Wario Land 3
- This article is about the Game Boy Color game. For other uses, see Wario Land 3 (disambiguation).
- Not to be confused with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3.
| Wario Land 3 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 North American box art For alternate box art, see the related gallery. | |||||||||
| Developer | Nintendo R&D1 | ||||||||
| Publisher | Nintendo | ||||||||
| Platforms | Game Boy Color, LodgeNet, Virtual Console (Nintendo 3DS), Game Boy – Nintendo Classics | ||||||||
| Release dates | Game Boy Color: March 21, 2000[1] April 14, 2000[?] May 30, 2000[?] June 2001[2]Virtual Console (Nintendo 3DS): May 2, 2012[?] December 6, 2012[?] December 6, 2012[?] August 29, 2013[?]Game Boy – Nintendo Classics: February 8, 2023[?] February 9, 2023[?] February 9, 2023[?] February 9, 2023[?] February 9, 2023[?] February 9, 2023[?] | ||||||||
| Languages | English Japanese | ||||||||
| Genre | 2D Platformer | ||||||||
| Ratings |
| ||||||||
| Mode | Single-player | ||||||||
| Format |  Digital download Game Pak Digital download | ||||||||
| Input |  Joy-Con (horizontal) | ||||||||
| Serial code | CGB-AW8A | ||||||||
- Everyone
- Three years and older
- All ages
- General
Wario Land 3 is a video game for the Game Boy Color released in 2000, and the third installment in the Wario Land series (fourth counting Virtual Boy Wario Land). It was rereleased for the 3DS's Virtual Console in Japan on May 2, 2012, in Europe and Australia on December 6, 2012, and in the Americas on August 29, 2013; and later rereleased for the Nintendo Switch's Game Boy – Nintendo Classics service as one of its launch titles on February 8, 2023. To escape the world inside a music box, Wario must collect the five music boxes, with the help of treasures found along the way that include power-ups and ones that open up the world.
Story[edit]
One day, Wario is flying with his plane over the woods until it runs out of fuel and crashes. Stranded, Wario then stumbles upon a mysterious cave, where inside he discovers a strange music box containing a small world inside sitting on a pedestal. When he goes to take a closer look, he is suddenly magically sucked into the music box. He then wakes up inside a dark temple and meets a hidden figure, who informs Wario that he is a god who once protected the world inside the music box, until an evil being sealed away his magical powers within five music boxes scattered across said world. The figure promises that if Wario can gather the boxes and free it, it will send Wario back outside and allow him keep any treasure he finds along the way. With his mind on the money and the fact he can return to his own world, Wario agrees to this proposal and departs on his quest in search of the music boxes and the many treasures of this mysterious land, during which several monsters attempt to impede his progress, but are unsuccessful in stopping the treasure hunter.
After collecting all the music boxes, Wario returns to the temple. Once there, the music boxes play a melody together, and the song frees the hidden figure. However, the figure turns out to be an evil clown-like demon, who announced his plan to rule over the world inside the music box as well as the outer world. It then attempts to destroy Wario since he has outlived his usefulness, but Wario is able to defeat it. After the demon was vanquished, all the monsters that attacked Wario before are turned back into humans. An elder explains that their world was peaceful until the demon invaded, so they managed to seal away its power within the five music boxes, but not before they were turned into monsters. He then states that they only tried to stop Wario from releasing the demon and letting it continue its conquest, but never thought that he would destroy it and free them from its curse. He thanks Wario for what he unintentionally did for them and transports him back to his world along with the treasure that he had collected, as promised before by the hidden figure.
Gameplay[edit]
The base mechanics in Wario Land 3 are very similar to that of its predecessor, Wario Land II. If Wario touches an enemy, he is simply stunned or transformed in one of his many transformations, known as reactions in the Wario Land series (one exception is in the final boss fight, where Wario can be "killed" and get a Game Over). Wario can crouch and walk using the direction pads, use a Dash Attack by pressing the 
button and jump using the 
button.
