Wario Land 4

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"Warioland 4" redirects here. For information about the book, see Warioland 4 (book).
Wario Land 4
North American box art of Wario Land 4
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Nintendo R&D 1
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
Virtual Console (3DS Ambassadors, Wii U)
Release date Game Boy Advance: [1]
Japan August 21, 2001
Australia November 9, 2001
Europe November 16, 2001
USA November 19, 2001
China June 8, 2004[2]
Virtual Console (3DS) (Ambassador Program Release): [3]
Australia December 15, 2011
Japan December 16, 2011
Europe December 16, 2011
USA December 16, 2011
Virtual Console (Wii U):
Japan April 30, 2014
USA May 8, 2014
Europe June 5, 2014
Australia June 5, 2014
Language(s) English (United States)
日本語
简体中文
Genre 2D Platformer
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
Mode(s) Single-player
Media
Wii U:
Digital download
Game Boy Advance:
Game Pak
Nintendo 3DS:
Digital download
Input
Wii U:
Wii Remote (horizontal)
Game Boy Advance:
Nintendo 3DS:

Wario Land 4 is a platformer game released for the Game Boy Advance in 2001. It was later re-released for the Nintendo 3DS system on December 16, 2011 via the Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors program, just after its ten-year anniversary, as well as a downloadable Virtual Console game for the Wii U on May 8, 2014. It is the fourth game in the Wario Land series (fifth counting Virtual Boy Wario Land), which is a spin-off of the Super Mario series. It is also the final Wario Land game to be released on a handheld system and the last installment in the series for seven years until Wario Land: Shake It!

In the game, Wario travels to the Golden Pyramid after reading a newspaper article about a rumor of a legendary treasure hidden inside. His intention is to rob the pyramid, but he accidentally goes on a quest to save the legendary Princess Shokora from the money-crazed Golden Diva, evil ruler of the Golden Pyramid. The game features 2D graphics with linear transformations (similar to Super Mario World and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island). Wario Land 4 has received very positive reviews from websites and game critics alike, enjoying praise for its soundtrack, collectibles throughout the game, and level design.

Story[edit]

Does Wario smell treasure again? Oh yes he does! Whilst reading his morning paper and picking his nose, he reads about the legendary Pyramid of Shokora! With no delay, and even forgetting to take his mid-morning nap, Wario hops into his fantastic car and heads off to find the Golden Pyramid.

– Story from the official European Wario Land 4 website

The newspaper seen in the intro of Wario Land 4.
The newspaper article shown in the game's intro, with the black cat's shadow.

Sometime before the events of the game, the legendary Golden Pyramid was discovered deep within a jungle. Expeditions were mounted to find the pyramid's treasure, but a series of accidents prevented anything from being found. The game's story properly begins one morning with Wario reading the newspaper in his house. He reads an article about the Golden Pyramid and all the treasure within, and decides to go steal it for himself. He then hops in his car and heads towards the pyramid, almost running over a black cat on the road.

Wario falling down a precipice in the Golden Pyramid.
Wario falling down a precipice within the pyramid.

Upon arriving at the pyramid, Wario climbs the outer stairs and heads inside, where he finds the same black cat that he almost ran over earlier. The Cat leads Wario deeper into the pyramid and down a hole. Wario lands in a room near the center of the pyramid, and proceeds to complete the challenges of its five passages, thus opening the way to the inner pyramid, where the evil ruler of the Golden Pyramid, the Golden Diva, resides.

After exploring the Golden Passage, Wario comes face to face with the Golden Diva. The black cat then jumps in front of Wario and attacks the Golden Diva in vain. The Cat gets swallowed by the Diva, who proceeds to fight Wario and gradually uncovers her many kabuki masks.

Kuro Neko just transformed into Princess Shokora. The game's protagonist, Wario, cannot believe his eyes.
The black cat transforms into Princess Shokora in front of Wario.

After the Golden Diva's defeat, the pyramid begins to crumble. Grabbing his treasure, and with the black cat in tow, Wario hurries to escape the pyramid. They both make it out, and watch the pyramid crumble to the ground from a distance. The Golden Diva's jewelry then flies out of the treasure sack and toward the black cat. This causes the Cat to change form into Princess Shokora, the ancient ruler of the Golden Pyramid who was cursed by the Golden Diva. With the Diva's defeat, the curse is broken, and the princess thanks Wario by kissing him on the cheek. She is taken away by angels, and Wario takes his treasure to his car and heads home.

The ending cutscene shows Wario speeding through the city, almost running over a cat once more. A newspaper flies into the cat's face, with an article that reads: "STEAKS! EAT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!!". The game ends with gold bars forming the words THE END.

Gameplay[edit]

Game mode[edit]

Selecting "Hard" mode in Wario Land 4.
Selecting "Hard" mode upon creating a new save file. Note that "S-Hard" mode is not yet present as an option.

Upon creating a save file, the player is asked which game mode they prefer to play. The available game modes are as follows:

  • Normal Mode game sprite
  • Hard Mode game sprite
  • S-Hard Mode game sprite (unlockable, by completing Hard mode)

The chosen game mode affects various aspects of gameplay, such as the location of the jewel pieces, the type and quantity of enemies, and the health the player begins with upon entering the level. For example, on S-Hard mode, Wario enters the level with only one heart instead of the full eight. The game mode also affects the time given to get back to the vortex after the player hits the switch. In a few levels on S-Hard mode, the switch even changes its location.

Less time is given to defeat the bosses on more difficult modes, and prices at the Item Shop are more expensive. When beating the game on Hard or S-Hard mode, extra parts of the credits sequence are shown which feature Wario picking up women in his car.

Objectives[edit]

Entry PassageEmerald PassageRuby PassageTopaz PassageSapphire PassageGolden PyramidSound RoomGolden Pyramid map
About this image
A map of the Golden Pyramid. Click on an area to open that relevant article.

The game begins in the Entry Passage which includes one level and a boss, Spoiled Rotten. On completion, the next four areas of the game are revealed. This consists of four more passages, each with four levels relating to a different theme with a boss at the end. The four passages are the Emerald Passage, Ruby Passage, Topaz Passage, and Sapphire Passage. These can be completed in any order. Once each bosses of these four passages have been cleared, an inner pyramid is revealed on the main map. This includes one last level, the Golden Passage and the final boss, the Golden Diva.

Four jewels need to be collected in each main passage.

Unlike previous installments in the series, Wario is given a Heart Meter, containing a total of eight hearts. Wario can collect additional hearts throughout the stages. Wario loses a heart by touching a threatening part of an enemy, such as spikes. He can fully replenish his meter by opening a Full Health Item box. Below the Heart Meter is a heart gauge. Most enemies drop a little heart when defeated, which fills the gauge by an eighth. Filling it gives Wario an extra heart, and the gauge is then emptied. Completely filling Wario's hearts and gauge will cause most enemies to drop an extra 100-point coin.

Each of the eighteen levels contains four jewel pieces, found within boxes, that need to be collected. When four jewel pieces in a level are joined, they form a jewel. The color of the Jewels varies on the passage they are collected in. The player must collect all jewel pieces in a passage to gain access to the boss. A Keyzer must be collected to unlock the next level. Without the Keyzer, the four jewel pieces in that level can still be collected, but the door to the next level remains locked.

Wario enters a level through a vortex which closes behind him. The only way to open it again is to find the switch somewhere in the level. This reopens the vortex and allows Wario to return to the map screen. A time limit is given to return to the vortex. The player should focus on finding the four jewel pieces and the Keyzer before hitting the switch if possible. However, there are some areas that can only be accessed by hitting the switch, due to the Kaeru Blocks. When the switch is hit, all transparent Kaeru Blocks become solid, while all solid blocks become transparent. This opens up new areas that can only be accessed when the switch is hit, so there may be some other jewel pieces or the Keyzer to find in that new area.

