If you could hack Wario Land 4 to the point of replacing the Mini-Game Shops with fifth stages ripped from other games, which stages would you choose?

[xandermartin98]

Personally, here are my top three candidates for each passage (NOTE: this is basically assuming that you also hacked the game to the point of giving it a whole new engine; also, this is a bit of an in-joke about the fact that so very, very much of Wario Land 4 II's soundtrack is already going to be comprised of remixed songs from other games):

TOPAZ:

1. Wario's Woolly World (Yoshi's Woolly World): Bonus points if it also turns Wario himself into an adorable yarn plush of himself; would be quite impressive spritework to say the least (the fact that Kirby's Epic Yarn, the direct predecessor to Woolly World's art style, was made by the Shake It developer Feel Good, certainly helps the fitting-ness too)
2. Toy Time Galaxy (from Super Mario Galaxy): Would be rather interesting to see this actually work in a side-scrolling format, I must say, especially if someone found a way to modify Wario's pipe-entering animation into Mario's signature Luma Spin attack from the original SMG (and possibly even rather infuriatingly recreate that game's infamous insta-death black holes)
3. Mini-Mario Factory (from the original Mario VS Donkey Kong): Despite the fact that said game's switch puzzles drove me absolutely insane, this would still be a fantastic addition for the type of game that Wario Land 4 is; giving the level its own unique countdown timer that makes the factory itself actually explode if/when it runs out (complete with its very own cutscene where the explosion itself sends Wario flying straight into the player's screen) would also be extremely cool, just for the record

EMERALD:

1. Post-Apocalypse Brinstar (from Super Metroid): In addition to being an extremely iconic level that boasts some of the greatest background music in video game history in both its upper and lower sections alike, this area (whether deliberately remade as exactly as possible from its original SM incarnation or not) would also serve as a quite frankly excellent homage to the Wario Land series' supremely obvious Metroid inspiration (roots, if you will)...

Spoiler: Further explanation here

Not to mention that, if made ambitious enough, the level could potentially even feature the original version's Spore Spawn and Kraid battles as the very first mid-level bosses to ever appear in a WL4 stage (or just have their corpses from Samus' previous killing of them occupy their original rooms as a rather dark Alternate Continuity Nod, more likely), with the former's corresponding Super Missile reward room in Upper Brinstar becoming a Gem Piece (slash Keyzer) room while the latter's corresponding Varia Suit reward room in Lower Brinstar becomes the Frog Timer room (of which activating said timer locks the hatch back from Lower Brinstar to Upper Brinstar and unlocks Lower Brinstar's elevator to Crateria, from which Wario then escapes the planet in a grotesquely deformed Wario version of Samus' ship; for the record, Lower Brinstar's Norfair elevator is worn-out and no longer works)

And yes, carrying over the area's original music would also mean having two different musical themes for the same level, which would be another rather intriguing innovation; to name a few other important details, Wario would perform his "coming out of doors" pose on elevator platforms (of which only the one from Lower Brinstar to Crateria would ever actually become functional, for whatever reason) and in save-station capsules (which would become coin dispensers), the crumble-block "noob bridge" from the original Upper Brinstar would be parodied with Wario's shoulder-button dash, the infamous Etecoon wall-jumping shaft from the original Upper Brinstar would be replaced with a Spring Wario shaft (or be replicated with a whole new wall-jumping mechanic utilizing Wario's roll-initiation pose, whichever you prefer), the Grapple Beam ceilings from the original Upper/Lower Brinstar would be replaced by the swinging vine platforms from Monsoon Jungle, the hatches throughout the area would be opened by shoulder-charging, head-butting and ground-pounding them (since they would all be blue), the Sidehoppers throughout the area would become a way more difficult version of Spinebacks, the Power Bomb floor in the first room of Samus' original visit to Upper Brinstar would become a Super Ground Pound floor, and at least one or two of the bug pipes would become Candy Room pipes

