Recommended by Nightblade as part of this list.

Wario is an odd character isn't he? Mario's opposite in every way, a bootleg completely defined by his contrast to his sanitized, family-friendly multi-million dollar counterpart. Mario is a chaste man of virtue, a hero of few words who saves the girl out of the goodness of his heart, a marketable face a la Mickey Mouse, utterly lacking in personality or character outside of being comically Italian. Wario in contrast is a portly type, a Kavorka Man defined by his vices, an ugly, greedy bastard who loves to gloat, with a face only a mother could love. And yet it is because Wario is entirely defined by being the antithesis of Mr. Jumpman that he has the one thing Mario could never dream of: freedom. Mario is confined by the brand, the 40 years of jumping and sleek design ethos iterated upon for decades over multiple console generations until the formula is down pat, the Super Mario Brand of platforming action. Wario's status as the opposite also extends to his games and their design, his freedom to experiment and spread his wings so to speak allow Wario to do whatever he damn well pleases, which is why even now, Wario Land 4 stands tall as Wario's "greatest achievement".

Wario Land 4 came hot off the heels of the last big Mario romp at the time, Super Mario 64, and in many ways, feels like a parody of sorts. Wario's latest treasure hunt has lead to him being trapped in a pyramid, where he must jump into paintings to gather a series of collectibles and save the princess utilizing his robust and dynamic moveset to do so. While the comparisons to be drawn are obvious, Wario Land 4's design philosophy veers in a different direction, being a much more linear experience focused more on Wario and his interactions with the environment than the exploration of the environments themselves. The functional immortality of previous Wario Land games is toned-down but still ever-present, with certain enemy types changing Wario's movement properties in ways that create a unique dynamic of enemies being both a puzzle-solving tool and an obstacle, that alongside each level introducing a new gimmick and gameplay mechanic to experiment contributes to some incredibly strong level design that makes each stage feel unique and distinct.

The exploration aspect of Wario Land 4 is contrasted by it's HURRY UP! mechanic, each level capped off by a switch that activates a countdown timer that will kick you out of the level and rob Wario of his riches if it reaches zero, transforming the previously, seemingly labyrinthine levels that you spent oodles of time exploring into these one-way obstacle courses that demand perfect execution on higher difficulties if you want a chance to make it to the end with your treasure in-tact. It's a genius mechanic that makes Wario Land 4 stand out and adds another layer to the level design in ways you wouldn't expect, complimented by Wario's fantastic and dynamic moveset that makes these mad dashes some of the most satisfying platforming action on the GBA.

But the biggest aspect of Wario Land 4 that makes it stand out from it's doppelganger's series of games is that aesthetically, it's fucking weird. Compared to the cartoonish surreality of the Mario series, with its anthropomorphic turtles and scenery dotted with eyes, Wario Land 4 is reminiscent of the gross-out humor of the 90s, containing surreal, disgusting, sometimes horrific spritework and enemy designs, alongside an incredibly dynamic and off-kilter soundtrack that gives the whole game an certain edge most Nintendo products would never even deign to hint at. Many of the staff that worked on Wario Land 4 would go on to work on WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Micro Game$! 2 years after Wario Land 4's release, and its immediately apparent in Wario Land 4's overall attitude. Yet, it's this edge and experimentation that makes Wario so charismatic a player character, so charming a man that he captures your heart through his sincerity and in-your-face attitude.

Considering that state of Nintendo at the moment, its no wonder that this kind of off-kilter platforming action has yet to resurface in its modern oeuvre, considering the sleek minimalist nature of the Switch and the stark white of the UI in Nintendo's triple-A titles. The wacky, innovative spirit may live on in the WarioWare franchise, but any hopes of Wario's puzzle-platforming antics resurfacing at the Big N's HQ are minimal at best, which is a shame because Wario Land's vibes are infinitely more magnetic than whatever sterile mask Mario is putting on for the public. Du Doppelgänger! Du bleicher Geselle! How you shall be missed...