The vortex and switch
Wario about to exit a level through a vortex, which was opened by the switch.

As soon as the switch is hit, a timer appears on screen. The amount of time given to reach the vortex varies on the level and the game mode the player has selected. If the timer runs out, the player's score quickly depletes and the level becomes black and white. When the score reaches zero, Wario is sent back to the main map and must start the level again.

Sprite of a Bronze Crown from Wario Land 4 Sprite of a Silver Crown from Wario Land 4 Sprite of a Gold Crown from Wario Land 4
The crowns.

The game records the player's best score according to their points collected in each level. The amount of points obtained in a level affects what icon appears on the map screen when standing at the entrance of that level, next to the best score. A score of above 10,000 shows a gold crown, 8,000 to 9,990 shows a silver crown, and a score of 6,000 to 7,990 shows a bronze crown. A score of below 6,000 shows no crown.

There are a total of twelve treasure chests in Wario Land 4. Each of the four main boss rooms contain three treasure chests which are embedded into the wall in the background, as well as a piece of jewellery kept by the boss. During the boss battle when the time starts to run low (usually under a minute), the treasure chests in the background begin to disappear one by one.

Once Wario defeats a boss in a main passage, the treasure chests that are left over are collected and stored in the Golden Pyramid, along with the jewellery retrieved from the boss. The amount of treasure chests collected does not affect the main game. However, it does affect the game's completion, as the more treasure chests Wario obtains, the more beautiful Princess Shokora appears in the game's ending cutscene.

Controls[edit]

“So these are my basic controls! You got a problem with that?”
Wario, Wario Land 4 instruction booklet
Controls Purpose
Start Button Open pause menu, confirm
A Button Jump, swim upwards, confirm
B Button Attack, throw (hold to build power), swim forwards or in direction of +Control Pad
+Control Pad Move (+Control Pad left or right), look up (+Control Pad up)
+Control Pad up + B Button Throw upwards
+Control Pad down Smash Attack (break blocks below or defeat enemies; ends when player releases the D-pad), roll on 45 degree slope, Super Smash Attack (break stronger blocks; hold D-pad down for more than one second while falling; does not end if the player releases the D-pad)
+Control Pad down + B Button Slide down ladder
+Control Pad down + +Control Pad left or right Crawl
L Button or R Button Dash Attack

Wario's moves[edit]

“How 'bout it? You can even do this stuff!”
Wario, Wario Land 4 instruction booklet

Wario has several different moves which are all required to make progress in the game.

Image Name Description
WL4-Ram.png Attack Wario can shift his body weight to ram into objects. He can hit the weak spot of enemies to destroy them, or break blocks to make a path.
WL4 Ramming Sprite.png Dash Attack Just like the regular Attack, but with more power. Wario must run for a short distance to build up momentum, allowing him to break stronger, more solid blocks.
WL4-GroundPound.png Smash Attack A version of the Ground Pound that is mainly used in the Super Mario franchise. Wario can use it to break blocks below, or defeat enemies.
WL4 Super Smash Attack Sprite.png Super Smash Attack Similar to the normal Smash Attack but with more strength. Triggered by continuously Smash Attacking for a certain amount of time without hitting the ground, Wario can break more solid blocks by performing this move. The move will not cancel until he hits the ground.
WL4-Roll.png Roll On a 45 degree slope in the floor, Wario can begin to roll. He can jump while moving, destroy blocks, and defeat enemies by using this move. He stops rolling if he either hits something solid or falls into water.
WL4-Swim.png Swim Wario is able to swim when he is in a body of water. He is unable to swim against water currents.
WL4-Crawl.png Crawl When Wario has a small space to squeeze through, he can crawl to pass through. He can also jump while crawling.
WL4-Throw.png Throw If Wario picks up an enemy, rock or Chomp ball, he is able throw it upwards or sidewards. He can also break blocks from a long distance away.

Wario's reactions[edit]

“Even the powerful Wario gets into some embarrassing situations in this game! I eat too much and get all chubby, a bee stings my face and makes it swell like a balloon, my body catches fire, and all kinds of other bad things happen to me!!”
Wario, Wario Land 4 instruction booklet

All of Wario's reactions in Wario Land 4 return from the last two games. Wario has a total of ten different reactions in the game, all having a different purpose to assist Wario in progressing through the level. This can include turning into a bat to reach a high place or catching fire to break certain blocks.

Image Name Description
Wario Wario Wario in his standard form. He can perform a Smash Attack, ram enemies or blocks, crawl to get through narrow spaces, and throw small objects like enemies or rocks.
Puffy Wario Puffy Wario Wario after getting stung by a Beezley, or getting struck by the arrow of a Bow Balloon. His cheeks puff up in a supposed allergic reaction, and he is able to float continually upwards. When Wario hits a ceiling or gets hurt, he will turn back into his normal form.
Flaming Wario Flaming Wario Wario after catching fire from a Kaentsubo or Pig Head Statue. He runs without stopping while the fire spreads, but the player can still make Wario jump by pressing A Button. He runs in the opposite direction when he hits a wall, and can destroy Bonfire Blocks towards the end of his reaction. Touching water returns Wario to his normal form.
Flat Wario Flat Wario Wario after being crushed by a piston. His body becomes very flat and lightweight, and he is able to get into small spaces. If he leaves the ground or jumps, he falls down slowly while swaying from side to side. Wario can turn back into his normal form by entering a Decompressor or touching water.
Fat Wario Fat Wario Wario, only heavier and fatter. He can turn into this form by eating apples thrown by a Ringosukī. Wario is invulnerable to enemy attacks, and enemies are killed by only touching them. Wario returns to normal after walking a certain distance or jumping a number of times.
Bubble Wario Bubble Wario Wario after touching an underwater bubble. He can float upwards until he reaches the surface. This allows him to bypass water currents, allowing the player to access certain areas.
Snowman Wario Snowman Wario Wario after a mound of snow falls on him from a ceiling. If he touches a slope, Wario turns into a snowball and start rolling, breaking any Snowman Blocks that get in his way.
Frozen Wario Frozen Wario Wario after getting hit by a Yeti's sneeze. He becomes immobile and start sliding backwards. He can pass through spikes in this form. The ice breaks once Wario hits a wall or object.
Bouncy Wario Bouncy Wario Wario when a Menhanmā strikes him with its hammer. He curls up into a spring and transforms into Bouncy Wario. The player is able to make Wario bounce up high by pressing A Button. After a while or if Wario bounces up high and hits a ceiling, he will transform back into his normal form.
Zombie Wario Zombie Wario Wario when a Skeleton Bird regurgitates on him. He moves slow, and jumping above a thin platform causes him to fall through the floor, reaching otherwise inaccessible places. Like Wario Land 3, he is still able to jump, but not as high as he would normally. Wario can transform back by either touching water or being exposed to bright light.
Bat Wario Bat Wario Wario after touching a Minicula. In this form, Wario takes on the appearance of a bat, and is able to fly by repeatedly pressing A Button. Unlike Wario Land 3, he cannot transform into an actual vampire. He can return to normal by touching water or being exposed to bright light (similar to Zombie Wario).

