As a big 3D platformer fan, especially ones with a collect-a-thon theme, Wario World was an exceptionally unique and weird take on the genre I appreciated quite a bit.
One of the main aspects that set this game apart is tying in beat ‘em up mechanics in the platforming levels. Wario doesn’t have nearly as wide of a moveset as Mario when it comes to jumping, but the opportunities to swing and pile-drive enemies around fit the different style of gameplay well. Even when there’s no need for extra coins, it’s just fun hurling a hostile into the group behind you. It also helps that there’s some super creative character design throughout the game. Instead of typical bat, rat, and skeleton enemies, Wario World has everything ranging from flying magnets to vampires in straightjackets to jellyfish shooting lasers. The varied types do a good job at keeping the brawling fresh even when most of them can be defeated by the same attacks.
If you’re not fighting, collecting treasure is the other focus of Wario World. Most of these items are pretty easy to find by just exploring each path of a level, with minimal puzzles or precise jumping required. However, the unusually linear design of each world makes straight backtracking range from tedious to practically impossible. The levels do provide options to loop around to the start of a level after reaching the end, but it’s not quite ideal. If there’s going to be a lot of exploration in a game, putting in so many one-way restrictions creates a weird middle ground where a large part of the discovery is just retracing your steps.
Regardless, Wario World is consistently fun and straightforward enough that it won’t ever get irritating if you’re simply playing to experience every level, as opposed to trying to get 100%. Just don’t spend too long on the pause screen.
One of the main aspects that set this game apart is tying in beat ‘em up mechanics in the platforming levels. Wario doesn’t have nearly as wide of a moveset as Mario when it comes to jumping, but the opportunities to swing and pile-drive enemies around fit the different style of gameplay well. Even when there’s no need for extra coins, it’s just fun hurling a hostile into the group behind you. It also helps that there’s some super creative character design throughout the game. Instead of typical bat, rat, and skeleton enemies, Wario World has everything ranging from flying magnets to vampires in straightjackets to jellyfish shooting lasers. The varied types do a good job at keeping the brawling fresh even when most of them can be defeated by the same attacks.
If you’re not fighting, collecting treasure is the other focus of Wario World. Most of these items are pretty easy to find by just exploring each path of a level, with minimal puzzles or precise jumping required. However, the unusually linear design of each world makes straight backtracking range from tedious to practically impossible. The levels do provide options to loop around to the start of a level after reaching the end, but it’s not quite ideal. If there’s going to be a lot of exploration in a game, putting in so many one-way restrictions creates a weird middle ground where a large part of the discovery is just retracing your steps.
Regardless, Wario World is consistently fun and straightforward enough that it won’t ever get irritating if you’re simply playing to experience every level, as opposed to trying to get 100%. Just don’t spend too long on the pause screen.