AlvaroInventa
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Wario Odyssey is now playable
- Thread starter AlvaroInventa
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Looks interesting, though I'm not sure what to think about using AI for graphics here. Are you drawing or coding anything for this project?
AlvaroInventa
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I'm not drawing or coding. That time is past. Now I'm focusing only in design and giving a tool that people can use to create levels and play them. That's my idea.
I have worked in many uncompleted projects in the past, and the reason is that I wanted to do everything on them, design, coding and art.
Now I can use AI to do a lot of stuff so I can focus in that I really want.
I have worked in many uncompleted projects in the past, and the reason is that I wanted to do everything on them, design, coding and art.
Now I can use AI to do a lot of stuff so I can focus in that I really want.
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AlvaroInventa
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Here is a screenshot of the Editor that everybody can use to create their own levels.
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Okay a level editor is pretty cool. Glad to see that feature included!
AlvaroInventa
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Hi everyone! 
I'm thrilled to share the very first release of the game with all of you. While it’s not the final version yet, I decided to put it out today so you can play it, have fun, and share your feedback.
Play Wario Odyssey here! 
While you can play using a keyboard and mouse, I highly recommend using a gamepad for the best experience.
You’ll have access to all the classic Wario moves:
All ideas, suggestions, and bug reports are more than welcome! I know there are bound to be a few rough edges, so thank you in advance for your patience and support.
Thanks for playing! Enjoy the game!
I'm thrilled to share the very first release of the game with all of you. While it’s not the final version yet, I decided to put it out today so you can play it, have fun, and share your feedback.
Play Wario Odyssey here! 
Key Features
- Campaign Mode: Dive into the first set of levels! My long-term vision is to design distinct campaigns inspired by different parts of the world, but for now, enjoy this initial mixed adventure.
- Scenarios (Community Levels): Explore all the levels published by other players. Right now, publishing is wide open with no restrictions, so it's a great time to test things out! (Note: I’ll be adding anti-frustration filters in the future to keep out impossible levels).
- Level Editor: If you log in with your email, you can create your own custom levels and publish them for the community to play!
Controls & Gameplay
While you can play using a keyboard and mouse, I highly recommend using a gamepad for the best experience.You’ll have access to all the classic Wario moves:
- Move & Jump
- Arm Attack (Press Left Control or Left Mouse Click)
- Crush Down
- Turbo Running
- Pick up & Throw Objects
Feedback & Bugs
All ideas, suggestions, and bug reports are more than welcome! I know there are bound to be a few rough edges, so thank you in advance for your patience and support.Thanks for playing! Enjoy the game!
BlanchonUltime
Wario Fan Supreme
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Rat enemy stucks itself in blocks when chasing money outside his range :
Played only the first 2 levels, level design is ok, but the AI "art" is just too much. I know you said you wanted to focus solely on game design, but nobody wants to play a game that isn't appealing, and this mix of generic high-res pictures and pixel art isn't. Music is irritating too, put some original tracks from the wario games man ! For real there's no point using AI for any of this even as placeholder : simply use sprite sheets/tiles/backgrounds/OST/sound effects from the gameboy wario land games if you don't want to draw or design audio ( https://www.spriters-resource.com/browse/games/?name=wario+land&consoles[]=5 ; https://sounds.spriters-resource.com/browse/games/?name=wario+land). We're all wario fans and nostalgics, nobody will complain if you reuse assets from the original games.
Played only the first 2 levels, level design is ok, but the AI "art" is just too much. I know you said you wanted to focus solely on game design, but nobody wants to play a game that isn't appealing, and this mix of generic high-res pictures and pixel art isn't. Music is irritating too, put some original tracks from the wario games man ! For real there's no point using AI for any of this even as placeholder : simply use sprite sheets/tiles/backgrounds/OST/sound effects from the gameboy wario land games if you don't want to draw or design audio ( https://www.spriters-resource.com/browse/games/?name=wario+land&consoles[]=5 ; https://sounds.spriters-resource.com/browse/games/?name=wario+land). We're all wario fans and nostalgics, nobody will complain if you reuse assets from the original games.
