Wario Land 3

Hardly fresh off the back of - but since I played, 100%’d and put some thoughts down about Wario Land 2, I’ve done the same with the follow up game over the last five months, appropriately named - Wario Land 3.

So, after the previous games adventures in retrieving your fortune from sassy Captain syrup, you are flying around when your plane suddenly crashes and you become stranded in a mysterious forest. Upon some exploration Wario is captured by a mystery figure and transported to a different world.

You are tasked with collecting 5 musical instruments and upon safe return of these, you are promised to be returned to your world.

  

Also, remember booklets, remember the thought, art and love that went into these, check this out…….

  

This was a GameBoy Color game. Playing this on a GameBoy Color is the intended method obviously, although I’d suggest playing it on the GameBoy Advance, preferable on a SP so that you can actually see what you are doing with the built in illumination.

If you don’t have a cart and prefer the digital approach with the obvious benefits that that brings, it’s available on the 3DS eShop for about the cost of a coffee and a chocolate tiffin.

I played on a GBA AGS-101 console, which for me, is the best way to play this on original hardware.

  

The game uses a battery back-up save system, which is great. It also, lets you save mid-level, effectively a mini sort of save state – although it’s hardly necessary as you don’t have any lives or any serious risk of losing anything other than a fiddly bit of platforming progress.

But it does mean you can quickly click save and close down your GameBoy should your destination be beckoning.

I primarily played on the train, on the way into London, which would garnish me with about half an hour each morning and evening until I reached Liverpool Street or Chelmsford.

The game performs well, with the extra grunt that the GBC offered the difference in performance is clear - in what isn’t really too much of a step up in terms of performance hunger that the game has over its previous title.

The extra frames of animation and individual pixilation that the extra colour pallet brings, give Wario much more of his now distinguishable character. The puffs of ‘wind’ as he scales ladders and his paddling animation make me chuckle.

The added colour is fine but to be honest, I don’t feel it’s vivid enough to be a real game changer, instead it brings a level of detail to the sprites now that was hard to get across in the previous game’s artwork.

  

WL3 is different to WL2 and more similar to the open world map approach of the first entry. The linear progress has been shelved, for a more traditional Mario Overworld Map style – which I prefer. I think it gives a better sense of progress and storytelling.

By pressing the select button on the map screen, it slightly drops the screen and reveals a fast travel system to get around the map easier as that can be a pain with the vast amount back-tracking involved. There’s also a Treasure list, which comes in handy as a percentage completed figure.

You begin the game like a Metroid game, you find yourself crashed in the woods and have seemingly forgotten all of the actions you had been using the day prior. Things like bum stomp, being able to pick up enemies, super jump have all been stripped away from you and all you are left with is the basic shoulder charge.

Then, as you progress through the game you re-learn you powers which allow you to reach to differing areas of the levels.

The enemy powerups remain. Certain enemies once they land an attack will change your appearance and characteristics, which can be used to over come obstacles and clear paths. This was in the previous game, where if you get hit by an angry bumble bee you will inflate float upwards, or if you get hit by a flame you will frantically sprint off in the direction you are facing then after a short period time be able to burn away certain blocks that are vulnerable to fire.

This is a welcome return and adds a unique flavour to the puzzle solving.

The game world is divided up, or referred to rather as parts of the compass, N, S, E & W. With what also seems to be some sort of night day cycle reflecting what stage of the overworld you are in.

  

These are then numbered accordingly as you progress through that area, so N1, E4 etc….. I didn’t realise this until well into the game and often took a moment to try and understand what it all meant.

The world, in a similar way to the first Wario game (SML3) changes as you progress through it. This time it’s lent into much more than the first game, with landscapes on the overworld drastically changing and then sometimes making entire levels shift their layout. It’s pretty cool.

The day/night cycle also means that levels will be different, generally at night all the enemies are asleep. Later in the game, you find a treasure that allows you to change the time of day on the world map, allowing the collection of treasures you’ve missed to be less laborious.

Each area has four individually coloured chests hidden within it, grey, red, green and blue.

These are then opened via finding the corresponding keys hidden within that level.

  

  

Very fun. This style of gameplay really leans into my personal taste and I find this style of gameplay extremely rewarding.

The actual levels themselves are best explained as mini Metroid-Vainia style areas, each requiring their own unique ability to progress past obstacles, creatures and unclock the next chest.

