Wario Land 4

Last updated

Wario Land 4
Wario Land 4 NA Box Art.png
North American box art
Developer(s) Nintendo R&D1
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Hirofumi Matsuoka [1]
Producer(s) Takehiro Izushi [2]
Designer(s) Hiroji Kiyotake
Tomoyoshi Yamane
Takehiko Hosokawa
Masani Ueda
Isao Hirano
Shinya Sano
Ryuichi Nakada
Takayasu Morisawa
Programmer(s) Katsuya Yamano
Yoshinori Katsuki
Nobuhiro Ozaki
Kota Fukui
Goro Abe [1]
Ko Takeuchi [1]
Artist(s) Yasuo Inoue
Sachiko Nakamichi
Composer(s) Ryoji Yoshitomi
Series Wario
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
Release
  • JP: August 21, 2001
  • AU: November 9, 2001
  • EU: November 16, 2001 [3]
  • NA: November 19, 2001 [4]
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Wario Land 4 [lower-alpha 1] is a 2001 platform game developed by Nintendo and released for the Game Boy Advance. Wario has to gather four treasures to unlock a pyramid and save Princess Shokora from the Golden Diva.

Contents

Gameplay

Wario jumps between platforms on the Monsoon Jungle level of the Emerald Passage. Ahead of him lie four blue crystals; behind him, an enemy crocodile has jumped out of the water in an attempt to bite him. Wario Land 4 - Gameplay.png
Wario jumps between platforms on the Monsoon Jungle level of the Emerald Passage. Ahead of him lie four blue crystals; behind him, an enemy crocodile has jumped out of the water in an attempt to bite him.

The gameplay of Wario Land 4 (which is generally similar to that of Wario Land II and Wario Land 3 ) allows for some open-endedness as well as some order of difficulty. After an Entry Passage that serves as a tutorial for the game, there are four main passages: the Emerald, Topaz, Ruby, and Sapphire Passages, in order of difficulty. The Emerald Passage is themed around nature. The Topaz Passage is themed around toys, games, and other "playtime" ideas. The Ruby Passage is themed around mechanics and technology. The Sapphire Passage is themed around horror and danger, prominently involving ghosts and the like. Every passage contains four levels and culminates in a boss fight. After these four main passages is the "Final" Golden Pyramid, which serves as a recap of these four themes and houses the Golden Passage level and the final boss.

Each level contains four jewel pieces, found in boxes scattered throughout, that need to be collected. Finding all jewel pieces within a passage unlocks access to the boss. The player must also find a creature called a Keyzer, which will unlock the door to the next level. The player can also collect treasure that increases their score in the form of coins that are dropped by enemies and floating crystals.

Wario begins every level by jumping through a Vortex that then closes behind him. It can only be reopened by finding a Switch located somewhere in the level. When the Switch is pressed, a timer will appear, forcing the player to get back to the beginning as quickly as possible. If the timer finishes counting down, the player's score will begin to rapidly deplete, resulting in Wario being kicked from the stage and losing all collectables if it reaches zero. Switches can also make certain blocks appear or disappear, often making the player take a completely different path to the Vortex.

Unlike previous entries, Wario now has a health meter that depletes when he takes damage. If Wario loses all health, the player must start the level over, losing all collectables they had found.

Every Passage ends with a boss, which must be defeated within a time limit. Players can optionally use medals gained from playing minigames to buy an item that deals damage to the boss before the fight begins.

Plot

Wario is reading the newspaper when he notices an article about a mysterious pyramid found deep in the jungle. The legend related to the pyramid is that of Princess Shokora, ruler of the pyramid, who was cursed by the money-crazed Golden Diva. As he enters it, he finds a black cat and chases it. Doing so, he falls down a precipice and is stuck inside the pyramid.

Exploring the pyramid, Wario has to fight several bosses, each of whom is in possession of items Princess Shokora once wore. After completing these passages, Wario gains access to the innermost part of the pyramid, which ends up being the stronghold of the Golden Diva. Wario meets the cat again, who turns out to be Princess Shokora herself. Wario defeats the Golden Diva and exits the pyramid with all the treasure he has acquired.