AlvaroInventa
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Thank you, @BlanchonUltime, for your feedback! I found it really helpful. I don't agree with everything, but there are definitely some great points that I'll take into account.
Regarding music, I’m terrible at composing. My original idea was to include a music editor so players could create different themes and apply them to the levels. As for the art, I actually never wanted to do high-res sprites; my goal is to lean more and more toward a Wario Land style. The website you shared is great, so I’ll probably grab some sprites from there—maybe I can do something similar for the music, too!
I know everyone here is a Wario fan, but I suppose there are different kinds of fans. In my case, I'm a fan of the mechanics more than anything else. That’s why I just wanted to make new levels that keep those classic mechanics, more or less. Another reason is that I found a lot of crossovers and mods using the old warioland cores, so I wanted to do something different.
And about focusing on design: yes, I definitely wanted to focus on it, but rather than just level design, my main focus was on tool and editor design. I just wanted to share a tool for creating things—I'm not looking to sell anything.
Regarding music, I’m terrible at composing. My original idea was to include a music editor so players could create different themes and apply them to the levels. As for the art, I actually never wanted to do high-res sprites; my goal is to lean more and more toward a Wario Land style. The website you shared is great, so I’ll probably grab some sprites from there—maybe I can do something similar for the music, too!
I know everyone here is a Wario fan, but I suppose there are different kinds of fans. In my case, I'm a fan of the mechanics more than anything else. That’s why I just wanted to make new levels that keep those classic mechanics, more or less. Another reason is that I found a lot of crossovers and mods using the old warioland cores, so I wanted to do something different.
And about focusing on design: yes, I definitely wanted to focus on it, but rather than just level design, my main focus was on tool and editor design. I just wanted to share a tool for creating things—I'm not looking to sell anything.
I have to agree with @CM30 and @BlanchonUltime concerns.
Don't take it personally, but I don't think the AI art is appealing at all, especially for a Wario game.
Infact when I saw this post initially I didn't even feel inclined to give it a try until I saw a lil discussion happening here.
I'm afraid this might be a similar case for the rest of the Wario fandom.
Drawing sprites can be tricky for sure, but at least using existing ones and maintaining a consistent artstyle across a game does wonders!
(Heck, some of your sprites didn't even have their outlines/white background removed correctly/have weird artefacts and aren't scaled correctly so some are blurry, others overly sharp)
Having now played the game myself, I can finally give some more in-depth feedback though.
Just a heads-up...I will mention things I like, but I also got many thoughts on things that need work and the overall goal/identity of this project.
First off, I do like the squash-and-stretch animations! They might be a bit excessive at times, but that's fine.
Maybe an adjustable slider could help with that.
The tutorial level was also perfectly fine and did its job well enough.
The second level was mostly alright too, although by the third level, some rather questionable design decisions started becoming apparent.
Several sections that feel strangely constructed, sometimes without any apparent purpose.
Also why are there incredibly slow-moving platforms that spend most of their time off-screen.
The player can't even see that they're there or that they're about to descend!
My biggest issue with the gameplay is that there isn't really a sense of weight to Wario's movement...like at all.
As a result, even with all the fancy visual effects, his actions lack that satisfying feeling of oomph!
Wario simply feels too light. Now, I don't necessarily want him to control exactly like he did in Wario Land 1-3, but Wario Land 4 demonstrated perfectly well that you can make a heavier character feel fast, responsive, and fun all at once. Even Shake It! although much slower, still had some sense of gaining speed with the Max Fastosity Dasherators, which felt good and satisfying.
Some acceleration and deceleration would probably help make everything feel more natural.
As it is, it feels unfinished. But perhaps you already know that yourself, since this is an early demo.
I also don't understand why dashing makes Wario hop...?
