ario is back – and still the same as ever. Returning to his platforming roots, Wario embarks on a less-than-noble adventure to save a kingdom in peril – in order to obtain a magical bag with an infinite supply of gold. But honestly, what else would we expect from our favorite anti-hero? In Wario Land: Shake It, Wario is as greedy, rude and ill-mannered as ever – picking his nose, wiggling his behind and butt-stopping his opponents every chance he gets. Ah-Wario, how we have missed you.
Story
Wario Land: Shake It starts off in a manner equivalent to a bad ‘80s cartoon. You know the thing about bad ‘80s cartoons though? For some reason they never lose their appeal. The tacky animations and repetitive sound bites during the anime-style opening is somehow equally endearing as it is annoying. You can check it out for yourself under our media tab.
I was immediately introduced to the Shake King – a tyrannical pirate who has brought chaos to the once peaceful Shake dimension. The Shake King has acquired a mighty treasure – The Bottomless Coin Sack – which supplies the owner with a never-ending stream of gold whenever shaken. In the same swoop, he managed to capture Queen Merelda, the queen of the Merfles, and has enslaved her people.
Cutting away from the dire situation, the scene changes to Wario’s longtime rival Captain Syrup, the antagonist in the first Wario Land title, stealthily stealing a mysterious looking globe from a museum. Another quick cut and Wario appears – dozing in his car – until he is woken by the delivery of a package. Inside the colossal box is the antique globe and telescope stolen by Captain Syrup, in addition to a stowaway Merfle with intentions of pleading the case of his queen and people to Wario.
As expected, Wario is not interested. In fact, he seems more intrigued by the contents of his nose than helping people in need. That is, until the Merfle mentions the Bottomless Coin Sack. Unsurprisingly, Wario is all ears from that point on. Without delay, Wario agrees to help and uses the telescope and globe to enter the Shake dimension, where he learns a bit more about the task at hand. In order to get his prize and save the queen Wario must conquer five continents and reveal the location of the Shake King’s ship.
Gameplay
After a brief training mission on Captain Syrup’s ship, the basic gameplay formula is revealed. Playing with the Wii’s remote on its side, Wario can walk, run and smash his way through an array of side-scrolling levels. On top of the standard controls, the Wii remote functionality is used to shake bags for coins, cause mini-earthquakes and rough-up baddies for medicinal garlic. Wario also travels through tubes, breaks bricks and harasses helpless inhabitants in each world he visits. Every level also has its own distinctive hazards, puzzles, enemies and rewards.
To progress through the game Wario must navigate each of these levels to find an imprisoned Merfle. When he reaches and releases the Merfle, he must speed run back to the beginning or risk the wrath of the Shake King. Multiple levels make up each continent – culminating in a boss battle before moving on to the next territory. When all five boss battles are completed, Wario will finally be able to locate and take on the Shake King himself.
Each level has layers of complexity with the addition of missions and challenges. Missions are outlined before starting a stage, and give the player extra incentives to back and replay the game. Missions run the gambit from completing the level without losing any health, collecting a specific number of coins or finishing the level in a set amount of time. Each stage also has three hidden treasures – although the practical purpose of these items is unknown at the moment. Really, I have no idea what Wario plans on doing with three-week-old curry.
Captain Syrup also aids Wario through his quest by opening a pirate shop, where he can buy recovery potions, heart vessels, area maps and other bonus items.
Impressions
In my hands-on time I was able to check out the first continent in its entirety – comprising six levels and a final boss battle. Each level featured a theme unique from the last, and became increasingly more complex as I progressed. I was impressed with the diversity of puzzle elements, baddies and missions in each new stage, which kept the experience genuinely interesting.
Although colorful and entertaining, the game was not particularly difficult. I only died once during my two-hour play session, even though I was intentionally careless at times. Wario can’t die in water traps, high falls don’t injure him, and the majority of enemies simply bounce off of his bulging belly. There are a few foes in the game that might steal half a heart, and spikes or fire will do Wario harm, but it is obvious that the game is less about survival than it is about getting the most out of each level. It is even difficult to get lost, as a steady stream of arrow-imprinted signs keep you on the correct path at all times. However, the lack of difficulty is balanced by the complex missions – which I struggled to complete in almost every stage. For this reason, I get the impression that Shake It is intended to be accessible to all age groups while still retaining enough complexity to keep experienced gamers engaged.
As far as the controls are concerned, I was pleasantly surprised by their intuitive and precise nature. The past few Wii titles I have picked up made me feel as if waving frantically was required for even the most miniscule moves. In Wario Land: Shake it – the Wii remote actions are limited to those that make sense. I shook the remote to shake a coin bag, swooped down to do a ground punch and changed the remotes orientation to aim when throwing objects. The fact that the controls in this title did not unnecessarily exploit the Wii remote’s capabilities is refreshing to say the least.
Overall, I am excited for this title. I have been itching for a lighthearted platforming fix for some time now, and Wario Land: Shake It might be just what I need. Look for Wario Land: Shake It to hit retail shelves Sept. 22.