Upon their escape, Shokora is restored to her true form—this may be a brattish child, a female version of Wario, a Peach-like princess, and, ultimately, a superheroine-like princess (what form Shokora is restored to depends on the total number of treasure chests Wario had acquired from the other bosses prior as well as how quickly the Golden Diva is defeated—if he took too long to defeat any of them, some of these chests will be withheld). Shokora gives Wario a kiss on the cheek and ascends to the afterlife as Wario watches. After she leaves, Wario grabs his loot and celebrates by going to an all-you-can-eat steak buffet.

Re-releases

The game was included in the list of Game Boy Advance games that were available for download by Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors since December 16, 2011. [5]

The game has been released on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2014: in Japan on April 30, in North America on May 8, and in Europe and Australia on June 5.

Reception

In the United States, Wario Land 4 sold 720,000 copies and earned $20 million by August 2006. During the period between January 2000 and August 2006, it was the 33rd highest-selling game launched for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable in that country. [16] The game ended up selling 2.2 million copies worldwide. [17]

The game received critical acclaim. IGN gave Wario Land 4 a 9 out of 10, or "Outstanding", citing its well thought out level design and replayability. [12] GamePro stated "Boasting fantastic graphics and awesome transparency effects for water and fog, Wario Land 4 pushes the GBA to its visual limits". GameSpot commented "The gameplay is tight and varied, the graphics are detailed and bright, and the sound is second to none". [18] GameSpy called the game: "An incredibly entertaining, diverse, and humorous addition to the Mario/Wario legacy. It's challenging and creative, but not as outright frustrating as Wario Land 3." [19] Game Informer noted "It's nothing new to the Wario Land enthusiast, but it's enjoyable nonetheless". [7] Nintendo Power stated "It's polished variety paired with a mishmash of moves, which makes Wario Land 4 fun through and through". [14]

Wario Land 4 was a runner-up for GameSpot's annual "Best Game Boy Advance Game" and, among console games, "Best Platform Game" awards. These went respectively to Advance Wars and Conker's Bad Fur Day . [20]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Wario Land Advance (Japanese: ワリオランドアドバンス, Hepburn: Wario Rando Adobansu); supporting material further titles the game Wario Land Advance: Treasures of Yoki (Japanese: ワリオランドアドバンス ヨーキのお宝, Hepburn: Wario Rando Adobansu: Yōki no Otakara).

Related Research Articles

<i>F-Zero: Maximum Velocity</i> 2001 video game

F-Zero: Maximum Velocity is a futuristic racing game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo as a launch game for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in Japan, North America and Europe in 2001. It was the first F-Zero game released on a handheld game console.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game Boy Advance</span> Handheld game console by Nintendo

The Game Boy Advance (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2001, and in mainland China as iQue Game Boy Advance on June 8, 2004.

<i>Mario Kart: Super Circuit</i> 2001 kart racing video game

Mario Kart: Super Circuit is a 2001 kart racing game for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). It is the third Mario Kart game and retains its predecessors' gameplay: as a Mario franchise character, the player races opponents around tracks based on locales from the Super Mario platform games. Tracks contain obstacles and power-ups that respectively hamper and aid the player's progress. Super Circuit includes various single-player and multiplayer game modes, including a Grand Prix racing mode and a last man standing battle mode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wario</span> Video game character

Wario is a character in Nintendo's Mario video game series that was designed as an arch-rival to Mario. Wario first appeared as the main antagonist and final boss in the 1992 Game Boy game Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. His name is a portmanteau of the name Mario and the Japanese word warui, meaning "bad". Hiroji Kiyotake designed Wario and Charles Martinet voiced the character from 1993 to 2023, as well as other characters in the series, including Mario, Luigi, and Waluigi.

<i>Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins</i> 1992 video game

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins is a 1992 platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It is the sequel to Super Mario Land. In Super Mario Land 2, the player assumes the role of the protagonist Mario, whose main objective is to reclaim his personal island, Mario Land, from the clutches of his greedy rival Wario. The gameplay builds and expands on that of its precursor with innovations carried over from Super Mario World.