If anything, I find this annoying..
Being able to dash in midair is neat tho. Although it might be a little too powerful? Perhaps a nerfed version should happen when doing the air dash... but I suppose that completely depends on how future levels are designed around it.
The camera could use some work as well. It feels a bit too fast, almost as though it's constantly trying to catch up with Wario rather than smoothly following him. It's difficult to put into words, but the movement can feel somewhat disorienting, potentially even motion-sickness-inducing!
There was also a strange situation where Wario falls down, but the camera seemingly waits until he's already landed before suddenly snapping into place. Now that was odd...
Collecting coins doesn't feel particularly rewarding, honestly.
Despite there being coins of different sizes, they don't seem to award different amounts of money. The sound effects are fine on their own, but they don't really sound like something you'd associate with collecting coins. Perhaps different coin colors or types, accompanied by more fitting sounds, could make collecting them more satisfying.
Not that there is a point to them besides coin doors leading to more coins. Not even a high score tracker seemingly? Let alone a way to spend the coins..
And speaking of coins, what's the point of the coin door in level 3?
It leads away from the goal, but there's nothing of actual value behind it.
None of the main collectibles, just more coins that, as far as I can tell, don't really do anything!
Then there are the ladders...uh, why can I climb all the way to the top of a ladder that doesn't lead to a platform, only to immediately fall off? Why can't Wario simply remain on the ladder or stand ontop of it?
And why does he always jump to the left or right when climbing off it, even when I'm only holding up or down?
That feels unnecessarily awkward and not even intended with some of the level design.
Some of these things make me wonder whether they were overlooked during playtesting or simply considered "good enough".
The enemies are another aspect that I find rather underwhelming.
Their AI is generally very simplistic, sometimes even more so than that of an average Mario/Wario enemy. Some of them also seem to break at times...
The boxing enemy is particularly questionable. As far as I can tell, it can only be defeated by stomping on its head.
In the second level, however, it's placed in a section with a low ceiling directly above the player and a hole to the right- dashing over it seems like the most reasonable approach, but doing so either sends you into the hole or gets you hit.
It doesn't feel like the enemy's mechanics and the surrounding level geometry were properly considered together? Instead just placed to be there.
Wario games have some rather iconic enemy archetypes. They're often mechanically simple, sure, but they usually serve a recognizable purpose within their respective games. Strangely enough, hardly any of those ideas seem to be represented here, apart from one Pirate Goom, but that sprite wasn't ripped well and felt more like an exception.
Also why on earth is a demonic bat/human hybrid called "Repellent Chicken"?
And why is its arena such a nonsensical assortment of seemingly random platforms?
The boss spends most of the fight at the same vertical position, so the platforms barely seem necessary in the first place.
Initially, I thought they might exist to encourage different approaches to the fight. And technically, yes, you can roll into the boss to damage it.
The problem is that this is rather difficult to pull off consistently.
If I roll at the top right of the room, I can't even see the boss and can hardly hit it with the barely controllable ball Wario...
And why would I even bother with that approach when I can just repeatedly throw the football at it?
It feels like there are multiple mechanics present, but they haven't really been designed to complement one another.
The game also suffers from quite a few graphical errors, besides the obvious use of AI.
The shadows on certain blocks are visibly messed up and there are instances of water tiles being arranged incorrectly, such as the top of one water tile appearing directly beneath another surface tile.
The darkness effect or whatever you call it (basically black boxes) are another example.
The black areas look artificially placed, and in some places, you can actually see what's behind them, which completely ruins the intended illusion...
And the music genuinely started to drive me mad.
My own early attempts at composing music weren't particularly good either, but thanks to feedback and practice, I gradually improved.
It took years, but was worth it.
If composing music isn't something you're interested in, though, there's nothing wrong with using existing music.
The Wario series has countless iconic, catchy tunes to choose from. Even music from completely unrelated games could work, provided it fits the atmosphere!