The game has a more open structure than its predecessors. Wario starts the game with most of his powers from Wario Land II missing or toned down. To progress, the player has to collect treasures which grant him new abilities, open new levels or cause changes in the existing levels that allow one to reach previously inaccessible areas. The world map is divided into levels, which the player can enter and leave as they please. Should the player not know where to go, they can go to the The Temple, which indicates where to go next. By holding in the overworld, the player can check the path that Wario can travel on the overworld, and if Wario moves to a different part of the map, he can press the same direction on the 
to move faster to the destination.
Each level contains a total of four color-coded treasure chests, and as such, the player may need to visit a level multiple times at different points of the game in order to obtain all treasures. To collect a treasure, the player must first find the chest's key. Most treasure chests require completing a puzzle to be collected, and some are guarded by a boss. Not all treasures are necessary to complete the game.
This Wario Land installment features a day and night system; after clearing a level, day turns in night or night turns in day. This system affects some levels, and some treasures can only be accessed at a specific time of the day.
Wario's reactions[edit]
The game includes reactions returning from Wario Land II, in addition to some new ones.
| Image | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Wario | Wario's normal form with no reaction. He starts out the game powerless, but as he progresses into the game, he can collect power-ups that will allow him to perform the Smash Attack, swim and dive into the water, strengthen his signature Attack, lift light and heavy enemies, etc. This is the only form of Wario that can enter doors and open treasure chests, as well as grab an owl or a zipline handle. |
|
Ball | When jumped on by Shoot, Wario becomes a ball. If touched, he will be used to score a point, which will revert him to normal if he is still in the soccer game. He can slowly move left or right while bouncing and can also be grabbed and thrown by the tortoise goalkeeper to revert to normal. Likewise, Wario can inflict the same effect on Shoot. |
|
Ball o' String Wario | When touched by a Silky while it is spitting string, Wario will roll back and forth across a course, bouncing off walls, until he eventually unravels back into regular Wario. This can be used to break Itodama Blocks. |
|
Bouncy Wario | After getting hit on the head by a Hammer-bot, Wario keeps bouncing and can jump to new heights. While on the ground, pressing causes Wario to bounce higher. After an amount of time, Wario will return to normal. This form will end immediately if he jumps into water or on spikes, or takes on a different reaction.
|
|
Bubble Wario | Wario is trapped inside a bubble, allowing him to keep floating upward until he hits something. While inside the bubble, Wario has the ability to resist currents in the water. |
|
Crazy Wario | Wario becomes hard to control, where he uncontrollably moves back and forth. Unlike Wario Land II, Crazy Wario cannot exhale a poisonous gas to defeat enemies and does not change color. Water or getting hurt will revert Wario to a normal state. |
|
Electric Wario | After Wario is hit by a zap of electricity, he is propelled backwards and cannot move for about a second. Any enemies touching him will be immediately defeated. |
|
Fat Wario | Wario after swallowing an Appleby's apple or a Doughnuteer's doughnut. With Wario's extra weight, he can easily break through breakable blocks even if he has not obtained any Smash Attack-related powerups, and also break doughnut blocks. As a side effect, Wario is slow and cannot jump as high as normal, but if any enemy runs into him (or if he runs into them), they will instantly be defeated. After moving for a while or going into water, Wario will lose weight and return to normal. |
|
Flat Wario | When Wario is flattened by an Omodon or a Count Richtertoffen, he can glide smoothly in the air to reach farther places in the air and slip through tiny cracks in walls. Even without the High Jump Boots, Wario can hold  and jump to jump a block higher. Water and Omodonmeka can turn Wario to normal.