Objects and obstacles[edit]

Image Name Description
Sprite of the Switch (Wario Land 4) Switch Stepping on a switch opens a vortex, which transports Wario to and from levels. Switches found within levels reveal a bomb when pressed, initiating a time limit for Wario to find the vortex and return to the Golden Pyramid. If Wario runs out of time, he loses coins until he is kicked out of the level.
Sprite of a Vortex from Wario Land 4 Vortex A vortex opens whenever a switch is pressed. Entering it can transport Wario from the Golden Pyramid to a level, and vice versa.
Sprites of Kaeru Blocks from Wario Land 4 Kaeru Block Kaeru Blocks can be found either solid or transparent. The form of these blocks swap once Wario presses the switch, granting access to new areas or preventing the player from returning to previous ones.
Sprites of a brown block from Wario Land 4 Brown block Regular stone blocks which are found blocking paths or concealing Diamonds. They can be destroyed using any of Wario's attacks.
Sprites of a blue block from Wario Land 4 Blue block More solid blocks which can only be destroyed by using a Dash Attack or Super Smash Attack.
Sprites of a jewel piece from Wario Land 4 Jewel piece Quarter pieces of a jewel which can be found in each level. Their color depends on the passage they are found in. Collecting them all is necessary for gaining access to the passage's boss.
Sprites of a Full Health Item from Wario Land 4 Full Health Item An item which fully restores Wario's Heart Meter. One can be found in every level, with the exception of the Golden Passage.
CD box CD A colored CD which can be played in the Sound Room once collected. A total of sixteen CDs can be found in each of the game's main levels, and they are often well-hidden.
Sprites of a Heart and little heart from Wario Land 4 Heart and little heart Hearts restore Wario’s Heart Meter. Little hearts are small, red orbs which fill up a meter under Wario’s health. These red orbs can be found by killing enemies. If the meter is full then Wario will regain a heart. If Wario has full health and fills his meter to the max, then the meter will stay full and enemies will drop an additional 100 coin.
Gold Coin, and other coins in Wario Land 4 Coins The game's point system and currency, which can be spent at the Mini-Game Shop. The variants are Small Coins, Bronze Coins, Silver Coins and Gold Coins, which are progressively worth a higher amount of points. They are found after defeating enemies or by opening boxes.
Sprites of Red and Blue Crystals from Wario Land 4 Red and Blue Crystals Red and Blue Crystals are worth ten and one hundred points respectively. Unlike coins, they are found suspended in mid-air and don't disappear after an amount of time.
Diamond Diamond Diamonds are often hidden throughout levels, within pink areas and as a prize from a chance wheel. They are worth 1,000 points.
Medal Medal Medals are the currency used in the Item Shop, and are collected by scoring high in the mini-games at the Mini-Game Shop.
Sprites of "!" Buttons from Wario Land 4 "!" Buttons "!" Buttons can be pressed to fill transparent blocks and vice versa. Sloped varieties exist which allow Wario to roll. "!" Buttons are often found in pink areas as part of puzzle sections.
Sprites of Ladders from Wario Land 4 Ladders Wario can climb and descend ladders. Their design varies depending on the passage.
Sprites of pipes from Wario Land 4 Pipes Warp Pipes take Wario to a different area. Purple warp pipes lead to pink areas.
Sprite of a Rock from Wario Land 4 Rock Wario can pick up and throw rocks to break brown blocks or defeat enemies.
Sprite of a flower from Wario Land 4 Flower Only being seen in Wildflower Fields, flowers are pollinated by Beezleys to produce coins. The value of the coins depend on how ripe the flower's fruit is.
Sprite of a bubble from Wario Land 4 Bubble Wario can swim into a bubble to become Bubble Wario, allowing him to move through water currents. In some areas, bubbles should be avoided as they can divert Wario back to an unwanted area.
Sprite of a Togetoge from Wario Land 4 Togetoge Togetoge resemble a chestnut and are only seen in Mystic Lake. They fall out of trees and harm Wario on contact.
Sprites of spikes from Wario Land 4 Spikes Spikes are immovable objects which can only be passed through by Frozen Wario and Zombie Wario.
Sprite of a piston from Wario Land 4 Piston Pistons turn Wario into Flat Wario if they hit him. A decompressor reverses this effect.
Sprite of a Bonfire Block from Wario Land 4 Bonfire Block Bonfire Blocks are unbreakable unless Wario is fully engulfed in flames, which happens a short period of time after gaining the Flaming Wario reaction.
Snowman Block Snowman Block These are blocks which can only be broken by Snowman Wario, after he has fallen down a slope and gained some speed while rolling.
Sprite of an icicle from Wario Land 4 Icicle Icicles continually form and fall from the ceiling. They can be safely passed through while rolling as Snowman Wario or as Frozen Wario.
Sprite of a Chomp ball from Wario Land 4 Sprite of a Pinball Tulip from Wario Land 4 Chomp ball and pinball tulip In Pinball Zone, Wario must carry and throw each chomp ball into a pinball tulip to open the door to the next room.
Sprite of a Pinball Digital Counter from Wario Land 4 Pinball digital counter This counts how many pinball tulips remain in a room. It disappears once it reaches zero, releasing a 500 coin and opening up the door to the next room.
Sprites of electric sparks from Wario Land 4 Electric spark These continuously emit sparks which travel across the ground, harming Wario.
Triangle block Triangle block An object in Toy Block Tower which must be carried to Toy Block Doors, filling a slot to open a door.
Round red rock Round red rock Wario can use round red rocks to reach higher areas. They can be rolled in either direction using an attack.
Sprites of a chance wheel and Goal Block from Wario Land 4 Chance wheel and Goal Block In The Big Board, chance wheels spin and can cause certain events depending on the number hit. Such events include switching blocks, causing lightning to strike or making enemies appear.
Sprites of buttons from Wario Land 4 Buttons These are found at the end of rows of dominos in Domino Row. If Wario hits the button before the dominos fall, it will break nearby domino blocks.
A domino block in Wario Land 4. Domino blocks These conceal doors or alternate paths, and can only be broken if Wario hits the button before the row of dominos does.
Flying carpet from Wario Land 4 Flying carpet Wario can ride flying carpets to gain height and descend slowly.
Sprites of tubes from Wario Land 4 Tube Tubes are only seen in a single room in Arabian Night. Depending on which tube Wario enters, Beezleys or Miniculas will appear.
Sprites of a chandelier from Wario Land 4 Chandelier In the Golden Passage, certain chandeliers will sway and fall when Wario approaches. They then burst into blue flames and transform Wario into Flaming Wario.

Passages and levels[edit]

“My game unfolds inside a pyramid made up of six passages!”
Wario, Wario Land 4 instruction booklet

Each of the four main passages have four levels, with a boss at the end of the passage. The Entry Passage and the Golden Pyramid have only one level before the boss.

Passage Level Description Boss
Artwork of the Entry Passage symbol
Entry Passage
Hall of Hieroglyphs map icon from Wario Land 4.
Hall of Hieroglyphs
A tutorial level which shows hieroglyphs of the shop owner on the walls. They indicate actions and animated button commands for the player to learn, such entering a pipe and attacking to break blocks. Spoiled Rotten map icon from Wario Land 4.
Spoiled Rotten
Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol
Emerald Passage
Palm Tree Paradise map icon from Wario Land 4.
Palm Tree Paradise
A straightforward level with few alternate paths. It contains many blocks, basic enemies, and introduces the Fat Wario transformation. Cractus map icon from Wario Land 4.
Cractus
Wildflower Fields map icon from Wario Land 4.
Wildflower Fields
Wildflower Fields often utilizes the Puffy Wario transformation, allowing the player to access high areas. There are some underground locations, water currents, and a sub-area where Wario climbs inside a hollow sunflower.
Mystic Lake map icon from Wario Land 4.
Mystic Lake
Much of the Mystic Lake takes place underwater. The Bouncy and Bubble Wario transformations are introduced. Togenobi is unique to this level, which the player must pass to reach the Keyzer. The remainder of the level takes place above ground.
Monsoon Jungle map icon from Wario Land 4.
Monsoon Jungle
The Monsoon Jungle contains many bodies of water and large areas with vines. On the way back to the vortex, the player progresses through an underground area with winding tree roots.
Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol
Ruby Passage
The Curious Factory map icon from Wario Land 4.
The Curious Factory
A level which takes place in an industrial setting, with moving machinery, conveyor belts and pistons which transform Wario into Flat Wario. The Flaming Wario transformation is also used. Cuckoo Condor map icon from Wario Land 4.
Cuckoo Condor
The Toxic Landfill map icon from Wario Land 4.
The Toxic Landfill
A level abundant in murky water and blocks resembling rubbish. The Puffy Wario and Fat Wario transformations are used.
40 Below Fridge map icon from Wario Land 4.
40 Below Fridge
An icy level which appears to take place both inside and outside of a fridge, with icicles and falling snow being a common obstacle. The Snowman Wario and Frozen Wario transformations are introduced.
Pinball Zone map icon from Wario Land 4.
Pinball Zone
Much of this level is stylized like a pinball machine, with flashing lights and slopes. There are several rooms where Chomp balls must be thrown into pinball tulips in order to progress.
Artwork of the Topaz Passage symbol
Topaz Passage

