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System:
Gamecube
Genre:
Action
ESRB Rating:
Everyone
Release Date:
6- 2003
Action
ESRB Rating:
Everyone
Release Date:
6- 2003
Publisher:
Nintendo
Developer:
Treasure
Nintendo
Developer:
Treasure
Colin
Published:0- 2005
User Views: 1711
User Replies: 0
NinBit takes a look at Nintendo and Treasure's Wario World.
Prior to the 2003 release of Wario World for the Nintendo GameCube format, the title character, Wario, had never served as the protagonist of a console platform game, settling for appearances in various franchise side-projects and acting as a playable character as well as an antagonist in a number of handheld adventures. This particular project was placed in the seasoned hands of acclaimed developer Treasure, a team whose claim to fame lies primarily in a succession of award-winning shooters. And whether or not the studio created a title worthy of its franchise's name can be determined from the following paragraphs.
Taking Wario's character into account, perhaps even to a small extent, it would be perfectly logical to assume the developers would craft a storyline and premise consistent with his personality and, possibly, exploit his flamboyant traits as part of fully immersing the player. Wario has always been the flawless foil to Mario, his greed and anger critically contrasting Mario's selflessness and clement temperament. But, alas, Wario World's story comes as a disappointment, downplaying said traits and delivering a concept and dilemma far more forgettable than just about any of Nintendo's numerous narratives seen beforehand.
Wario World centers on the plight of the Spritelings, a diminutive race of humanoids that rivals Zelda's Tingle in droll outlandishness. Years earlier, this miniscule race sealed away an evil black jewel that nearly eradicated civilization. Wario enters the picture upon completion of his prized castle, a gilded chateau full of pilfered treasures, among them the heinous ebony trinket from before. Awakened by the advent of a rising red moon, the jewel respires Wario's riches, converting the abundant treasures into vicious monsters. Being the irascible guy that he is, Wario gets fired up on garlic and retaliates, seeking the ultimate destruction of both the jewel and the beasts and the recovery of his precious possessions--and, perhaps, the freedom of the Spritelings, who were confined in boxes after Wario stole the jewel.
Undeniably, the best quality of Wario World is its grotesque, overwhelming old-school feel. Giving my initial impressions to fellow staff member Michael McCusker, I likened Wario World to "a cross between Donkey Kong 64 and Crash Bandicoot," to which my colleague aptly replied, "Yeah, that would have worked well." Indeed, Wario World draws from a variety of respectable references--the earliest three-D platformers, the side-scrolling action games of yesteryear, and the once-popular-yet-diminishing beat 'em up genre--but the small ways in which it dissents from the old style, most likely due to new trends in the industry (specifically new fan demographics), are glaring and almost impossible to ignore--in a bad way. Now, some may argue that the style of Wario World only promotes the idea that the game is dated, (And, sadly, from a technical standpoint, it is.) when perhaps the better perspective to take is that the game is an anachronism, a solid platform-action game that doesn't fit in the current console generation. While it plays more like an NES or Super NES title than anything else when it comes to game-play, Wario World utilizes many of the concepts that stemmed from the first crop of successful three-dimensional platform games.
It would be easy to expect typical Mario fare for Wario's solo trek--locating and collecting items, completing objectives, and fighting a wide array of boss characters; and for the most part, at the most basic level, the two are quite similar. However, Wario World manages to play and feel a lot different. First, the game employs a side-scrolling perspective and three-D characters and environments (all eerily similar to 2001's Luigi's Mansion) in a technique now known as "2.5-D". Second, the emphasis here is on combat far more than exploration: Wario uses fisticuffs-fueled tactics and oddly-like-pro-wrestling techniques to smash and pile drive foes into the ground, which yields coins from the treasury. Wario's game definitely seems to be in the same genre as our red plumber friend's, but the perspective is such that it manages to feel fresh and exciting at times, especially with few releases like it taking place each year. All in all, the game-play experience runs smoothly, with the exception of a pesky camera that must be adjusted fairly often to be able to see what's going on in nearby areas of the level.