I would much rather hear something that complements the gameplay than music that feels like an 8-second loop that isn't particularly pleasant.
This kinda leads to what might be my biggest concern: the game doesn't really feel like Wario.
The graphics are a major factor, but the general gameplay doesn't do much to establish a distinctly Wario-like identity either, aside from the throwing and rolling mechanics?
Sure, you can hide secrets behind breakable walls, but that's hardly a concept exclusive to Wario games.
Wario didn't exactly invent breakable walls, lol
I feel like you could replace the Wario sprite with an entirely different character, and surprisingly little about the game would actually change...
Now, there's absolutely nothing wrong with experimenting or trying something new with the formula.
In fact, I would encourage that!
But there should still be some recognizable identity or concrete vision behind it and right now, I'm struggling to see one.
We're collecting colored 3D(???) cubes to unlock the goal, but why? What's the context? Where's the story, the motivation, or anything that gives the adventure a sense of purpose? What the heck is the Odyssey Wario takes on?
This feels like one of those flashgames 6-year old me would play on his browser, but those games had charming art drawn by hand at least.
I'm not asking for an elaborate narrative here. But they generally have a sense of direction.
If anything, I can see the WarioWare games making fun of AI with Wario trying to cheaply copy a game and then getting hate for it.
Something else I noticed is that the game doesn't seem to credit anyone besides you.
That's particularly strange considering that at least one of the enemy graphics clearly originates from a Nintendo game. Furthermore, the colored Wario sprite isn't just based on Wario Land 2 and 3- that particular coloration was created by someone on MFGG, if I'm not mistaken?
Those contributions should be acknowledged.
Or perhaps the AI simply didn't know where the assets originally came from?
Nah, I'm intentionally teasing, I'm sure they were added by you.
Which proves that you have some fundamental understanding of Wario, right?
Then why do this?
Since some of your writing appears to be AI-assisted (especially that first release message) and the rather inexperienced level design, I get the impression that you might be younger or less experienced than many of the people here.
That's not inherently a problem, of course!
But I feel like you were more excited about being able to make a game relatively quick and easy than making a Wario game, if you get what I mean.
Even your profile picture depicts Wario with incorrectly colored overalls and gloves, you have to admit that it does kinda add to the impression that the character and series are being treated rather... superficially here.
Are you genuinely interested in making a Wario game, or are you more interested in the fact that AI now allows you to put together something playable with relatively little effort?
Because those are two very different motivations, I think.
I don't want to discourage you from developing games or experimenting, I'm always willing to have a conversation about using AI as a tool, but this seems to lack much human input at all.
There's a difference between having a vision and using tools to realize it and simply assembling whatever those tools can produce.
Like sure, a level editor is cool, but if that's all you have going on right now, maybe you should work on making the mechanics we can use with it a tiny bit more interesting.
Again, this isn't an attack or anything- but this is genuinely how the game looks to the average gamer.
Don't take it personally, but I don't think the AI art is appealing at all, especially for a Wario game.
Infact when I saw this post initially I didn't even feel inclined to give it a try until I saw a lil discussion happening here.
I'm afraid this might be a similar case for the rest of the Wario fandom.
Drawing sprites can be tricky for sure, but at least using existing ones and maintaining a consistent artstyle across a game does wonders!
(Heck, some of your sprites didn't even have their outlines/white background removed correctly/have weird artefacts and aren't scaled correctly so some are blurry, others overly sharp)
Having now played the game myself, I can finally give some more in-depth feedback though.
Just a heads-up...I will mention things I like, but I also got many thoughts on things that need work and the overall goal/identity of this project.
First off, I do like the squash-and-stretch animations! They might be a bit excessive at times, but that's fine.
Maybe an adjustable slider could help with that.
The tutorial level was also perfectly fine and did its job well enough.
The second level was mostly alright too, although by the third level, some rather questionable design decisions started becoming apparent.
Several sections that feel strangely constructed, sometimes without any apparent purpose.