Toy Block Tower map icon from Wario Land 4.
Toy Block Tower

This level takes place in a toy castle. The player must fit triangle blocks in doors to make progress. The Flaming Wario transformation is also used. An underground area is seen on the way back to the vortex. Aerodent map icon from Wario Land 4.
Aerodent
The Big Board map icon from Wario Land 4.
The Big Board
The Big Board appears to take place in a toy village. It is the only level to feature the chance wheel, which manipulates the items and transformations used to make progress. The final chance wheel is a different color and releases the Keyzer.
Doodle Woods map icon from Wario Land 4.
Doodle Woods
Doodle Woods features references to drawing, such as pencil obstacles and Hoggus, whose sketches transform into enemies. Some drawings of enemies on the walls also come to life. The level transitions from indoors to outdoors.
Domino Row map icon from Wario Land 4.
Domino Row
This level features trails of dominoes which fall once Wario walks past. The player must then race the dominoes to a button, potentially opening up alternate paths.
Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
Sapphire Passage
Crescent Moon Village map icon from Wario Land 4.
Crescent Moon Village
This level takes place in a moonlit village and features several horror-themed enemies. The Zombie Wario transformation is introduced. A ghost attempts to steal coins and the Keyzer from Wario. Catbat map icon from Wario Land 4.
Catbat
Arabian Night map icon from Wario Land 4.
Arabian Night
Arabian Night features flying carpets used to reach high areas. The level transitions between indoor and outdoor locations, as well as an underground body of water on the way back to the vortex. Mayubirds also feature prominently.
Fiery Cavern map icon from Wario Land 4.
Fiery Cavern
An underground area with many pools of lava that rise like geysers. Uniquely, hitting the switch here freezes over the remainder of the level.
Hotel Horror map icon from Wario Land 4.
Hotel Horror
Hotel Horror features long corridors with many rooms across four floors. There is also a staircase on the outside of the building. Certain rooms in the hotel are locked until the player hits the switch.
Artwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Golden Pyramid
Golden Passage map icon from Wario Land 4.
Golden Passage
The final level, and the only one where the player presses the switch upon entering the level in every game mode. It consists of an overworld and an underground area where a water current pulls Wario back to the beginning. Golden Diva map icon from Wario Land 4.
Golden Diva

Other locations[edit]

Pink areas[edit]

Pink area in Palm Tree Paradise
The first pink area, seen in Palm Tree Paradise.

There are two pink areas in each level (excluding the Entry Passage and Golden Passage). Each one is found in a Warp Pipe, and contains either a diamond worth 1,000 points, or an amount of coins that are worth roughly 1,000 points when combined. Wario must solve some sort of puzzle to obtain these points, usually using Arewo Shitain-hakase as an object to throw. Completing these rooms is optional and not necessary to complete the level or the game, but they provide an opportunity for the player to earn a few extra points. Likewise, the player never sees a jewel piece or a Keyzer in a pink area, but Full Health Items can be seen in some rooms.

Sound Room[edit]

“When you find the CDs thrown around the stages, you'll be able to hear some weird music! Collect 'em all and maybe people will like you!”
Wario, Wario Land 4 instruction booklet

In every level, except for the Entry Passage and the Golden Pyramid, there is a hidden CD that can be collected and played in the Sound Room, each containing a different soundtrack. There is a total of sixteen CDs to collect. A Karaoke can also be unlocked, which is a full song with Japanese vocals. It can be unlocked by getting a gold crown (10,000 points or more) in each of the eighteen levels. The Karaoke may also be temporarily unlocked by pressing Start, Select, Up, L, and R together at the same time, while in the Sound Room.

The completed Sound Room.
The completed Sound Room.

Mini-Game Shop[edit]

“Have some fun, why don’t cha! Play mini-games!”
Wario, Wario Land 4 instruction booklet

Prior to the boss room of each passage, there is a Mini-Game Shop where Wario can play one of three Mini-Games. If Wario receives a certain amount of points in each of the Mini-Games, he can earn medals which can be spent at the Item Shop for items to assist him in defeating the boss of that passage. Three different colored Game Bots run the shop, each hosting a different game. Each Mini-Game costs 5,000 points to play (discounted to 2,000 points until Wario completes the Entry Passage).

The three Mini-Games are:

Purchasing items from the Item Shop costs more medals on more difficult modes. On S-Hard mode, Wario's Homerun Derby uses a cheerleader who throws very difficult pitches, compared to the lower level modes.

Item Shop[edit]

“You thought you could just FIND items? The world doesn't work that way, kid!!”
Wario, Wario Land 4 instruction booklet
The Item Shop logo

The Item Shop is a place where Wario can spend his medals, in exchange for items which assist him in defeating a boss by dealing damage before the start of the battle. The shop owner is a form of the black cat.

A table of the nine items and their descriptions is shown below.

Image Name Description
Apple Bomb Apple Bomb An apple with colored stripes which disguises a bomb. When purchased, the shop owner drags the apple to the boss room, raises it to reveal the bomb, and throws it at the boss to inflict a small amount of damage.
Blast Cannon Blast Cannon When purchased, this is wheeled to the boss room by the shop owner who then snaps their fingers. A bomb is blasted as a projectile out of the cannon, hitting the boss to inflict a small amount of damage.
Vizorman Vizorman A seemingly inanimate being, the Vizorman is dragged by the shop owner to the boss room. A laser is then projected from the vizor and hits the boss, dealing a small amount of damage.
Bugle Bugle This is carried to the boss room by the shop owner, who then uses it to play a tune. Flying music notes form, hitting the boss and inflicting an average amount of damage.
Black Dog Black Dog When purchased, the shop owner follows Wario to the boss room, where they transform into the Black Dog. The dog bites the boss several times, inflicting a large amount of damage.
Large Lips Large Lips When purchased, the shop owner follows Wario to the boss room. They then transforms into the Large Lips, which violently kisses the boss and deals a large amount of damage.
Big Fist Big Fist When purchased, the shop owner follows Wario to the boss room. They then transform into the Big Fist which throws a powerful punch at the boss, dealing a large amount of damage.
Black Dragon Black Dragon When purchased, the shop owner follows Wario to the boss room. There, they transform into the Black Dragon, which breathes fire on the boss to deal a large amount of damage.
Shop owner giving a Smile to the player Smile The Smile is the only item that is free. However, selecting it only causes the shop owner to smile and make a sound effect. This may be a reference to the Japanese McDonald's menu which includes a "Smile" for free.[4]

The more expensive the item, the more damage inflicted on the boss. The price of the items also varies on the game mode, e.g. an item in Hard mode is more expensive than the same item in Normal mode.

Allies[edit]

Within the Golden Pyramid, there are a few characters who assist Wario.

