How's that for a title? Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 pulls the same trick Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island would the next year, presenting itself as a sequel to an already-popular Super Mario title to launch a new series based on a secondary character from its predecessor. If neither of these games ever got follow-ups, they'd likely be uncontroversially considered Super Mario games with one-off styles à la SMB2 US, but their function as debut titles in their own series marks the Super Mario in the title dishonest in retrospect. However, while the idea of Yoshi's Island as a sequel to Super Mario World doesn't make a lick of sense, Wario Land acts as a genuine sequel to Super Mario Land 2, forming a trilogy in what little narrative is there. It's not much, but even that slight narrative throughline goes a long way towards justifying my decision to replay the previous games before tackling this one.
So what is a Wario game, and how does it differ from a Mario game? Where Mario athletically builds momentum and bounces on his foes, Wario's approach is clumsy, as he bashes, grapples, and tumbles his way to victory. Movement is comparatively slugglish, which on paper sounds like a death knell for a platformer, but with the other elements of level-design and Wario's control being built around this it works incredibly well. The slow pace and clunkiness of Wario reflects the character's personality and physicality, as well as complementing a more thorough style of play, with increased emphasis on coin collecting and treasure hunting. The lumbering avarice of Wario is conveyed wonderfully here.
This game is great, yet it feels like the start of something special rather than the full package. While the screen-size limitation of the Gameboy is overcome through the slow-paced gameplay, the aesthetic and audio limitations hold Wario Land back, conveying a world with less colour and personality than the character at the centre, one who's journey is accompanied with a paltry selection of beep-boopin' tunes. It's a bit plain, but hopefully I'll find future titles build on this foundation to deliver the definitive Wario experience I now see the potential for.
So what is a Wario game, and how does it differ from a Mario game? Where Mario athletically builds momentum and bounces on his foes, Wario's approach is clumsy, as he bashes, grapples, and tumbles his way to victory. Movement is comparatively slugglish, which on paper sounds like a death knell for a platformer, but with the other elements of level-design and Wario's control being built around this it works incredibly well. The slow pace and clunkiness of Wario reflects the character's personality and physicality, as well as complementing a more thorough style of play, with increased emphasis on coin collecting and treasure hunting. The lumbering avarice of Wario is conveyed wonderfully here.
This game is great, yet it feels like the start of something special rather than the full package. While the screen-size limitation of the Gameboy is overcome through the slow-paced gameplay, the aesthetic and audio limitations hold Wario Land back, conveying a world with less colour and personality than the character at the centre, one who's journey is accompanied with a paltry selection of beep-boopin' tunes. It's a bit plain, but hopefully I'll find future titles build on this foundation to deliver the definitive Wario experience I now see the potential for.