With fancy graphical terms such as bump mapping, cel shading, and self-shadowing being thrown around with the release of the GameCube and Xbox, it can sometimes seem as if 2D gaming has been left in the dust. Nintendo built its empire on 2D games, and the company is not about to give up on 2D, as evidenced by the release of the Game Boy Advance, its latest handheld dedicated to two dimensions. Proving that it still has the skills to produce great-playing two-dimensional games, Wario Land 4 for the Game Boy Advance is an excellent example of a 2D platformer done right. And while the game falls a bit short of the excellence attained in past Wario games for the Game Boy Color, its first outing on the GBA is a stellar effort that is impressive from both a technical and artistic perspective.

While the story behind platforming games normally isn't that important, the story rather predictably sets up the gameplay in Wario Land 4. Always in the mood to plunder ancient ruins for treasure, Wario reads in the paper that a new pyramid has been discovered and that the previous explorers had to abandon it due to its treacherous interior. Unafraid and greedy, Wario jumps into his car in search of the pyramid and the riches that he has so desperately sought for years. While the plot follows the same simple premise that previous Wario games have contained, its gameplay more than makes up for it.

The most obvious change in Wario Land 4's gameplay from past Wario games is that Mario's antithesis can now perish. His health is measured in heart containers, and when they're all empty, you must begin the entire level over again and forfeit anything you have collected. Veteran Wario players will likely dislike his mortality and the fact that the game must be played with more caution when compared with past Wario games, but this new feature ties directly into Wario Land 4's design. The pyramid is composed of six primary sections that contain four levels each. The objective for each level is to find and collect four gem pieces, flip a switch, and return to the beginning of the level before a timer expires. It can be frustrating to find all the gem pieces, only to die before making it back to the entrance in time, but it also increases the intensity of the game substantially. If you manage to find a key-holding ghost and return to the beginning of the level with him, the next level will be opened for play. You can also collect a hard-to-find CD in each level that will unlock tracks in a sound test menu. After collecting all four pieces of gem from each of the six levels per pyramid section, you square off against a boss. Before fighting a boss, you have the option of going into a store and buying power-ups, which will aid you in the fight. You buy these power-ups with coins that you collect after you destroy boxes or enemies. The first few bosses are fairly easy to tackle, but eventually you'll have to find ingenious ways to defeat them--ways that require all of Wario's moves.

Speaking of Wario's moves, there are plenty. Some moves can be performed with no assistance, such as the butt stomp, the dash, the crouching slide, the roll, and the jump attack. However, some sections of the levels must be negotiated with the aid of enemies, and this is where Wario Land 4's level design really steps to the fore. When Wario comes into contact with specific enemies, he will mutate into a new form that allows him to access a new part of the level. If a zombie touches Wario, he will turn into one himself and will be able to dissolve and fall through the floor beneath his feet. If he comes into contact with a flaming enemy, he too will catch on fire and will be able to destroy blocks with a flame pictured on them. The game includes 10 different forms of Wario, and as you reach the later stages, you'll have to use multiple guises on each level to proceed. It's a unique way to approach game design, and some of the game's 20-plus levels can best be described as ingenious. It's also important to survey each room carefully, because recklessly destroying blocks can prevent Wario from reaching higher areas that contain hidden objects.