Image Name Description
Wario Land 4 artwork: Wario Wario The game's protagonist and the only playable character in the game. Wario finds out about the pyramid while reading a newspaper article. He drives off across the desert and through a jungle to reach the pyramid, soon falling down a precipice and getting trapped inside.
Artwork of Kuro Neko Kuro Neko After seeing a newspaper article, Kuro Neko decides to take a trip to the pyramid herself. The cat seems to already know her way around the pyramid, as she leads Wario to the main room.
Keyzer WL4 artwork.jpg Keyzer Keyzers unlock the door to the next level in a passage and disappear as soon as they do so. Eighteen Keyzers are found in the game, one for every level. The ghost tries to steal Keyzer off Wario in the level Crescent Moon Village.
Artwork of Arewo Shitain-hakase Arewo Shitain-hakase Arewo Shitain-hakase is the archaeologist that was exploring the pyramid before Wario came and raided it. He also appears in a newspaper in the opening cutscene. Wario is able to use him as an object to throw in a pink area.
Artwork of the shop owner from Wario Land 4 Shop owner The shop owner of the Item Shop is found in the corridor before the boss. They sell Wario items that assist in defeating the boss of that passage. Medals are used as currency, which are earned by achieving a good score in the Mini-Game Shop. The shop owner is actually a form of the black cat, as they transform in the final battle against the Golden Diva.
Artwork of Princess Shokora Princess Shokora After the Golden Diva is defeated, Wario and Kuro Neko escape the pyramid before it crumbles on top of them. Outside, the treasures that Wario collected are suddenly drawn to the cat, causing her to transform into Princess Shokora. She kisses Wario to show her thanks, and is lifted into the sky by four angels.

Bosses[edit]

Each of the six bosses guard a different passage in the pyramid. Items can be purchased with medals to weaken bosses at the battle's beginning. Defeating Spoiled Rotten unlocks the four main passages, and clearing a main passage boss stores its legendary treasure and collected treasure chests into the Golden Pyramid.

Image Name Treasure Description
Spoiled Rotten from Wario Land 4. Spoiled Rotten None The boss of the Entry Passage is a purple, eggplant-like creature. Accompanying it are two Eggplant Warriors who behave identically to Totsumen and can be defeated the same way. After Spoiled Rotten is damaged a few times, it bears teeth that harm Wario on contact. Defeating Spoiled Rotten grants access to the four main passages.
Cractus from Wario Land 4. Cractus The Crown The boss of the Emerald Passage is a venus flytrap which can transform Wario into Zombie Wario with its drool. After taking a certain amount of damage, Cractus stands upright, making it necessary for Wario to climb a vine to deal further damage. Defeating Cractus restores the crown to the pyramid.
Ripped sprites of Cuckoo Condor boss of Wario Land 4 which it shows its first form (left) and true form (right) Cuckoo Condor The Earrings The boss of the Ruby Passage is a large cuckoo clock who uses a claw to grab Wario. It can attack with cogs and electricity. After taking several hits, the cuckoo clock falls apart and reveals a vulture underneath. It lays eggs that can be thrown to deal damage. Defeating Cuckoo Condor restores the earrings to the pyramid.
Aerodent hiding on his giant teddy bear in Wario Land 4 Aerodent The Necklace The boss of the Topaz Passage is a rat within a large inflatable teddy bear. It throws down pin enemies which Wario can throw to deflate the bear. This exposes the rodent, giving Wario a chance to damage it. After taking several hits, the teddy drops flames which transform him into Flaming Wario. Defeating Aerodent restores the necklace to the pyramid.
Wario Land 4: The boss Catbat Catbat The Bracelets The boss of the Sapphire Passage is a large ghost-like cat with a bat on his head. There is a pool of water below the flooring where a mechanical fish swims back and forth. Catbat creates waves which must be jumped over, and spits out orange and purple mines which either damage Wario or turn him into Puffy Wario, respectively. Defeating Catbat restores the bracelets to the pyramid.
The Golden Diva. Golden Diva All The game's final boss and the ruler of the Golden Pyramid. She wears all four pieces of the legendary treasure collected from previous bosses. The Golden Diva wears many kabuki masks which fall off each time she takes damage. She casts several different enemies into the battle. Wario can use these enemies to inflict damage on the Golden Diva. They are the green enemy, the Teddy Bear, the black egg, and the hammer. When Diva's true face is revealed, she starts destroying the ground. On the last point of health, only her lips remain.

Enemies and other characters[edit]

“Taking care of most of my enemies is easier than taking candy from babies – which I highly recommend, by the way!!”
Wario, Wario Land 4 instruction booklet

While some enemies can be found in more than one passage, many are only unique to a certain passage and their characteristics usually go by the passage theme. Many enemies drop an assigned value of coins as well as a little heart when defeated. If both Wario's Heart Meter and Heart Gauge are full, then little hearts will be replaced by Silver Coins worth 100 points. The quantity and type of enemies depend on the game mode, as harder difficulties will generally have more enemies, and easier enemies will be replaced by more difficult ones. Most enemies can be defeated using some of Wario's moves, such as a regular "Attack" or "Smash Attack".

  • An asterisk (*) next to the enemy name signifies that they transform Wario in some way, and don't cause Wario to lose health.
  • N/A under "Coins dropped" signifies that the enemy cannot be defeated.

Common enemies[edit]

The following enemies may be found in multiple passages. No enemy appears in all six passages.

