Warioland 4 is the best original platform game on the Game Boy Advance.
Even though this game is a platformer, it's not a typical platformer. If you compare it to Super Mario Advanced, you will see many, many differences.
For a start, on a Mario game, if you get hit, you die, but you get extra hits depending on which upgrade you get, but on Warioland 4, you have a health bar, and when it's full, you can take 8 hits, but you never start a level with full health always half. The other major differences are that on Warioland 4, you have to collect items in the level to open the next level. There is a diamond you have to find in each level, but it's in 4 pieces, so you have to find all pieces. On some levels the pieces may all be found easy, but for most the levels, you have to look hard. Also you need to find a Keysor. This is a key, but it flys behind you and follows you around. On some levels, it can be taken away from you and you have to get it back. Also on each level you have to hit a switch to activate the portal out the level, then you have a time limit to reach the portal, and if the time runs out, you die and have to start the level again.
There are 5 main worlds on Warioland 4, 3 of the worlds have 4 levels on and 2 of them have 1 level on, but all of them have a boss on them. There may not be too many levels, but the fact that you have to find things in the levels make them more difficult.
The bosses in Warioland 4 are designed brilliantly, and are sometimes surprisingly difficult. While the first boss is easy, the others are pretty hard and may need more than one try to beat them. Depending on which boss you face, they all have different amounts of health, but in my opinion, the hardest bosses are Aerodant or Cractus. You can but things that can help you against the bosses. You can but the most basic for 1 coin, or the best for 10 coins, and these deal damage to the enemies, before the fight even starts to help you out. To get the coins, you have to do mini games, but they are not hard.
If I had to highlight the games biggest flaw, it would be that it is too short, but this is isn't too noticeable when you play through the game.
The graphics on Warioland 4 aren't too great compared to other games on the GBA like Rayman Advance, but they are still decent and very colourful. And the sounds are crisp and fit perfectly into the game, like the many sounds Wario makes when he is hit or when he dies.
If you add up all the features of this game, what you get is a brilliant platform game that any platform fan should play. Even if you dislike the fact that you have to find things in the level, you should still try this game as the gameplay is just as good as any Mario game.
Review by: James Widdowson
Score:8.9/10