|
|
Hot Wario | After Wario is burned, he starts running around with his pants on fire and will slowly burn more intently until he is reduced to cinders. Wario can break through fiery blocks when he is completely enveloped in flames. If Wario makes contact with water or the fire subsides, he will return to normal. |
|
Ice Skatin' Wario | Wario is frozen solid and sent skimming backwards, until he hits a wall. Although a usual inconvenience, he can slide past spikes and defeat most enemies on his path. |
|
Invisible Wario | Wario is invisible, so he can pass through seeing-eye doors. However, aside from an occasional glimpse, the player cannot see Wario, either, making this a very difficult transformation to use. Unlike all other Wario Forms, he can still walk through doorways. When Wario goes through pipes, he reverts to normal. The invisibility also goes away after Wario takes on a different reaction. |
|
Puffy Wario | When hit by a stinger from an enemy, Wario's head is filled with air. Wario will float upwards until he hits something. |
|
Snowman Wario | When Wario is covered in falling snow, he becomes a snowman. If Snowman Wario rolls down a slope, he can break Snow Blocks, though some can only be broken if the snowball is big enough. Wario can defeat every enemy in this form. |
 
|
Vampire Wario and Bat-Wario | When getting touched by a Kobatto, Wario transforms into a vampire and can defeat every enemy he touches. Plus, by pressing the Button, Wario will go to bat form, when he can fly in short spurts. To turn into his normal self, he must touch a head of garlic, go into a patch of light, or fall into a pool of water.
|
|
Zombie Wario | Wario is impervious to all enemy damage, can defeat almost all enemies on touch, and can fall through thin floors, although he is incredibly slow. Unlike Wario Land II, he is able to jump, though he cannot jump very high. Water or light will return him to normal Wario. |
Power-ups[edit]
The nine power-ups that can be found during gameplay are as follows:
- Lead Overalls: By pressing the
button in midair, Wario can perform a Smash Attack. He can destroy little enemies, damaged blocks and stun big enemies with these overalls. (Stunned enemies can be defeated when attacking them again) - Swimming Flippers: Allows Wario to swim underwater. By tapping the button, he swims faster. However, he cannot swim against currents.
- Head Smash Helmet: Allows Wario to destroy not only damaged blocks, but also solid blocks by bumping into them from below.
- Grab Glove: Allows Wario to lift small enemies when walking towards them while they are toppled, or small objects. He can throw them forward by pressing the button, or upward when holding after throwing. Charged throws can be done by holding the button and then releasing it, causing enemies/objects to be thrown further and may be destroyed if thrown near a solid surface. Enemy Blocks can be broken by throwing an enemy or object against them.
- Super Smash: Allows Wario to break solid blocks with his Dash Attacks or when rolling. Damaged blocks can be broken without being stopped and large enemies can be defeated immediately.
- Super Jump Slam Overalls: Similar to the Super Smash, it allows Wario's Smash Attack to break solid blocks, break through damaged blocks unstopped, and defeat large enemies immediately. Additionally, using it on the ground causes the ground to shake, toppling small enemies and certain big enemies.
- High Jump Boots: Pressing while jumping allows Wario to jump higher. Enemies can also be used to perform high jumps when holding while bouncing onto them, and holding while doing so allows Wario to bounce higher.
- Prince Frog's Glove: Allows Wario to swim against strong currents while tapping the button.
- Super Grab Gloves: Allows Wario to lift big enemies as well as normal ones. His speed is reduced while carrying big enemies and they cannot be throw as far as smaller enemies.
After acquiring each treasure required for a power-up, a short tutorial will be played to demonstrate the new abilities that Wario just acquired. The first demonstration must be played in full and cannot be skipped. They can be viewed again if the player pauses the game while playing one of the levels and selecting the Action Help option, allowing one of the tutorials to be played (though they are now skippable), provided that they are not currently Vampire Wario, holding a zipline handle, or holding onto an owl, as in those three cases, they have unique Action Help demonstrations associated with them.