Image Name Coins dropped Description Passages
(across all game modes)
WL4 Purple Marumen Sprite.png Marumen Sprite of a Small Coin worth 10 points, from Wario Land 4. Sprite of a Small Coin worth 10 points, from Wario Land 4.
20 points
A harmless walking enemy which can be found in most passages. Marumen change from purple to red and back again whenever Wario Smash Attacks near one. A single Marumen can be found in Hotel Horror only on Hard and S-Hard modes. Artwork of the Entry Passage symbol Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
Sprite of a red Marumen, from Wario Land 4. Sprite of a Bronze Coin worth 50 points, from Wario Land 4.
50 points
Spear-Mask from Wario Land 4 Spear-Mask Sprite of a Small Coin worth 10 points, from Wario Land 4.
10 points
A common enemy wielding a spear as a weapon. They are found as yellow, blue, or red varieties, and change between these colors whenever Wario Smash Attacks nearby. The yellow Spear-Masks are slow moving, the blue Spear-Masks spin their spear before they start to walk or when they change direction, and the red Spear-Masks charge at Wario whenever they catch sight of him. Artwork of the Entry Passage symbol Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol
Spear-Mask from Wario Land 4 Sprite of a Bronze Coin worth 50 points, from Wario Land 4.
50 points
Spear-Mask from Wario Land 4 Sprite of a Silver Coin worth 100 points, from Wario Land 4.
100 points
Totsumen from Wario Land 4 Totsumen Sprite of a Bronze Coin worth 50 points, from Wario Land 4.
50 points
Totsumen charges at Wario at high speed when he comes near it. If its attack misses and it hits a wall or object, it flips over and can be easily defeated. Totsumen behave identically to Eggplant Warriors. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Topaz Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
Spiky Spiky Sprite of a Silver Coin worth 100 points, from Wario Land 4.
100 points
An enemy that is protected by a pink spiked shell. A Smash Attack causes it to flip over, exposing its vulnerable underside. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Topaz Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
Harimen Zetto Harimen Zetto Sprite of a Silver Coin worth 100 points, from Wario Land 4. Sprite of a Silver Coin worth 100 points, from Wario Land 4. Sprite of a Silver Coin worth 100 points, from Wario Land 4.
300 points
A stronger version of a Spiky with a black shell. A Super Smash Attack or jumping while Fat Wario is required to flip it over. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Topaz Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
Goggley Blade from Wario Land 4. Goggley-Blade Sprite of a Small Coin worth 10 points, from Wario Land 4.
10 points
A common aquatic enemy which charges at Wario when it catches sight of him. Goggley-Blade's underside can be attacked. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Topaz Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol Artwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Spiked Head WL4.png Togemasuku None An immobile spiked creature that is seen more often in difficult game modes. They can be defeated if Wario uses certain forms, or throws another enemy or a rock at them. On Normal mode, they only appear in Arabian Night where they transform into either Beezleys or Miniculas. Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
Shieragucchi Shieragucchi Sprite of a Small Coin worth 10 points, from Wario Land 4.
10 points
A spiked clam found in bodies of water. It quickly moves upwards when Wario comes near. Shieragucchi can be defeated with a hit from below. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Topaz Passage symbol
Ringosukī from Wario Land 4. Ringosukī* None A monkey that throws apples, which transform Wario into Fat Wario upon contact. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Topaz Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol Artwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Beezley from Wario Land 4. Beezley* None A bee which flies down and stings Wario, causing his head to swell and transforming him into Puffy Wario. They also pollinate flowers. They only appear in Wildflower Fields and Arabian Night. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
Archer.png Bow Balloon* None An archer that shoots arrows at Wario, which transforms him into Puffy Wario. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol
Menhanmā from Wario Land 4. Menhanmā* None A hammer-wielding creature that tries to flatten Wario, transforming him into Bouncy Wario. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Topaz Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol Artwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Yeti Yeti* Sprite of a Bronze Coin worth 50 points, from Wario Land 4.
50 points
A snow creature that tries to freeze Wario with its icy sneeze, turning him into Frozen Wario. Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol Artwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Kaentsubo from Wario Land 4. Kaentsubo* None A walking flame jar that tips over when Wario approaches, spreading flames which transform him into Flaming Wario. Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
Pig Head Statue Pig Head Statue* N/A A statue embedded into the walls that appears in the level Toy Block Tower, as well as some pink areas. It drops flames out of its mouth, which transform Wario into Flaming Wario. They otherwise cannot be interacted with. Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Topaz Passage symbol
Skeleton Bird WL4.png Skeleton Bird* None A ghost-like bird that drops green goo that turns Wario into Zombie Wario. They are common in the Sapphire Passage. Wario can only harm the Skeleton Bird by touching it in his zombie form. Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol Artwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Vampire Bat.png Minicula* N/A A bat that transforms Wario into Bat Wario upon contact. They are common in the Sapphire Passage, and cannot be defeated. Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol Artwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Menono WL4.png Men'ono Sprite of a Bronze Coin worth 50 points, from Wario Land 4.
50 points
A hooded creature who charges at Wario while swinging its axe. It can be defeated by a regular Attack or Smash Attack, as long as Wario does not touch the axe's hitbox. Like the Skeleton Bird and the Minicula, they are common in Sapphire Passage. Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol Artwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Sprite of a glass bird from Wario Land 4 Glass bird N/A A bird-like ally that is found in some pink areas. It spits out orbs on regular intervals which smash once they hit the ground. Wario can catch and throw the orbs at colored ! Switches to clear a path to a diamond. Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol

Entry Passage enemies[edit]

Image Name Coins dropped Description
Eggplant Warrior Eggplant Warrior None An eggplant-like creature wearing a headband with a knife. It assists the boss Spoiled Rotten. Eggplant Warriors act in the same way as Totsumen.

Emerald Passage enemies[edit]

Image Name Coins dropped Description
Imomushi Imomushi Sprite of a Small Coin worth 10 points, from Wario Land 4.
10 points
A harmless, slow moving caterpillar. They mostly appear in Wildflower Fields.
Moguramen WL4.png Moguramen Sprite of a Bronze Coin worth 50 points, from Wario Land 4.
50 points
A mole-like creature wearing a mask with a drill that harms Wario. Some of them are seen digging under the ground, and a Smash Attack will bring them to the surface. They only appear in Wildflower Fields.
Utsuboankō Utsuboankō N/A A sea monster that hides in a hole in the background. They emerge quickly when Wario comes near, damaging him on contact. They only appear in Mystic Lake.
Togenobi (without tentacles) Togenobi N/A A large octopus with four rotating tentacles that hold maces. It guards the Keyzer of Mystic Lake.
Scuba Gator.png Tobawani Sprite of a Small Coin worth 10 points, from Wario Land 4.
10 points
A crocodile that swims near the water's surface. They jump up to reach Wario, or chase him while in the water. They can be defeated by an Attack while they jump or a Super Smash Attack while they are swimming. They only appear in Monsoon Jungle.
A sprite of Hotaru from Wario Land 4 Hotaru* N/A A firefly that accompanies the boss Cractus. If Wario touches Cractus' drool, he transforms into Zombie Wario rendering him unable to attack. Hotaru then appears on the screen, and touching it reverts Wario to normal.

Ruby Passage enemies[edit]

Image Name Coins dropped Description
Togerobo Togerobo Sprite of a Silver Coin worth 100 points, from Wario Land 4. Sprite of a Silver Coin worth 100 points, from Wario Land 4.
200 points
A robot with a spiked head that is dropped when they catch sight of Wario, damaging him on contact. Togerobo can then grow back a new head. An Attack from behind or a Smash Attack (before the head grows back) defeats it. They only appear in The Curious Factory.
PET Bottom WL4.png Petbottom Sprite of a Bronze Coin worth 50 points, from Wario Land 4.
50 points
A bottle walking on four legs. It is armed with a needle on its front, which retracts if it is disturbed. It can be defeated by any attack from behind. They only appear in The Toxic Landfill.
Drill Bat.png Robobird None A robotic bird that attacks by flying at Wario in a straight line. It only appears in the Hard and S-Hard game modes in The Curious Factory and Pinball Zone. It can be defeated by a standard jump.
Spike Cannon Spike Cannon N/A An enemy that only appears in the level Pinball Zone, mostly around wire mesh that Wario must climb. They shoot out spikes from the top of their heads at regular intervals, harming Wario if they make contact. The top of its head acts as a platform.
A duck hatched from an egg in Wario Land 4. An egg from which a chick hatches from in Wario Land 4. Egg None An enemy that is produced by the condor form of the boss Cuckoo Condor. The boss lays eggs which hatch into yellow ducks as soon as they hit the ground. They start to flash before blowing up, harming Wario if he is nearby. Wario can catch the eggs before they break and throw them as a projectile.

Topaz Passage enemies[edit]

Image Name Coins dropped Description
Toy Car WL4.png Toy Car Sprite of a Small Coin worth 10 points, from Wario Land 4.
10 points
A tiny Wario driving a mini Wario Car with a spike on the front. They slowly drive along the ground, harming Wario if the spike touches him. They appear in every stage of the passage.
Dice WL4 enemy.png Dice None A walking die wielding a spear. They emerge from a chance wheel in The Big Board, when the appropriate space on the ribbon is struck.
Doodle.png Hoggus N/A A floating pig-like artist that does not harm Wario directly. He draws Dendens and Butatabis, which come to life shortly after he draws them. Hoggus only appears in Doodle Woods.
Denden Denden None A pig in a spiked shell created by Hoggus. It rolls along the ground when Wario comes near, similar to a Togerobo's head. It can be defeated by attacking at its head or belly.
Butatabi Butatabi None A pig created by Hoggus, with a spike on its head. It glides from right to left.
Deburīna Deburīna Sprite of a Bronze Coin worth 50 points, from Wario Land 4.
50 points
A drawing of a dancing pig that has come to life. Deburīna has a hula hoop around its body that rotates while it dances. The edge of the hoop harms Wario. Like other pig enemies, they only appear in Doodle Woods.
Tack Soldier Sprite.png Pin enemy* None A hopping creature with a spike on the bottom assisting the boss Aerodent. They must be thrown at Aerodent by Wario.