Also why are there incredibly slow-moving platforms that spend most of their time off-screen.
The player can't even see that they're there or that they're about to descend!
My biggest issue with the gameplay is that there isn't really a sense of weight to Wario's movement...like at all.
As a result, even with all the fancy visual effects, his actions lack that satisfying feeling of oomph!
Wario simply feels too light. Now, I don't necessarily want him to control exactly like he did in Wario Land 1-3, but Wario Land 4 demonstrated perfectly well that you can make a heavier character feel fast, responsive, and fun all at once. Even Shake It! although much slower, still had some sense of gaining speed with the Max Fastosity Dasherators, which felt good and satisfying.
Some acceleration and deceleration would probably help make everything feel more natural.
As it is, it feels unfinished. But perhaps you already know that yourself, since this is an early demo.
I also don't understand why dashing makes Wario hop...?
If anything, I find this annoying..
Being able to dash in midair is neat tho. Although it might be a little too powerful? Perhaps a nerfed version should happen when doing the air dash... but I suppose that completely depends on how future levels are designed around it.
The camera could use some work as well. It feels a bit too fast, almost as though it's constantly trying to catch up with Wario rather than smoothly following him. It's difficult to put into words, but the movement can feel somewhat disorienting, potentially even motion-sickness-inducing!
There was also a strange situation where Wario falls down, but the camera seemingly waits until he's already landed before suddenly snapping into place. Now that was odd...
Collecting coins doesn't feel particularly rewarding, honestly.
Despite there being coins of different sizes, they don't seem to award different amounts of money. The sound effects are fine on their own, but they don't really sound like something you'd associate with collecting coins. Perhaps different coin colors or types, accompanied by more fitting sounds, could make collecting them more satisfying.
Not that there is a point to them besides coin doors leading to more coins. Not even a high score tracker seemingly? Let alone a way to spend the coins..
And speaking of coins, what's the point of the coin door in level 3?
It leads away from the goal, but there's nothing of actual value behind it.
None of the main collectibles, just more coins that, as far as I can tell, don't really do anything!
Then there are the ladders...uh, why can I climb all the way to the top of a ladder that doesn't lead to a platform, only to immediately fall off? Why can't Wario simply remain on the ladder or stand ontop of it?
And why does he always jump to the left or right when climbing off it, even when I'm only holding up or down?
That feels unnecessarily awkward and not even intended with some of the level design.
Some of these things make me wonder whether they were overlooked during playtesting or simply considered "good enough".
The enemies are another aspect that I find rather underwhelming.
Their AI is generally very simplistic, sometimes even more so than that of an average Mario/Wario enemy. Some of them also seem to break at times...
The boxing enemy is particularly questionable. As far as I can tell, it can only be defeated by stomping on its head.
In the second level, however, it's placed in a section with a low ceiling directly above the player and a hole to the right- dashing over it seems like the most reasonable approach, but doing so either sends you into the hole or gets you hit.
It doesn't feel like the enemy's mechanics and the surrounding level geometry were properly considered together? Instead just placed to be there.
Wario games have some rather iconic enemy archetypes. They're often mechanically simple, sure, but they usually serve a recognizable purpose within their respective games. Strangely enough, hardly any of those ideas seem to be represented here, apart from one Pirate Goom, but that sprite wasn't ripped well and felt more like an exception.
Also why on earth is a demonic bat/human hybrid called "Repellent Chicken"?
And why is its arena such a nonsensical assortment of seemingly random platforms?
The boss spends most of the fight at the same vertical position, so the platforms barely seem necessary in the first place.
Initially, I thought they might exist to encourage different approaches to the fight. And technically, yes, you can roll into the boss to damage it.
The problem is that this is rather difficult to pull off consistently.
If I roll at the top right of the room, I can't even see the boss and can hardly hit it with the barely controllable ball Wario...
And why would I even bother with that approach when I can just repeatedly throw the football at it?