<i>Super Mario Land</i> 1989 video game

Super Mario Land is a 1989 platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch game for its Game Boy handheld game console. It is the first Mario platform game to have been released for a handheld console. In gameplay similar to that of the 1985 Super Mario Bros., but resized for the smaller device's screen, the player advances Mario to the end of 12 levels by moving to the right and jumping across platforms to avoid enemies and pitfalls. Unlike the other Mario games, Super Mario Land is set in Sarasaland, a new environment depicted in line art, and Mario pursues the debuting Princess Daisy. The game has two Gradius-style shooter levels.

<i>Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3</i> 1994 video game

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 is a 1994 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It is part of the Wario series and a sequel to 1992's Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. The story follows Wario travelling to a distant island to steal and sell a valuable statue to purchase his own castle out of envy for Mario's. The player traverses themed zones consisting of levels, each of which scattered with collectible coins which can be used to purchase items that aid the player in progressing through stages.

<i>Sonic Advance</i> 2001 video game

Sonic Advance, known as SonicN on the N-Gage, is a 2001 platform game developed by Dimps and published by Sega for the Game Boy Advance. It was the first Sonic the Hedgehog game released on a Nintendo console with Sonic Adventure 2: Battle on the GameCube, and was produced in commemoration of the series' tenth anniversary. The story follows Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy as they journey to stop Doctor Eggman from taking over the world. Controlling a character, players are tasked with completing each level, defeating Eggman and his robot army, and collecting the seven Chaos Emeralds.

<i>Wario Land 3</i> 2000 video game

Wario Land 3 is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. In the game, Mario's archrival Wario must free a mysterious figure who is trapped inside a music box. It was followed by Wario Land 4 in 2001. It was also released for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 2013, and as part of the Nintendo Switch Online service on 8 February 2023.

<i>Wario World</i> 2003 video game

Wario World is a platform video game developed by Treasure and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. Part of the Wario series, it was released in Europe, North America and Australia in 2003 and Japan in 2004. The game's plot centers on Wario and his quest to regain his treasure and his castle from the evil gem, Black Jewel.

<i>WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!</i> 2003 video game

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!, stylized as WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! and known as WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania in the PAL region, is a minigame compilation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The debut title in the WarioWare series, the game is about rapid completion of "microgames", short minigames given to the player consecutively and with increasing speed per each game complete. The game's concept was inspired by the "Sound Bomber" mode of Mario Artist: Polygon Studio for the Nintendo 64DD. The music and sound effects were recycled from Wario Land 4. The game was produced by Takehiro Izushi and directed by Hirofumi Matsuoka. Matsuoka was also the director of Polygon Studio. Mega Microgames! was released in 2003; in Japan in March, in North America and Europe in May and in Australia in June.

<i>WarioWare: Twisted!</i> 2004 video game

WarioWare: Twisted! is a video game for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Nintendo SPD with Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It was released on October 14, 2004 in Japan; May 19, 2005 in Australia; and May 23, 2005 in North America. The second game in the WarioWare series and the seventh in the Wario series overall, Twisted! was the last Wario game to be released on a Game Boy family system.

<i>Mario Pinball Land</i> 2004 video game

Mario Pinball Land, known in Europe and Japan as Super Mario Ball, is a pinball video game developed by Fuse Games and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance, released in 2004. It is the ninth Mario game for the Game Boy Advance and is considered a spin-off into the Super Mario series of games. The game also got a re-release for the Wii U Virtual Console.

<i>Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness</i> 2000 video game

Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness is a maze chase video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation in 2000. It was later released for the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Advance. A remake of Ms. Pac-Man (1982), players control the titular character in her quest to stop a witch named Mesmerelda from stealing the Gems of Virtue. The game was well-received upon release, with critics applauding its simplicity and faithfulness to the arcade original. A sequel was in development around 2006, but was cancelled for unknown reasons.

