I have the rereleases of the older games, and so I figure I post my own experiences, both the original versions and the rereleases. I've been feeling like posting something like this for some odd reason, so I figure I'll keep this as a journal of sorts.
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3: Probably my first exposure to Wario, period. I never even knew about that "Obey Wario, Destroy Mario" commercial for Super Mario Land 2 until I was a bit older, and it was long off the air by then. I don't think YouTube was even a thing back when I learned of it.
Was a fun game. The level designs, how Wario was different from Mario, and the enemies intrigued me as a kid. As I got older, though, I started appreciating it even more, with the game just shining all the way through. Sadly, the old cartidge has deteriorated to where at best, I have to blow on it to get it to work, and at worst, it doesn't work at all. Fortunately, there's the Virtual Console rerelease to save the day, allowing me to appreciate the game anew. It's still fun to play today.
Wario Land 2: Played the original GB version as a kid. I don't remember playing it extensively until the eShop rerelease, which is of the GBC version. Wanna know why? The cartidge had a bad habit of disappearing on me. Still, if my memory's accurate, I had a blast whenever I could play it, and I had even more of one when I actually got a copy I could keep track of. Same statements, except this is where it really got its own identity, since it did more of its own thing, while its predecessor took more from the Mario games. Overall, it was fun.
Wario Land 3: Now this one I have even less memories of the original versions. I remember having fun...but it suffered an even worse fate than the previous two. I remember something happened to the cartridge that made it so that not even blowing on it would help make it work. I kept trying, but it still wouldn't work. I was sad. Fortunately, the Virtual Console came to the rescue once again. Was also good, though the fact that you have to regain abilities you had from the start in 2 annoyed me, so that kept me from calling it as good as 2. That said, it continued to distinguish itself from Mario, and the level designs fels a bit more varied. All in all, still fun.
Wario Land 4: Okay, this is the one I have the most memories of. I remember I would play it on my Game Boy Advance no matter the situation, whether it be school, on a trip to Florida, or in a hotel. For good reason, too, as it was, and still is, pure gaming bliss. The series had added to the already good gameplay, I liked running to the beginning to a level, and it was probably the first game I was dedicated to finding everything in. For me, it became the standard future Wario platformers would be compared to. I even played it after being highly disappointed with Wario: Master of Disguise years later. Then the Wii U virtual console rerelease came, and I got that New Year's Eve. It looks surprisingly good in HD, enhancing what was already a masterpiece by a bit. Going on a trip down memory lane now.
Wario World: I had looked forward to this as a kid. I loved WL4, so I was sure this would be as good. Sadly, I didn't get it until like a year or two after release, but it was a fun beat-em-up. It could be difficult at times, but it wasn't difficult enough to get me fed up with it, and I still was having a blast. My biggest complaint is the length. It's over before you want it to be. All I ask is a few more levels in the game, and it'd be golden. Still, I'd suggest trying it out if you haven't, since it's fun while it lasts.
On another note, I find it amusing that it's a Wario game made by a developer named Treasure. What a pun, I know. After experiencing their other works, I can say as far as outsourcing goes, Nintendo picked a good team to handle it. Sadly, the next one wasn't so lucky.
Wario: Master of Disguise: Rather than entrusting Treasure with it once again (and they have experience with 2D platformers, so it's not like they couldn't do a 2D Wario game), they handed it to Suzak. This felt like a huge slap in the face to me, who had been waiting a while for another Wario platformer. From the beginning, something feels wrong. The controls are a bit off, since the buttons act as a second D-Pad for only Suzak knows why. It might have been for the lefties, but I think even they felt like it was off. You had to use the touch screen to punch, an awful decision if I do say so. The transformations range from pointless to frustrating, and it feels like it would have been much easier if it had just been handled competently.
Also, I swear that stick's actually depowering Wario in some way, since he can't do many of the things he could do in the Land series or World. I wonder if Suzak even played the previous games. The level designs are also bland at best, and confusing at worst. The bosses are the worst part, though, since they, too, are bland at best, and at worst, I have to use Arty Wario to damage them. Which is bad, because he can't move, and the level feels like it's designed for moving as him, making it much harder than it needs to be.
What makes this sadder is that it had potential. The graphics are good, the story isn't bad from what I got through of it, and the ideas behind the transformations were sound. The execution killed it all, though, and I was glad to hear Wario Land: Shake It! wasn't entrusted to Suzak again. I hear it's a bit of a return to form.
Sadly, I missed out on Wario Land: Shake It! when it was first released. I only have the excuse of "waiting for a price drop." I waited too long to grab it, for now I'm having a harder time finding the game than I thought I would.
In other words, I'm kicking myself for not getting it sooner.I'm sure when I finally do find it, though, I'll find it at a good price.