2. Green Hill Zone (from Sonic The Hedgehog) or literal Emerald Hill Zone (from Sonic 2): Either way, I would love to see Wario run around those loops so much; again, an mid-level Eggman boss fight would be a great addition as well, not to mention the Frog Timer setting the level on fire just like what happened to Angel Island Zone in Sonic 3 & Knuckles; again, the real question is how much of this could actually be programmed into WL4 (particularly new enemy types) even after making a whole new engine for the game

3. Lost Woods (from Zelda, particularly Ocarina Of Time in this case): Be sure to deliberately make it as much of an insufferable pain in the arse as possible too

RUBY:

1. New Junk City (from Earthworm Jim): Obviously, new animations (and possibly shoulder-button applications) would have to be made for Wario grabbing onto / swinging from / climbing on hooks, chains, and most notably the vertical conveyor belt about midway through the original level (that, and his roll-initiation pose would also have to be modified yet again for him sliding on the slippery pipes in the Special Edition's second part to the original level, if that actually got added), not to mention that The Toxic Landfill would make this level kind of redundant...but you could always just imagine it being what TTL looks like on its surface, so there
2. Scrap Brain Zone (from Sonic The Hedgehog): Mazelike, ominous, actually difficult for once in Wario Land 4's lifetime...yeah, I think you get the idea
3. KremKroc Factory (from Donkey Kong Country): Once again, challenging level with absolutely incredible music and atmosphere, and would also provide tons of opportunities for puzzles involving the setting of Wario on fire (or the avoidance of doing so) using the numerous flaming oil drums littered throughout the level

SAPPHIRE:

1. Silenced Ruins (from Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow): Already has a layout that screams Wario Land by default, is yet another post-apocalyptic remake of one of the most iconic video game opening stages ever (Dracula's Castle Entrance Hallways from Castlevania 1), and is from a franchise that generally needs more acknowledgment by Nintendo (not to mention the very real potential possibility of using the Giant Bat as a mid-level boss)
2. Buttville (from Earthworm Jim): Absolutely terrifying level that also uses two different songs (that are equally badass to each other, just like with Super Brinstar) as its background music and would utilize a ton of interesting new mechanics (such as ledge grabbing/hanging, which would serve as an obvious reference to Metroid Fusion being made using a heavily modified version of WL4's engine, not to mention skydiving for the original level's incredibly infamous Use Your Head opening segment and the thankfully few other points in the original level at which Jim's Helicopter Head technique was actually needed); also, only being able to use melee attacks in the level's otherwise infamously easy closing boss fight against the Queen (whose death would effectively trigger the level's exit timer) could potentially make her a hell of a lot more challenging as well (as for the original level's also-infamous pincer worms, don't worry; they would only take away four of Wario's hearts as opposed to insta-killing him no matter what...as for the freaking gigantic thorn balls scattered all over the level, those would deal one heart of damage at small size and two hearts at full size)
3. Abandoned Hospital (from Dr. Mario): I think the background music is pretty obvious, along with basically how the level would most likely end up being made (namely, as an incredibly elaborate reskin/redesign of Hotel Horror), but either way, the concept of a virus-infested, quarantined and abandoned hospital as a Mario level is just plain awesome

 

[CaptainDrewBoy]

What a specific question. I mean, I don't even understand it.

 

[Magma]

Yes is this is so weird. It's like asking

If you could replace the Hall of Hieroglyph's music with a tutorial theme from another game what would you replace it with?

The first level theme from Yoshi's Island?


Training mode from Star Fox 64?


The introduction level music from Splatoon?

 

[Just a Wario Fan]

I know what you mean and I like the concept, but I think adding entire levels from foreign games to WL4 will cause it to be an unrecognisable game that will not be any more enjoyable than the original Wario Land 4 and the original levels from their respective games.

 

[xandermartin98]

I know what you mean and I like the concept, but I think adding entire levels from foreign games to WL4 will cause it to be an unrecognisable game that will not be any more enjoyable than the original Wario Land 4 and the original levels from their respective games.

Paintings of them, technically, hence why Brinstar would have the alternate canon (still totally understand what you mean, though)