<i>Virtual Boy Wario Land</i> 1995 platform game

Virtual Boy Wario Land is a platforming video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Virtual Boy game system in 1995. It stars Wario, a treasure hunter who must find treasure and fight enemies to progress. Wario can jump and charge with his shoulder as basic techniques, and equip special hats to gain things such as fire breathing and bull horns. He has the ability to enter the background at certain points, making use of the console's stereoscopic 3D effect. It was developed by Nintendo R&D1, containing a large portion of its staff, and features the red-and-black color scheme that is standard for Virtual Boy releases.

<i>Mario Tennis: Power Tour</i> 2005 video game

Mario Tennis: Power Tour, known as Mario Power Tennis in Europe, is a 2005 sports game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It is the sequel to the Game Boy Color version of Mario Tennis. While it is the handheld companion to Mario Power Tennis, released on GameCube, with the European release sharing its title, Power Tour lacks connectivity with Power Tennis, unlike how its predecessor features connectivity with its console counterpart on Nintendo 64. Power Tour was re-released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2014.

<i>Wario: Master of Disguise</i> 2007 video game

Wario: Master of Disguise is a platform game developed by Suzak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. The game was released on January 18, 2007 in Japan, and on March 5 in North America. Its Japanese title, Phantom Thief Wario the Seven, refers to the fact that he has seven "forms". The game was released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in PAL regions and Japan in 2015 and North America in 2016.

<i>Drill Dozer</i> 2005 video game

Drill Dozer is a platform game for the Game Boy Advance developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. The game was released in 2005 in Japan, and in 2006 in North America, with a later European localisation being released on the Wii U eShop in 2016 with rumble support. It is one of only two Game Boy Advance games to include force feedback, the other being WarioWare: Twisted!. It received positive reviews on release, and is now often considered one of the best Game Boy Advance games of all time.

<i>Wario</i> (series) Video game series

Wario is a video game series, a spin-off of the Mario franchise. It comprises various video games created by Nintendo, starring the character Wario. The series began with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, the first game to feature Wario as a playable character. The Wario series includes mostly platforming video games and minigame compilations, but also includes other genres.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mirachion, Darron (September 30, 2021). "Three decades of Wario all started with a name". Polygon . Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Wario Land 4 (2001) credits". MobyGames. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Wario Land 4 sur Gameboy Advance". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  4. ↑ "GBA Top 10 Games – 2001". GameShark . No. Holiday. December 2001. p. 70.
  5. ↑ Anoop Gantayat (December 14, 2011). "Game Boy Advance 3DS Ambassador Program Begins on Friday". Andriasang. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Wario Land 4 reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Wario Land 4 for Game Boy Advance reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 29, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  8. ↑ Ricciardi, John; Johnston, Chris; Dudlak, Jonathan (January 2002). "Wario Land 4". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 150. Ziff Davis. p. 233.
  9. ↑ "Wario Land 4 Review". Eurogamer . January 6, 2002. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  10. ↑ ゲームボーイアドバンス – ワリオランドアドバンス ~ヨーキのお宝~. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.115. June 30, 2006.
  11. ↑ "Wario Land 4 Review". Archived from the original on June 7, 2008.
  12. 1 2 Harris, Craig (November 20, 2004). "Wario Land 4 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 14, 2006. Retrieved June 5, 2006.
  13. ↑ Laurie Blake (December 28, 2011). "A treasure". NintendoLife. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  14. 1 2 "Wario Land 4". Nintendo Power . No. 150. Nintendo of America. November 2001. p. 144.
  15. ↑ "Wario Land 4 review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2001.
  16. ↑ Keiser, Joe (August 2, 2006). "The Century's Top 50 Handheld Games". Next Generation . Archived from the original on October 10, 2007.
  17. ↑ 2021CESAゲーム白書 (2021 CESA Games White Papers). Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association. 2021. ISBN   978-4-902346-43-5.
  18. ↑ "Wario Land 4 Review – Wario Land 4 for Game Boy Advance at GameSpot". Gamespot. Archived from the original on February 5, 2003. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  19. ↑ D'Aprile, Jason. "Reviews: Warioland 4 (GBA)". Gamespy. Archived from the original on December 6, 2003. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  20. ↑ "GameSpot's Best and Worst Video Games of 2001". GameSpot . February 23, 2002. Archived from the original on August 3, 2002.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.