The format for the game essentially goes like this (which, may I add, is uncannily similar to Crash Bandicoot): Wario World is divided into five distinct levels that can be accessed from a hub area--in this case, a castle courtyard. Each level is comprised of two sub-level areas and a boss battle, after which the next area is unlocked. WW can seem like some sort of collect-a-thon when it comes to level layouts, offering a wealth of treasures, statue pieces that form gallantly posed busts of Wario in each area, and Spritelings for rescue--but the game deviates from this theme by requiring players only to recover a certain number (up to eight) of red jewels in each area, which means the depth and length of the game will vary significantly based on the player's interest in collecting. And perfectionists like myself can still manage to complete the game having collected everything in less than fifteen hours--the game is short, to put it bluntly. Each smaller zone ends with a mini-boss; these battles range from pathetically easy to mildly challenging, and a variety of obstacles and strategies are employed to retain the player's focus.
Treasure's end-level bosses are one of the biggest successes of this entire game; their vintage-Treasure design (read: gargantuan) supports the antiquated-yet-contemporary feel of the entire game impeccably well, and the designs span the gamut from the conventional giant reptile to the unexpected winged, creepy augmented child's toy. Battles like these aren't so common nowadays, and it's a shame that the difficulty is paced off so poorly. The game's final boss is a joke, and the general difficulty progression throughout the game is inconsistent. Alas, the boss battles suffice as far as ensuring that the player will continue playing the game.
Likewise, Wario World's environments assume another old-school convention: variety. The level designs are thoughtfully crafted; and although the number of levels is quite small, no two levels feel nearly the same. Each level has its gimmicks, and when one takes the time to explore and collect everything, he will further appreciate the quality of the design. Running across a field of charging rams is just one of the more memorable sequences in the game; and each level has something unique to contribute to the overall experience.
Graphically, Wario World resembles the games it is most similar to far more than it should. The character animation is on par with 2001's Luigi's Mansion, and, sans a few water effects, the game doesn't seem to push the GameCube's technical prowess at all. In addition, various color schemes of otherwise identical enemy models are employed throughout the game; that's something to expect from the Sega Genesis. It's not going to astound you, but the game manages to look well enough to avoid hindering the experience. The banal visuals aren't anything to write home about, and with that mindset their discussion here will be brief. Wario World doesn't look any better than the first batch of games for the 'Cube, and that's all there is to it.
With its sound, on the other hand, this game is a grand achievement that goes against the laws of logic and music. Wario World's soundtrack coalesces everything music shouldn't be--cacophonous noise and downright odd vocal effects--and "normal" use of instruments; by itself, it wouldn't be anything special, but the general sound fits Wario so well that it compliments the game's tone and gives it some much-needed original attributes. This zany sound assembly couldn't net the most charismatic of vocalists a record deal, but in this setting, it manages to succeed.
In conclusion, one must leave the reader with one caveat--this game is easy. Offering virtually unlimited continues at no significant expense, Wario World might seem like a whimsical walk through the park for seasoned genre veterans and just about anyone that's gotten halfway through a Mario game without any trouble. Nevertheless, this console generation has not exactly had a lot of games like this; and under those terms Wario World is a game anyone fond of the platform genre as it was a decade ago should experience.
In Other Words:
Faithful fans should look no further than Wario's frugality when considering the purchase of this game: for the right price, it's a great addition to any GameCube library. It's a solid platform game that doesn't introduce anything new to the genre, but it certainly isn't stale. Platform and action aficionados should have no trouble enjoying Wario World...while it lasts.
| Depth |
6.0
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| The game's well-designed environments offer much to do, but there aren't very many of them. |
| Gameplay |
8.0
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| Wario World surely relies on old-school conventions, but it's still a lot of fun. If only the camera allowed one to see more of his surroundings.... |
| Graphics |
6.0
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| Wario World's graphics would have looked nicer had it been a launch game. |
| Replay Value |
6.0
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| The game is short enough to warrant another go after enough time has passed. |
| Sound |
7.5
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| Wacky music compliments the rest of the game very well. |
| Overall |
7.0
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| The numbers might not add up here, but Wario World is good where it counts most. |
| Post Comment Game
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