Seriously, if there's one really noticeable thing I remember about this game, it's that it pretty much did everything possible to completely throw the 'rules' of 2D platformer out of the window.
Think about it. There is pretty much not one level concept that's just another 'stereotypical' platformer setting. What do I mean by this?
Well, look at New Super Mario Bros for example. Every one of its worlds is generally a boring selection of 2D platformer cliches that's been done to death by the time the game was released. You've got the usual grass land with hills and trees. Desert with egyptian pyramids and music. Ice world with Christmas stylings. A world set mostly under the sea...
Basically, ideas that have cropped up in every platformer (or even video game) since the NES and constantly appear in at least half of all games released since.
Wario Land 4 doesn't. You don't have a generic grass land with hills and trees, you've got a grassy beach level called Palm Tree Paradise complete with a Japanese karaoke song playing in the background.
You don't have a single bland desert level with sand, quicksand, or pyramids, the somewhat middle east style Arabian Night is the only even remotely similar (and that's got more of a haunted house/undead theme to it).
There's no haunted house with traditional bedsheet ghosts and organ music, the game instead has a creepy town (Crescent Moon Village), an Aladdin style middle eastern setting (Arabian Night) and a haunted hotel (Hotel Horror).
And the list goes on. The ice level is set in a factory. The water level is set in a lake rather than the ocean. The bosses include a giant Cuckoo Clock, an inflatable teddy bear and a cat/vampire bat hybrid rather than say, your traditional robot, toy or ghost bosses that other games would use.
Same with the music. Nothing here is cliched or traditional. You've got both English and Japanese vocals (even in the Japanese version):
Electric guitar based songs, in a Nintendo game:
whatever the hell the Cresent Moon Village song is (it's most definitely awesome and 'different' from your usual haunted house tune):
So yeah. Anyone else see my point? Because I have to say, that's probably one of this game's biggest strengths. How it completely defies 'traditional' or 'genre' and ends up with a rather bizarre, overly quirky yet incredibly fresh game experience as a result.
Think about it. There is pretty much not one level concept that's just another 'stereotypical' platformer setting. What do I mean by this?
Well, look at New Super Mario Bros for example. Every one of its worlds is generally a boring selection of 2D platformer cliches that's been done to death by the time the game was released. You've got the usual grass land with hills and trees. Desert with egyptian pyramids and music. Ice world with Christmas stylings. A world set mostly under the sea...
Basically, ideas that have cropped up in every platformer (or even video game) since the NES and constantly appear in at least half of all games released since.
Wario Land 4 doesn't. You don't have a generic grass land with hills and trees, you've got a grassy beach level called Palm Tree Paradise complete with a Japanese karaoke song playing in the background.
You don't have a single bland desert level with sand, quicksand, or pyramids, the somewhat middle east style Arabian Night is the only even remotely similar (and that's got more of a haunted house/undead theme to it).
There's no haunted house with traditional bedsheet ghosts and organ music, the game instead has a creepy town (Crescent Moon Village), an Aladdin style middle eastern setting (Arabian Night) and a haunted hotel (Hotel Horror).
And the list goes on. The ice level is set in a factory. The water level is set in a lake rather than the ocean. The bosses include a giant Cuckoo Clock, an inflatable teddy bear and a cat/vampire bat hybrid rather than say, your traditional robot, toy or ghost bosses that other games would use.
Same with the music. Nothing here is cliched or traditional. You've got both English and Japanese vocals (even in the Japanese version):
Electric guitar based songs, in a Nintendo game:
whatever the hell the Cresent Moon Village song is (it's most definitely awesome and 'different' from your usual haunted house tune):
So yeah. Anyone else see my point? Because I have to say, that's probably one of this game's biggest strengths. How it completely defies 'traditional' or 'genre' and ends up with a rather bizarre, overly quirky yet incredibly fresh game experience as a result.