Golf Minigame[edit]
In some levels, Wario will find a block with the word "Mini Game Clear" and an arrow pointing up written on it. Wario can get this block to lift and subsequently open the way by playing a minigame of golf, which can be accessed by entering a door with a drawing of a Para-Goom at its top within the level. Several levels have one room to play the Golf minigame, while The Vast Plain has two: one underground and one in the sky, though it is only required to clear one of them to lift both blocks. To play the minigame, Wario must have enough money in his possession, where it is 10 coins at first, 30 coins later, and finally maxing at 50 coins per entry. The goal for this Golf minigame is to knock Para-Goom into the hole, which is achieved by using Wario's Dash Attack on a Para-Goom to knock it away towards the hole. If it falls into lava or water, another Para-Goom will fall on the closest spot of the lava/water, so that Wario will be able to continue. In order to hit the Para-Goom, the player must press the button to move the blue arrow in the power meter displayed at the bottom of the screen, then press it again to stop it. A red arrow will then appear; it must stop on the red or the blue space inside the meter, which affects the bounce of the Para-Goom; should Wario hit outside that range, he will stumble, but the shot will still count despite missing. The player can also use the direction pads (left and right) to get a further view of the hole and also where the Para-Goom will end up if hit with the maximum power. The game is completed if Wario scores par or below, but if Wario did not sink the Para-Goom within the number of shots indicated by the par, the game is over and requires playing again to lift the block.
The following levels contain Golf minigame rooms. The treasures listed require clearing them to procure, and some are required to clear to get all the Musical Coins (marked with asterisks):
- Out of the Woods: Red Chest
- The Vast Plain* (2): Red Chest, Green Chest
- Sea Turtle Rocks: Red Chest
- Desert Ruins: Green Chest
- The Volcano's Base: Green Chest
- The West Crater*: Blue Chest
- The Grasslands: Red Chest
- The Big Bridge: Green Chest
- The Steep Canyon*: Blue Chest
- Above the Clouds: Green Chest
- The Colossal Hole*: Red Chest
In the northern side of the music box world, there is an uncolored building which can be visited by going from north to west (and vice versa). After getting all seven crayons, the building will be fully colored and Wario can play Golf there by visiting it. There are four courses in the building; three are available from the start and the fourth one is only available after getting all of the Musical Coins in all levels. Every course has five holes each, for a total par of 20 each. Each time Wario initiates a course, he must pay 50 coins. Unlike the Golf minigame rooms in the individual levels, Wario can hit as many shots as is required per hole even if he scores above par, though he will be disappointed if that happens. After five holes are completed, the Best Score is recorded if it is achieved.
List of levels[edit]
Items and objects[edit]
| Image | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Musical Coin | Each of them is worth 10 coins. If Wario collects all 8 in one go in each level, a part of a drawing of a golf course is colored. If the whole drawing is colored, a new course is unlocked in the Golf minigame found in the overworld. |
|
Normal coin | Normal coins Wario can find in levels, occasionally found after breaking blocks. They are used to pay to play the Golf minigames. |
   
|
Colored coins | Each colored coin is worth 10 normal coins. The color denotes what key the player is close to. |
   
|
Keys | The keys appear in specific locations in every level. Each key is needed to open the treasure chest of the same color. In Time Attack, the objective is to collect all four keys and then exit through any goal door. |
|
Treasure Chests | The treasure chests that appear in every level. After Wario obtains a key, the treasure chest of the same color can be opened. Once opened, it is replaced with a goal door when the level is revisited. |
|
Barrel | With the Grab Glove power-up, these can be thrown at Enemy Blocks, but they are fragile, so will break after dropping on a surface. |
|
Stove | Stoves can be used as platforms. They can be shoved around by using a Dash Attack on their sides. |
|