I also missed out on the Virtual Boy game, though I don't blame myself or anyone else for that. However good it may be, it's probably not good enough to justify owning something that will probably give me permanent eye damage.
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3: Probably my first exposure to Wario, period. I never even knew about that "Obey Wario, Destroy Mario" commercial for Super Mario Land 2 until I was a bit older, and it was long off the air by then. I don't think YouTube was even a thing back when I learned of it.
Was a fun game. The level designs, how Wario was different from Mario, and the enemies intrigued me as a kid. As I got older, though, I started appreciating it even more, with the game just shining all the way through. Sadly, the old cartidge has deteriorated to where at best, I have to blow on it to get it to work, and at worst, it doesn't work at all. Fortunately, there's the Virtual Console rerelease to save the day, allowing me to appreciate the game anew. It's still fun to play today.
Wario Land 2: Played the original GB version as a kid. I don't remember playing it extensively until the eShop rerelease, which is of the GBC version. Wanna know why? The cartidge had a bad habit of disappearing on me. Still, if my memory's accurate, I had a blast whenever I could play it, and I had even more of one when I actually got a copy I could keep track of. Same statements, except this is where it really got its own identity, since it did more of its own thing, while its predecessor took more from the Mario games. Overall, it was fun.
Wario Land 3: Now this one I have even less memories of the original versions. I remember having fun...but it suffered an even worse fate than the previous two. I remember something happened to the cartridge that made it so that not even blowing on it would help make it work. I kept trying, but it still wouldn't work. I was sad. Fortunately, the Virtual Console came to the rescue once again. Was also good, though the fact that you have to regain abilities you had from the start in 2 annoyed me, so that kept me from calling it as good as 2. That said, it continued to distinguish itself from Mario, and the level designs fels a bit more varied. All in all, still fun.
Wario Land 4: Okay, this is the one I have the most memories of. I remember I would play it on my Game Boy Advance no matter the situation, whether it be school, on a trip to Florida, or in a hotel. For good reason, too, as it was, and still is, pure gaming bliss. The series had added to the already good gameplay, I liked running to the beginning to a level, and it was probably the first game I was dedicated to finding everything in. For me, it became the standard future Wario platformers would be compared to. I even played it after being highly disappointed with Wario: Master of Disguise years later. Then the Wii U virtual console rerelease came, and I got that New Year's Eve. It looks surprisingly good in HD, enhancing what was already a masterpiece by a bit. Going on a trip down memory lane now.
Wario World: I had looked forward to this as a kid. I loved WL4, so I was sure this would be as good. Sadly, I didn't get it until like a year or two after release, but it was a fun beat-em-up. It could be difficult at times, but it wasn't difficult enough to get me fed up with it, and I still was having a blast. My biggest complaint is the length. It's over before you want it to be. All I ask is a few more levels in the game, and it'd be golden. Still, I'd suggest trying it out if you haven't, since it's fun while it lasts.
On another note, I find it amusing that it's a Wario game made by a developer named Treasure. What a pun, I know. After experiencing their other works, I can say as far as outsourcing goes, Nintendo picked a good team to handle it. Sadly, the next one wasn't so lucky.
Wario: Master of Disguise: Rather than entrusting Treasure with it once again (and they have experience with 2D platformers, so it's not like they couldn't do a 2D Wario game), they handed it to Suzak. This felt like a huge slap in the face to me, who had been waiting a while for another Wario platformer. From the beginning, something feels wrong. The controls are a bit off, since the buttons act as a second D-Pad for only Suzak knows why. It might have been for the lefties, but I think even they felt like it was off. You had to use the touch screen to punch, an awful decision if I do say so. The transformations range from pointless to frustrating, and it feels like it would have been much easier if it had just been handled competently.
Also, I swear that stick's actually depowering Wario in some way, since he can't do many of the things he could do in the Land series or World. I wonder if Suzak even played the previous games. The level designs are also bland at best, and confusing at worst. The bosses are the worst part, though, since they, too, are bland at best, and at worst, I have to use Arty Wario to damage them. Which is bad, because he can't move, and the level feels like it's designed for moving as him, making it much harder than it needs to be.
What makes this sadder is that it had potential. The graphics are good, the story isn't bad from what I got through of it, and the ideas behind the transformations were sound. The execution killed it all, though, and I was glad to hear Wario Land: Shake It! wasn't entrusted to Suzak again. I hear it's a bit of a return to form.
Sadly, I missed out on Wario Land: Shake It! when it was first released. I only have the excuse of "waiting for a price drop." I waited too long to grab it, for now I'm having a harder time finding the game than I thought I would.
In other words, I'm kicking myself for not getting it sooner.I'm sure when I finally do find it, though, I'll find it at a good price.
I also missed out on the Virtual Boy game, though I don't blame myself or anyone else for that. However good it may be, it's probably not good enough to justify owning something that will probably give me permanent eye damage.