Publisher: Nintendo
Ages: six and up.
Parental
Advisory:
Arcade violence
In the world according to Nintendo, Wario is the flip side of Mario who is the company's beloved, mascot plumber. In his first console adventure, Wario World, the scowling and greedy Wario offers an engaging blend of action and puzzles that appeals to kids. But ultimately, his adventure is short and far too easy to provide a challenge to most gamers.
In the depths of Wario's castle lies the plunder from his past Game Boy adventures. When a mysterious black jewel transforms Wario's gems into monsters, the anti-hero has to fight and try to recover his riches. Beyond the skeleton plot, the 3D platform game serves levels where gamers have to collect jewels and solve puzzles.
As Wario, players get to punch, kick, jump, string together combo attacks and collect coins. Wario can also stun his enemies and pick them up and toss them at nearby foes and has a cool spinning pile driver in his arsenal.
Wario can cling to special sticky balls that help him navigate tough spots, reach new areas, and fight bosses. Objects often come into play. For example, players can pick up stone pillars and swing them at foes or spin a fallen monster to activate a switch that raises a gate. Finding treasure often requires the flip of a switch and then searching for the resulting, activated chest. Trap doors take players to hidden worlds that feature puzzles, and the game serves interesting bosses.
Most players will find the game short and a minimal challenge. There are only four worlds with two levels in each-a total of eight stages. And it's easy to get back into the action with little penalty and continue to play.
Graphics are colorful and detailed. While Wario World features lots of fighting, the action is bloodless. Interestingly, the game lacks a multi-player mode.
Wario's first console entry is a decent title that appeals mostly to youngsters. But don't expect the game to hold kids' attentions for long, as most will probably finish it in a couple of days.
www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