Switch | When bumped from below, will toggle between on or off. They change the state of certain objects found within the levels. |
|
Blocks (damaged) | Blocks that can be broken through most forms of attacks. |
|
Blocks (solid) | Blocks that can be broken only after Wario has the necessary power-ups, or if Fat Wario drops on them. |
|
Doughnut blocks | Doughnut blocks can only be broken by Fat Wario after he drops on them. |
|
Enemy Blocks | Breaks after an enemy or object is thrown at it. |
|
Fiery blocks | Fiery blocks break after Hot Wario touches them when he is on fire. |
|
Flame block | Disappears after all nearby torches are lit with fire. |
|
Itodama Block | Breaks after Ball o' String Wario collides on it. |
|
Snow Block | Breaks after Snowman Wario as a snowball collides through it. Lighter ones break more easily, while darker ones break only after the snowball is at its biggest. |
Enemies[edit]
| Image | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Akamajakushi | A jumping creature found in water and occasionally lava. If it bumps into Wario headfirst, he will roll backwards until he hits a wall or lands in water. |
|
Appleby | A mole lizard-like enemy that throws apples from holes in walls, turning Wario into Fat Wario if he eats the apple. |
|
Beam Robota | A blue robot who attacks with beams stored inside their chests. The beams go through walls. |
|
Bird | A flying enemy. The blue birds will stun Wario, while the orange ones turn him into Crazy Wario. |
|
Brrr Bear | A blue polar bear who spits ice at Wario and turns him into Ice Skatin' Wario. |
|
Count Richtertoffen | A rotund creature who attacks by jumping up to either shake the ground or squash Wario to turn him into Flat Wario. |
|
Denki | A spark of electricity that drops from a hanging lamp. They travel towards where Wario is once they hit the ground, triggering Electric Wario if touched. |
|
Doughnuteer | A small creature holding a fork with doughnuts. If Wario eats one, he will become Fat Wario. |
|
Electric Lamp | A hanging lamp that drops denki. |
|
Fire Robota | A red robot attacking with a fire torch stored in its chest. |
|
Flame | A massive flame within a torch, sometimes dropping smaller flames. Touching either causes Wario to become Flaming Wario. |
|
Futamogu | A red creature with a platform on its head found in holes; Smash-Attacking from above bumps it down. |
|
Hammer-bot | A big blue robot riding on treads that uses its hammers to turn Wario into Bouncy Wario. |
|
Haridama | An invincible enemy only appearing in Bank of the Wild River; when touched, Wario will become puffy. |
|
Hebarii | A slime that attaches itself to the ceilings. It attacks by shooting glowing projectiles. Shaking the ground or hitting a switch knocks down the enemy. |
|
Kobatto | Bat enemies that turn Wario into Vampire Wario. |
|
Kuri | A chestnut enemy found in the battle against Wolfenboss. |
|
Kushimushi | Bug enemies with rake-shaped mandibles, always found on vines and trees. Its front stuns Wario. |
|
Mad Scienstein | A scientist who attacks by using his potions, triggering Invisible Wario if he is hit by one. |
|
Mizu no te | An invincible enemy only appearing in The Steep Canyon that tries to make Wario fall into fast currents. |
|
Mizuuo | A fish that occasionally spits out drops of water that stun Wario. |
|
Mr. Moon | An invincible enemy who attacks with electric beams and turns Wario into Electric Wario. It only appears at nighttime. |
|
Nobiiru | An enemy with retracting spikes that extends from the wall every few seconds. |
|
Octohōn | An underwater enemy that is initially small. When it grows bigger, it attacks by tackling Wario, causing him to be knocked off into the direction that he was pushed until he hits a wall. |
|
Omodon | A Thwomp-like enemy, carried by an Omodonmeka to flatten Wario if he is underneath it. |
|
Omodonmeka | A flying enemy. The blue versions of them grab Wario, and the green and red ones try to smash him with an Omodon. |
|
Para-Goom | A yellow enemy who attacks using its spiky parasol. |
|
Pneumo | A floating jellyfish that attacks by turning its mouth into a needle, which on contact turns Wario into Puffy Wario. |
 
|
Prince Froggy | A big frog that sits in place, blocking Wario's path. It can be defeated by using Hot Wario, Vampire Wario, or Ice Skatin' Wario. In The Peaceful Village, one appears red instead of gray, and will only move if using a Smash Attack near it but not on top of it. |
|