Sapphire Passage enemies[edit]

Image Name Coins dropped Description
Wario Land 4: ghost Ghost N/A A pirate-like ghost that does not harm Wario, but follows him and tries to collect every coin before Wario can do so. It also tries to steal the Keyzer from Wario. It only appears in Crescent Moon Village.
Mayu Bird WL4.png Mayubird None A bat-like creature that only flies within a small area, but can be found in large groups. They have fangs on their underside which harm Wario. They can be defeated by any attack. If they are tapped on the side, they will fly away. Mayubirds are only found in Arabian Night.
Onomi WL4.png Onomī Sprite of a Bronze Coin worth 50 points, from Wario Land 4.
50 points
A mummified enemy wielding an axe. It uses the same attack as Men'onos, and can be defeated in the same way. They only appear in Arabian Night.
Bowler Bowler Sprite of a Silver Coin worth 100 points, from Wario Land 4.
100 points
Bowlers throw rolling rocks at Wario. They turn into Yetis when the switch is hit in the level Fiery Cavern, and they only appear in that level. It can only be defeated with a Smash Attack on the head.
Mechanical fish Mechanical fish None A fish with a drill patrolling the pool of the boss Catbat. A Super Smash Attack is the only way to defeat it.
Mines Mine* None An enemy that accompanies the boss Catbat. Whenever Catbat takes damage, he coughs out small spiked balls as projectiles. If Wario touches the purple ones, he transforms into Puffy Wario. After Catbat's HP gets down to a certain point, he will cough out red mines, which harm Wario.

Golden Pyramid enemies[edit]

The last part of the game does not introduce new enemies, aside from the creatures created by the Golden Diva. Some enemies that are otherwise exclusive to the Sapphire Passage reappear in the Golden Passage, the last level before the final boss. This includes Skeleton Birds, Men'onos, and Miniculas.

Image Name Coins dropped Description
Spike Rock Green enemy None A creature produced by the Golden Diva. It flies down from the sky, moving from side to side. When it hits the ground, or if Wario stuns it, he can pick it up and throw it at the Golden Diva to inflict damage.
Bear Bomb Teddy Bear None A Teddy Ball in a blue ball dropped by the Golden Diva. Wario can attack it to send it flying, bouncing off the walls and possibly inflicting damage on the Golden Diva. The ball explodes by itself if left alone.
Black egg Black egg None A variation of an egg which is thrown by the Golden Diva. They crack open to reveal a time-bombed duck. Wario can catch the eggs before they hit the ground, and throw it at the Golden Diva to inflict damage.
Hammer with and without spikes Hammer* N/A A spiky hammer which is thrown by the Golden Diva. Shortly after hitting the ground, it loses its spikes. Wario can then throw it up in the air with the intention of it landing on him, transforming him into Bouncy Wario. He can then use this reaction to damage the Diva.
A pair of lips Lips None When the Golden Diva has been defeated, her lips remain on the stage. Wario must attack once to destroy them, freeing Kuro Neko and ending the game.

Reception[edit]

The game received generally positive reviews. The "portable masterpiece" received praise and excellent review scores on its soundtrack, collectibles throughout the game and its general thrill of satisfaction. One gaming website commented about even on its ten year anniversary, it "still remains the best portable Super Mario game to date".[5] IGN gave Wario Land 4 a nine out of ten, or "Outstanding", citing its well thought out level design and replayability, and how the game "puts a lot more emphasis on action" compared to its predecessors.[6] Praise was also given to how much attention the developers paid to the sounds and music. It was not given a full ten because the game does not necessarily push the performance power of the Game Boy Advance in regards to animation design. The website quoted that "it's a little disappointing to see that Wario isn't much of a step beyond his GBC adventure in terms of art and animation...other than the sprite effects, it could have been done on the 8-bit handheld".

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Game Boy Advance Jason D'Aprile, Gamespy 88/100 "Definitely the GBA side-scroller that Nintendo fans were waiting for, Warioland 4 is an incredibly entertaining, diverse, and humorous addition to the Mario/Wario legacy. It's challenging and creative, but not as outright frustrating as Warioland 3. Fans disappointed by Mario Advance will especially appreciate this gem."
Game Boy Advance Shane Satterfield, GameSpot 8.7/10 "If you're looking for a quality 2D platformer for your Game Boy Advance, look no further than Wario Land 4. As Nintendo's first platforming game developed solely for the GBA, it shines in all the right places. The gameplay is tight and varied, the graphics are detailed and bright, and the sound is second to none. Wario Land 4 does have some confusing puzzles in its later stages that may be too difficult for younger players, but for everyone else, it comes highly recommended."
Game Boy Advance Craig Harris, IGN 9/10 "Wario rocks -- there's a lot of variety in the game design and is more challenging than the usual side-scrolling fare due to its focus on making players figure out how to get to certain locations in the level. It's slightly similar to Klonoa in that respect, but Wario Land 4 puts a lot more emphasis on action. The slight control glitch at ladders is a bit of a drag, and the mini-games are more silly than they are fun to play. Wario Land 4 is also the first Nintendo GBA product without any link support...but I'm willing to look the other way on this fact since the single player adventure is so good."
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
Metacritic 88
GameRankings 85.34%

Music and sound design[edit]

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Wario Land 4 media. For a list of in-game music, see Sound Room.

Wario Land 4's music composition and sound design was handled by Ryoji Yoshitomi, and is unique in comparison to that of most other Nintendo games. Unlike most voice samples in video games generally, Wario's voice clips are broken down into single words or sounds which are randomly manipulated in real-time. In particular, his laughter consists of a single sound, repeated with the pitch sliding down. Occasionally, Wario's voice clips are contextually randomized - for instance, he may say "Yeah!" or laugh when he gets hurt, or grunt in pain when finding a treasure chest.[7]

Unlike the past two installments of the series, Wario Land 4 uses modifications to the background music of levels, instead of entirely separate tracks, to underscore Wario's transformations. Such modifications range from pitch and speed changes to the oscillating pitch-warp effect previously used in the level Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, when Yoshi touches the titular enemies. The BGM speeds up whenever Wario rolls on a 45 degree slope, and slows down a bit whenever he crouches. In addition, some levels, such as Palm Tree Paradise, have secondary music tracks that play only in certain sections of the level.[7]

The music of Wario Land 4 takes up a significant portion of the storage capacity. The music spans a wide variety of genres including blues, soul, folk, country, funk, jazz, drum and bass, heavy metal, experimental music, ambient music, noise music, and musique concrète; as such, the soundtrack as a whole can be considered eclectic and uncategorizable.[7] The general instrumentation for the game's music comes from the Roland Sound Canvas SC-8850, part of a line of sound modules that, as a whole, was used in countless soundtracks associated with Super Mario and its partner franchises, other Nintendo franchises, and video games in general throughout the mid- and late 1990s and early and mid-2000s. The game also uses a number of stock vocal samples, taken from CDs such as Spectrasonics' Vocal Planet, volume 3; Midi Mark Productions' Vocal Bytes, and Zero-G's Vocal XTC (the latter two of which lend some of their samples to the title screen theme, "Work It!")[8] The vocals for the song "Medamayaki," heard in Palm Tree Paradise, were created by inserting audio samples of individual syllables into the backing music track.[7]

Audio.svg Wario Land 4 - Main theme
File infoMedia:WL4 Title Screen Music.oga
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Audio.svg Wario Land 4 - Music heard when the switch is hit
File infoMedia:Wario Land 4 music- Hurry Up!.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Wario Land 4 - Music heard when inside the Golden Pyramid
File infoMedia:WL4-Inside the Pyramid.oga
0:30
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

References in later games[edit]

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$![edit]

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! contains a seemingly complete set of instrumental sounds used for the soundtrack of Wario Land 4 within the game's files, and may be assembled together manually to recreate each of the individual tracks.[10] Various theme songs and sound effects from Wario Land 4 are also heard during normal gameplay:

  • The theme of the Item Shop is used as Mona's theme melody. The music can also be heard in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! in a less modified form when the Gelateria is seen from the inside during Mona's story.
  • The song that plays whenever a character's story is cleared and all the other employees are shown at the Gelateria is a shortened version of "Mr. Ether & Planaria".
  • A slightly sped up version of Palm Tree Paradise's theme can also be heard in the microgame Balancing Act.
  • The whispering heard in the Sound Room's "The Short Futon" was used for the microgame Right in the Eye.
  • One of the songs available for Jump Forever is the theme for Pinball Zone.
  • Additionally, part of Crescent Moon Village's theme can be heard during the epilogue of Wario's second set of microgames in Mega Microgame$!.