The chests themselves contain items, like mirrors, lamps, watches and other Wario nonsense that he appears to covert and you seemingly go about collecting up this loot.

Then, at what appears to be random intervals, two items will combine to affect the landscape and uncover more area levels or alter existing levels in a way that present different routes or make what were inaccessible keys and chests now accessible.

It’s fun and adds a large level of unpredictability to the game’s progression. Early on it can be a bit jarring and muddled as to a point you are constantly wondering what on earth is going on but once you get its angle it’s a welcome evolution of the game.

The challenge primarily comes from locating the chests, finding the keys, unlocking powers and beating 5 bosses to collect a set of musical instruments.

The bosses are fun and unique. There’s even a returning boss from the second game in the Factory Zone, who you have to beat at a game of basketball – this time around is similarly sport themed and again, did make me laugh.

The final boss is brilliant, his design is cool and if you’re never going to play this game I’d suggest looking him up as he’s a great piece design and pixel art.

Like the previous game you have no lives, no heath and the coins you collect are what are used to clear mini games within levels that will clear a path forward.

Also hidden within the levels are a number of giant golden coins.

The platforming can be challenging, often requiring a sequence of jumps, or combination of power ups and jumps to clear a path forward.

Interestingly, the pause screen holds an option to view a move list, that also shows you the associated action and uses of said skill. It’s very helpful, as players who are not perhaps familiar with the series and how it has introduced moves and skills over the games can instantly be brought up to speed. Making this a great jumping in point to Wario’s unique and satisfying skill set.

  

  

The puzzles are often very simple but it’s the level of joy that solving them brings with the instant wonder of whether it’s going to cause another landscape shift or unlock a new part of the world.

The ability to move freely between different levels, in different areas, all with objectives that are clear but not yet accessible to the player - can be overwhelming.

To add some sort of guidance to the to what otherwise may seem like a bit of a wild goose chase, with no obvious set path forward, there is a temple that will offer some direction l help in terms what level to explore to progress the story. This is as crude and simple as saying – “Go to the lost woods” and I wonder if this was added after game to add some direction.

There is an amount of annoyance with the AI sometimes and the unpredictability of some of the bosses which can become tiresome but after all, all this does is set up the euphoria of victory upon beating it. Something which tastes so much sweeter on older games from a more punishing/unfair period.

  

  

Most levels have an odd little mini game in them, that involve kicking a creature into a cup, similar to golf. It’s rather misplaced I feel and could have been something better or left out entirely.

You see the coins you collect throughout the game are used to buy credits for this mini game, but never do you feel as if you’ll be short of coins.

Once you’ve beaten the game a block within the level (which is quite literally an empty rectangle with “beat mini game to clear” typed onto it) will raise up to clear a path forward.

The progression of the Wario games so far seem to experiment with different ideas, this one, begins to merge the ideas together into something that is becoming more unique with its own identity.

Towards the end of this, I felt like I wanted to ramp up the pace in terms of getting the last pieces of the musical puzzle and started playing it of an evening.

I’ve beaten the game and am somewhat tempted to go back and collect all the necessary treasures. Once I’d stumbled into the final boss and defeated him, I was more than tempted, and even began going back and mopping up the remain treasures, but I think I’ll leave it this time.

I did this with the second game, although due to the structure and the way that that game was built there was so much more to see by doing so.

The way that Wario Land 3 is built doesn’t offer that same experience, other than a few hidden rooms that I’ve perhaps not seen yet.

I also get the feeling that going back in and really grinding out the final pieces of treasure may somewhat sour my overall experience with the game.

Something I tried last year with God of War was that once I’d naturally beaten the game and followed my nose so to speak, I stopped playing it. I didn’t want to totally rinse the game in fear of seeing the seams of the world or become too frustrated with certain aspects that are associated with 100%’ing a game.

I’d played the game, consumed the best bits and didn’t feel need to suck the bones dry. Wario Land 3 feels the same in that sense.

So, with that in mind, I’m going to put Wario Land 3 down with the lasting feeling that I enjoyed it very much.

It’s also fascinating to see how the games are developing as the hardware improves. The next game in the series I’m expecting big changes, especially visually as Wario Land 4 is on the beloved GameBoy Advance. More sprites, more buttons, a different aspect ratio – this will be interesting !