It feels like there are multiple mechanics present, but they haven't really been designed to complement one another.
The game also suffers from quite a few graphical errors, besides the obvious use of AI.
The shadows on certain blocks are visibly messed up and there are instances of water tiles being arranged incorrectly, such as the top of one water tile appearing directly beneath another surface tile.
The darkness effect or whatever you call it (basically black boxes) are another example.
The black areas look artificially placed, and in some places, you can actually see what's behind them, which completely ruins the intended illusion...
And the music genuinely started to drive me mad.
My own early attempts at composing music weren't particularly good either, but thanks to feedback and practice, I gradually improved.
It took years, but was worth it.
If composing music isn't something you're interested in, though, there's nothing wrong with using existing music.
The Wario series has countless iconic, catchy tunes to choose from. Even music from completely unrelated games could work, provided it fits the atmosphere!
I would much rather hear something that complements the gameplay than music that feels like an 8-second loop that isn't particularly pleasant.
This kinda leads to what might be my biggest concern: the game doesn't really feel like Wario.
The graphics are a major factor, but the general gameplay doesn't do much to establish a distinctly Wario-like identity either, aside from the throwing and rolling mechanics?
Sure, you can hide secrets behind breakable walls, but that's hardly a concept exclusive to Wario games.
Wario didn't exactly invent breakable walls, lol
I feel like you could replace the Wario sprite with an entirely different character, and surprisingly little about the game would actually change...
Now, there's absolutely nothing wrong with experimenting or trying something new with the formula.
In fact, I would encourage that!
But there should still be some recognizable identity or concrete vision behind it and right now, I'm struggling to see one.
We're collecting colored 3D(???) cubes to unlock the goal, but why? What's the context? Where's the story, the motivation, or anything that gives the adventure a sense of purpose? What the heck is the Odyssey Wario takes on?
This feels like one of those flashgames 6-year old me would play on his browser, but those games had charming art drawn by hand at least.
I'm not asking for an elaborate narrative here. But they generally have a sense of direction.
If anything, I can see the WarioWare games making fun of AI with Wario trying to cheaply copy a game and then getting hate for it.
Something else I noticed is that the game doesn't seem to credit anyone besides you.
That's particularly strange considering that at least one of the enemy graphics clearly originates from a Nintendo game. Furthermore, the colored Wario sprite isn't just based on Wario Land 2 and 3- that particular coloration was created by someone on MFGG, if I'm not mistaken?
Those contributions should be acknowledged.
Or perhaps the AI simply didn't know where the assets originally came from?
Nah, I'm intentionally teasing, I'm sure they were added by you.
Which proves that you have some fundamental understanding of Wario, right?
Then why do this?
Since some of your writing appears to be AI-assisted (especially that first release message) and the rather inexperienced level design, I get the impression that you might be younger or less experienced than many of the people here.
That's not inherently a problem, of course!
But I feel like you were more excited about being able to make a game relatively quick and easy than making a Wario game, if you get what I mean.
Even your profile picture depicts Wario with incorrectly colored overalls and gloves, you have to admit that it does kinda add to the impression that the character and series are being treated rather... superficially here.
Are you genuinely interested in making a Wario game, or are you more interested in the fact that AI now allows you to put together something playable with relatively little effort?
Because those are two very different motivations, I think.
I don't want to discourage you from developing games or experimenting, I'm always willing to have a conversation about using AI as a tool, but this seems to lack much human input at all.
There's a difference between having a vision and using tools to realize it and simply assembling whatever those tools can produce.
Like sure, a level editor is cool, but if that's all you have going on right now, maybe you should work on making the mechanics we can use with it a tiny bit more interesting.
Again, this isn't an attack or anything- but this is genuinely how the game looks to the average gamer.
BlanchonUltime
Wario Fan Supreme
- Coins
- 1,544
The chatGPT writing is probably because he uses AI as a translator (he doesn't speak english), it's fine. 