourth adventure in the starring role, Wario encounters an article in the newspaper about a recently-discovered pyramid which houses a fortune's worth in gold in jewels. Wario, whose greedy ambitions only make him more determined, heads out to the pyramid to unlock its ancient secrets.
What awaits you is one of the best games on the GBA so far. Once Wario is 'warped' into a level, it's his goal to find the ghost key and gate key pieces to advance to the boss of one of five given areas. The exit warp is blocked, and you will have to find the switch to reopen it and escape to the warp hole before time runs out. While in these levels, going anywhere and doing everything will help Wario collect gold, jewels and any other values, which will be added to the overall total. This money can either be saved for the game ending or used in one of three mini-games to collect special gold coins. These gold coins can, in turn, be used to buy special attack weapons to help in your fight against the boss enemy.
The graphics in Wario Land 4 are simply astounding. As Wario steps into his first warp, he is seens flying inward as a spiral spins and colors warp. In the game, you'll be treated to bright colors and tones, fantastic animation, and fun puzzles. When Wario hits the warp switch, the backgrounds start to warp and change color, adding to the apprehension felt when a clock appears at the top of the screen showing you how much time you have before the warp closes.
Music in this game is fantastic, ranging from upbeat tunes to unassuming background tracks to a Hawaiian song with fully-vocalized Japanese lyrics. Just like the graphics, this music will change with hitting the warp switch and get more dire and hurried as the time ticks down.
Certainly, from the moment you turn on your GBA to the end credits, you will find yourself enjoying this fun and challenging game. The fantastic mix of sound, graphics, level design and gameplay will have you playing it long after you have found and done everything. Wario has always been in the front of original and fun gameplay, much like his happy-go-lucky twin before him, and Wario Land 4 is no exception.
