Wario World brings out 3D platforming in all it was ever meant to be, and that is to be played and enjoyed by gamers.
Gameplay is repetitive, but I like that in video games and it does not even matter because there are frequently changing backgrounds and unpredictable surprises to discover in every world. So it really is not a big deal. Gameplay basically includes attacking and beating up enemies, jumping to and from platforms, and climbing ladders to reach high, hard to reach ledges. There are several moves in this game that you will use. I love that they are basic, simple, easy to learn, and do not require any difficult complication or combination of button pressing to perform. Because they are awesome moves, and that's what makes this game fun. You have the punch, which is self explanatory and you press the B button to perform. You have the Dash Attack, which you press R to run full speed ahead with your shoulder and bust right through enemies and defeat them. You have the Ground Pound, which if you play Mario you know what that is. You jump and then press R to smash enemies and floor switches with your butt. You have the Corkscrew Conk, which you press A in the middle of performing a Dash Attack to turn yourself into a ball and spin to attack and defeat flying enemies. You have the Hyper Suction, which you press L to suck coins like with Kirby. You have the Power Throw, which you hod B and release to throw an enemy with extreme power and strength. You have the Piledriver which you jump and press R to drive an enemy into the ground while holding one, thus defeating them, or you can use it to drive into a floor switch. Finally, you have the Wild Swing Ding, which you pick up and enemy and spin the control stick to spin the enemy around in circles to defeat a large group of enemies or to make switches taller to reach high platforms. There are red crystals in each level of this game, and you must collect a certain number of them in each level in order to progress to the world's boss. In order to get these crystals, you must ground pound through floor switches which lead to a hidden area where you must either solve a puzzle or jump across or bust your way through a series of clever placed platforms to reach it. If the floor switch is flashing white you simply just ground pound through it and it will take you to the area. If the floor switch looks brown and is not flashing, you must grab an enemy and piledrive into the ground to bust it open and travel down through it. It took me awhile to figure that out. I thought this crystal gathering idea was very unique and added to the game's challenge. The best part of it was that you did not have to find it. You just have to do something to collect it, and what you have to do gets harder as you get further into the game.
Although gameplay is simple and easy, that is why it is so fun, entertaining, and enjoyable. Since it is 3D and there are so many enemies all over the place, it increases the game's action and the suspense of the game's adventure. Wario World deserves to be played by everyone who owns a Gamecube or Wii. Every way you go in this game will lead to paths that are completely unpredictable, which is why there are so many surprises in worlds to discover. By surprises I mean what the worlds and backgrounds are going to look like. Not any new gameplay mechanics or elements, because gameplay is repetitive. What I loved a lot about this game is that when you die, you fall into a deep, dark chasm composed of a maze with ghosts and boxes, and you must quickly open each box to find the bounce pad that leads to the exit back to the top of the world. You have to be careful because the ghosts will grab you and eat all your coins and you will go broke. Although this increases the game's challenge, it can get annoying and frustrating after awhile. Another thing I loved about this game is that after you complete a level in a world, you will fight a mini boss. Although they are easy, again, that is what makes them fun, entertaining, and enjoyable just like with gameplay. Mini bosses add to the memorable moments of the game, and they were definitely a needed addition to the game in order to make it feel fully developed and complete. Without mini bosses or red crystals, this game would feel too empty. There are four worlds each with two levels to them, a total of eight levels. Each level will take you about a half hour, a total of four hours gameplay. Surprising because Shake It on the Wii lasted five hours, and Wario World is a much better game. After The game being too short was a minor letdown that is forgivable because of fun, action packed gameplay full of adventure.
Graphics in this game are astonishing. The picture is bright, clear, colorful, and makes the game stand out and look incredible. They are just what you would want them to be. They are appealing, attract your attention, and keep your eyes glued to the screen with all their power and intensity. The visuals are just outstanding and beautiful and suck you into your own little world. Graphics match perfectly with gameplay as they both go together cooperatively. Music sounds great. It is lovable, but surprisingly not very memorable. I was more focused towards gameplay and graphics than music and sound, probably only because music did not sound as good as music in other similar games I've played, such as Wario Land Shake It, New Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Spongebob Revenge of the Flying Dutchman, Frogger's Adventures Temple of the Frog, and others.
Generally speaking, this game was supposed to be easy. However, I found it to be harder than I thought. Probably because I was playing with a wireless mini controller that goes on the Wii, and the controls were poor. If I were playing on a wavebird, control might have been better and easier. Maybe not though. I have no idea. I'm just taking a guess. This game is a mixed combination of nostalgia and a newer action game. It's fifty fifty, half and half. And it turned out to be a memorable work of art. It deserves to be given credit by being bought and played. It is and always will be a part of my collection. I will never trade it in, as I want to treasure it forever as as well as all my other nostalgic games. That's not to say Wario World is anything extroardinary. It really is not. It is just a basic, standard platformer that some gamers will think is average. But I think it is awesome and is above average. This game is aimed towards the newer or casual, less experienced gamer, and will most likely be enjoyed by them, not hardcore gamers, as they will be looking for a bit of a harder challenge and may find this one to be way too easy.
Overall, Wario World is a masterpiece that is fun, entertaining, enjoyable, and medium in nostalgia. It may be too short, but awesome gameplay makes this forgivable and is great while it lasts. It is a true work of art that should be given credit by buying and playing it on either the Gamecube or the Wii.