Official descriptions[edit]

  • Nintendo of America website:
    Stash epic loot as you smash your way through a cursed pyramid.

    Bask in the greedy glory of treasure-hoarding as you hop, roll, and zombify Wario™ through 20 huge, puzzle-packed levels. This critically praised platformer sees our stubby anti-hero in search of gold, jewels, and riches beyond imagining, but when his insatiable need for loot lands him in a twisted pyramid of traps, he’ll need your wits to get out!
    There's lots of treasure in there for the taking, and Wario wants it all. There are plenty of punches, jumps, kicks, and tricks to master throughout the gameplay and various forms for Wario to take, like Flaming Wario, Vampire Bat Wario, or Zombie Wario that can be used to uncover some of the pyramid’s hidden hoard. Lots of bad guys and boss characters will try to make your escape more difficult, and there are plenty of unique challenges to stretch your reflexes and imagination. True to Wario style, there are even a handful of mini-games to keep you amused when you're not adventuring.
    [11]
  • Nintendo of UK website:
    Loot-loony Wario has discovered his biggest score yet: a fabulous golden pyramid filled with riches. Trouble is, its denizens don't want to give up the treasure easily – but that hasn't stopped Wario before!
    In Wario Land 4, the greedy hero finds himself no longer invincible, as in his previous platform adventures. However he can undergo amazing transformations that aid him in his quest; now he can become Bat Wario, Bouncy Wario and even Zombie Wario!
    Four guardians stand jealously over the four sections of the pyramid. Wario will either have to defeat each guardian, or activate a switch and escape before time runs out!
    [12]
  • SuperMario_UK Twitter:
    A fabulous golden pyramid filled with riches, you say? Too tempting for Wario! In Wario Land 4 on Game Boy Advance our hero is tasked with nabbing its treasures, despite the risks![13]

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Wario Land 4.

Pre-release and unused content[edit]

Main article: List of Wario Land 4 pre-release and unused content
WL4-keyanim.gif
Early logo of a Game Corner, found in the game's coding and not used in the final game.

Wario Land 4 was first announced at E3 2001. The first released screenshots were very different from the final game. Wario had a darker, more orange skin tone, and a lot of the enemies were shown to have a different color scheme as well. A notable difference from the final game is how Wario originally had a garlic gauge, serving as a replacement for the Heart Gauge below the Heart Meter. The Mini-Game Shop was going to be called the Game Corner, and Wario originally needed a key to unlock a jewel piece box.

Staff[edit]

Ending credits
The credits show Wario driving his Wario Car back home through the desert, after stealing the treasure from the Golden Pyramid.
Main article: List of Wario Land 4 staff

Nintendo R&D1 developed Wario Land 4, with the executive producer being Hiroshi Yamauchi. Hirofumi Matsuoka (who had previously co-directed Virtual Boy Wario Land) directed the game. The game was among the first Nintendo projects for Goro Abe and Ko Takeuchi, who later become key figures of the WarioWare series.

Wario Land 4 is the last active development credit of Wario's creator, Hiroji Kiyotake. Following the release of the game, Kiyotake assumed a supervisor role inside Nintendo SPD.

Glitches[edit]

Main article: List of Wario Land 4 glitches

There are currently three known glitches in Wario Land 4. The player is able to fly vertically, hold an invisible object and walk through walls. All of these can be encountered during normal gameplay.

Quotes[edit]

Main article: List of Wario Land 4 quotes

In Wario Land 4, there is not a large amount of quotes within the game itself. But there are many notable quotes within the game's instruction booklet, where Wario describes to the reader many aspects of gameplay and a few enemy descriptions. Some of the most notable are shown below.

Quotes found in the game;

Quotes found in the game's manual;

  • "I ain't normal! And I don't mean that I'm stupid! I can do aaalllll kinds o' stuff that normal humans can't, you know what I mean? How 'bout that? Amazing, huh?"
  • "Rumour has it that no one who's entered the Golden Passage have ever come out alive! Scary!"
  • "Yeahhhhh, that's ME!!! More gorgeous than any Hollywood star! Get a good look at me while you can!!" – Wario describing himself.
  • "I don't always speak so crudely, you know. I'm just worried about you because you play so badly!! Why do I care? Because I'm the one that feels it when you screw up, that’s why!!! So just try to get better at this game, OK?! I'm begging you!"

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese ワリオランドアドバンス ヨーキのお宝
Wario Rando Adobansu: Yōki no Otakara
Wario Land Advance: The Treasure of the Golden Diva

Chinese 瓦力欧寻宝记
Wǎlìōu xúnbǎo jì
Wario Treasure Finding

Trivia[edit]

  • Part of the vocals used in the game's title track were taken from the first track of Zero-G's Vocal XTC audio sample compilation. The specific vocal lines in question are "Your time is over, I've had enough! Here I come! Look out, here I come!", sung by British session singer Helen Binding.[14][15]
  • Wario's in-game sprite shows that he is wearing gold buttons (similar to Mario, Luigi, and Waluigi's) and purple shoes. However, in the official artwork, his buttons are white and his shoes are green.

References[edit]

  1. ^ GameFAQs - Wario land 4 Release Data
  2. ^ “2004年6月,神游推出小神游GBA,捆绑简体中文版《超级马力欧2》和《瓦力欧寻宝记》” (In June 2004, iQue released the iQue Game Boy Advance, with the Simplified Chinese versions of Super Mario Advance and Wario Land 4 bundled.) 大狗 (June 22, 2016). 《记录》第17期:神游中国(上). 触乐. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  3. ^ Game Boy Advance 3DS Ambassador Program Begins on Friday
  4. ^ https://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2015/05/21/despite-hard-times-mcdonalds-japan-plans-to-smile-again/
  5. ^ Why Wario Land 4 remains the best portable Super Mario game
  6. ^ IGN Wario Land 4 review
  7. ^ a b c d geno7 (December 20, 2022). The Bizarre Music and Sound Design of Wario Land 4. YouTube. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  8. ^ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JJBlHHDc65fhZmKUGLrDTLCm6rfUU83-kbuD8Y0zU0o/edit?pli=1#gid=717751203
  9. ^ The Cutting Room Floor's page for Metroid Fusion
  10. ^ Forum post by "Weario" at warioforums.com (retrieved September 5, 2016)
  11. ^ Wario Land 4. nintendo.com. Retrieved September 8, 2021. (Archived July 28, 2020, 22:16:14 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  12. ^ Wario Land 4. nintendo.co.uk. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  13. ^ SuperMario_UK (September 7, 2021). Twitter. Retrieved September 8, 2021. (Archived September 8, 2021, 11:26:08 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  14. ^ Zero-G Vocal XTC product page (accessed on September 24, 2016)
  15. ^ Vocal XTC CD booklet (accessed on September 24, 2016)

External links[edit]