Wario Land VB Game by Nintendo Reviewed by The Avardancer (Philip Wesley) Size: 16 megabits (2 megabytes!) Save: Battery Released: 1995 Works with: Virtual Boy **************************************************************************** Opening Snide Remarks: I saw screen shots for this game and I HAD to have it. This game was called Wario Cruise in its early stages of development. Well, if you didn't know; now you do. ;) Anyways, the game isn't part of the normal "Wario Land" series. It's more of a "Side Story" to the game. It does not contain the Brown Sugar Pirates or Captain Syrup at all. (Sigh.) Anyways, the Virtual Boy could have used a game like this at it's launch. A big named title that people cared about. Well, I dug up my good old Virtual Boy to give the people a review. If you can find this one lurking around.. is it really worth a purchase? **************************************************************************** Gameplay Descripion: This is a true 2 1/2-D game. In other words, it's not really 3-D. The game has multiple planes of view and it uses them in a fairly unique way. For an example; the game levels consist of going in and out of the background and foreground. The levels are designed with two simple game play objectives. You go into a large vast world to find a Key, then find the exit. Every three levels is a boss. There are about 12 levels and finding everything in the game doesn't really matter; because after you beat the game the first time, it pulls a "Play Station" on you. What do I mean? I mean, it starts you over again in a harder version of the game with none of your items or a chance to go back and find everything. Many Play Station games *cough* Metal gear Solid *cough* do that and it's annoying. I would love to have some type of "reward" for finding the hidden treasures you can find in the game. There is one for each normal area and if you lose all your lives.. you lose a treasure. It makes you wonder why you took the trouble to find them all. I will be fair with you, the game is entertaining the first time around; but the second time around.. it's dull. It may be "harder"; but it is dull. Why is it dull? Everything is in the same place. The bosses get faster and there are more spikes; but nothing changed. Does this mean the game isn't fun? Oh, it's fun. The bosses can be tough; but after you beat it.. you won't be coming back to it for any particular reason other than boredom. The game has some inventive levels and is quite fun the first time through. Wario is stuck in a cave and must escape the cave. He is also looking to steal some treasure. He's so bad. Wario has the ability to jump in to the foreground and background. The enemies come in from those areas as well. Wario also has some nice power-ups. He has his normal attacks, the Bull Hat from Wario Land 1 (Super Mario Land 3), the Fire Hat from that same game and the Jet Hat from it as well. They can be combined to make the "Dragon Hat"; which is the ONLY new Power-Up item in this game. It's a side scroller and it has some nice bosses, and levels; but it isn't much in the Game Play department. Liked: Combineing power-ups and the well hidden treasures. Hated: Very little new items -ONLY ONE- and the game automatically sticks you in the beginning again and automatically erases over your previous play session to make way for this "hard" level. You can't go back after you beat it. **************************************************************************** Graphics Description: The Virtual Boy was mocked for being Red and Black. This game proves that being all red doesn't mean you can't be detailed. There are a lot of nice details. That Title Screen is hideous. You'll be surprised what can be done with four shades of Red and the "color" Black. Wario looks decent. He's not a flat sprite and he's fairly "3-D". He looks a lot slicker and meaner than he does on Game Boy. I wish they had recycled his sprite from this game for Wario Land 2. Virtual Boy does Wario justice. He looks mean and evil. The backgrounds, while they aren't as polished as say, Wario Land 2 on Game Boy Color. But they are intersting. The 3-D effects are limited; but decent. Not too shabby for a Virtual Boy title; but I recommend a small break every 15 minutes or so.. because.. you're supposed to take a break. The animation is smooth and clear. Although there is a slight blur on the Virtual Boys screen. The bosses look cool and the game isn't harsh on the eyes. You can change the graphics level of brightness and the treasures are fairly.. unusual. Liked: It's fairly well detailed and it's sharp and easy to see. The bosses look good. Hated: Slight blur and very little use of real 3-D. **************************************************************************** Sound/Music Description: The music.. it's hold-overs from the original game; but the sound effects are decent. The opening title song is.. at first irritating and grateing. The sound effects -while decent- add very little to the game and aren't used in any special ways. The music could have been a bit better; as it is forgetable. The neatest effect with the sound is the left to right and foreground to background swings of various objects. (Like those big spiked balls.) Liked: It's decent and it's.. well.. it's average. Hated: It can get annoying and doesn't add much at all to the game. **************************************************************************** Play Control/Game Design: The control is easy to use and it's responsive. But the game is severely lacking in replay value and actual... "purpose". Sniff. Too bad. It's fun though. ALthough it has been dumbed down to be a normal; if not average, side-scroller. Instead of trying anything unique or even setting up a decent area of play; the game seems rushed out. Liked: it's fun... Hated: And it's poorly designed; it's not much.. in fact.. it seems like half a game compared to it's previous Game Boy relative. **************************************************************************** Improve: Well, the Virtual Boy is dead. Why not take this game and port it to Game Boy Advanced with additional levels, a better lay-out of levels, more unique sounds, and better music. RIYL: Wario, Side Scrollers, and.. if you own a Virtual Boy. **************************************************************************** Final Words: If you own a Virtual Boy.. you should get this one; because it IS one of the better Virtual Boy games. While that's not saying much; because the Virtual Boy had less than 20 games. It would not have gotten so much attention if it had come out on, say, Game Boy; because it's lacking in size and game play. **************************************************************************** Score Gameplay: **** Graphics: **** Sound/Music: *** Play Control/Game Design: **** Personal Opinion: ***** Total: 20 out of 25 Final Score: 80% **************************************************************************** Currently Known Codes: None....