Robo-Mouse | A rodent robot that pursues Wario and breaks through fragile walls with its claws. If it catches Wario, it will throw him out of the room he is inside of. |
|
Seeing-eye door | A gate with an eye that blocks all it sees from passing. Wario must become invisible to pass them. |
|
Sensor | Horizontal or vertical double-layered laser traps found in the depths of Sea Turtle Rocks. |
|
Silky | A green worm that projects a special string from its mouth. If Wario is hit, he will turn into a Ball o' String Wario. |
|
Snake | An invincible enemy living in vases that attacks by spitting fire. |
|
Spark | A small floating glowing ball that often appears in climbing or flying sections. |
|
Spear-bot | A green robot that attacks with a spear stored inside its chest. |
|
Spearhead | A blue blob with a spear as its nose and weapon. |
|
Sun | An invincible enemy who attacks with fire balls and turns Wario into Hot Wario. It only appears at daytime. |
|
Suna kara te | An invincible enemy only appearing at daytime in Desert Ruins that tries to make Wario fall into moving sand. |
|
Teruteru | A ghost-like enemy who shrouds Wario's head to makes the screen dark. After bumping into a wall, it will fall off and patrol the area where it fell it off. |
|
Spike | A clump of spikes that harms Wario if he touches it. |
|
Togēba | A flat blue spiny slime that is completely invulnerable to all attacks, but floats up if the ground shakes. |
|
Togeuo | A black fish that attacks with its needles. |
|
Webber | A spider enemy who can shoot electric projectiles. Their backs can be used as platforms. |
|
Zombie | An undead enemy who throws its head at Wario, which turns him into a zombie. |
Bosses[edit]
Even though Wario cannot be defeated in most boss battles, each of them has a way to eject Wario from the area to force a restart through needing to reenter the area to battle them again. Once the boss battle initiates, pressing Start will cause a buzzing sound to be played, meaning that the boss battle cannot be paused. The pause functionality will only be resumed after the boss is defeated or Wario exits the area with the boss, meaning that being ejected from the arena will not re-enable the pausing as long as Wario is still within the same area.
Treasures[edit]
There are 100 treasures in total Wario can collect, many of which alter the music box world and open new areas to Wario's exploration. However, not all of the treasures are needed to complete the game, as only 48 specific ones are necessary, which excludes any found in three levels: Above the Clouds, Forest of Fear, and The Warped Void. Of the required treasures, they include power-ups, music boxes, and ones guarded by bosses. Only both Out of the Woods and The Stagnant Swamp contain treasures where all four in those levels are required to beat the game. The locations for the required treasures will be suggested by a hidden figure if Wario visits the temple before obtaining the bare minimum.
Required treasures to beat the game are marked with an asterisk.
| Image | Name | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Yellow Music Box* | The Grasslands (Gray Chest) | The five magical artifacts needed to complete the game. Together they can break the seal on a hidden figure, unlocking the final battle in The Temple, but the first four each have a unique purpose:
|
|
Blue Music Box* | A Town in Chaos (Red Chest) | |
|
Green Music Box* | Sea Turtle Rocks (Gray Chest) | |
|
Red Music Box* | The Stagnant Swamp (Green Chest) | |
|
Gold Music Box* | Out of the Woods (Blue Chest) | |
|
Prince Frog's Glove* | Out of the Woods (Green Chest) | Allows Wario to swim faster, so he can traverse currents. Wario can use this new ability to access new paths in Bank of the Wild River, The Steep Canyon, and Beneath the Waves. |
|
Swimming Flippers* | Tower of Revival (Gray Chest) | Makes Wario able to swim and dive in water. Wario can use this new ability to access new paths in The Pool of Rain and The Big Bridge. |
|
High Jump Boots* | The Colossal Hole (Green Chest) | Boosts Wario's jumping abilities, letting him jump higher and giving him the ability to use enemies as stepping stones. Wario can use this new ability to access new paths in The Grasslands, The Stagnant Swamp, and Cave of Flames. |
|
Super Grab Gloves* | The East Crater (Gray Chest) | Boosts Wario's strength, allowing him to lift heavy enemies. Wario can use this new ability to access new paths in A Town in Chaos, Castle of Illusions, and (if the Mystery Handle was collected) Forest of Fear. |
|
Super Smash* |