Wario Land 3

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 Switch Online 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 fourteen abilities.

Story
One day, Wario is flying with his plane over the woods until it runs out of fuel and crashes. Unharmed, Wario then stumbles upon a mysterious cave. Inside the cave, he discovers a music box. He wants to take a closer look, and that suddenly causes him to be magically sucked into the music box. In the music box, a hidden figure 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 in five music boxes. In exchange for freeing it, the figure promises to send Wario back to his own world and let him keep any treasure he finds. With his mind on the money and the fact he can return to his own world, Wario departs on his quest, in search of the music boxes and the many treasures of this mysterious land.

After collecting all the music boxes Wario returns to the temple. Once there, the music boxes play a melody together. The song frees the sealed being, who turns out to be an evil clown-like demon. The inhabitants of the music box locked his power up in five music boxes; but before he got imprisoned, he turned all of the music box's inhabitants into monsters. The figure had great plans about again ruling the music box world and then the one outside as well. After Wario defeats him, he is met by the inhabitants of the music box, now restored to their former selves. An old man explains that they thought Wario would help the being to return to his old form, and tried to stop Wario from causing that catastrophe; they never thought Wario would defeat him. They thank Wario and transport him back to his world, along with the treasures that he has collected, as promised before by the hidden figure.

Gameplay
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 area. 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 starting map icon, which indicates where to go next.

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 point 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 effects some levels, and some treasures can only be accessed at a specific time of the day.

Wario's reactions
The game includes reactions returning from Wario Land II, in addition to some new ones.

Power-ups
The nine power-ups that can be found during gameplay are as follows: 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 all the way 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, provided that they are not currently Vampire Wario, holding a zipline handle, or holding onto an owl, because in those three cases, they have unique Action Help demonstrations associated with them.
 * 1) Lead Overalls: By pressing the button and down, Wario can perform a Smash Attack. He can destroy little enemies, fractured blocks and stun big enemies with this overall. (Stunned enemies can be defeated when attacking them again)
 * 2) Swimming Flippers: With these, Wario can swim. By tapping the button, he swims faster.
 * 3) Head Smash Helmet: With this item, Wario can destroy both types of blocks by jumping into them from below.
 * 4) Grab Glove: Wario can lift small enemies when walking towards them. He can throw them by pressing the button. Holding up throws them up. Keeping the  button pressed performs a charged throw. In this case, the enemies are destroyed when they touch a wall. There are special blocks that only breaks by throwing something against them.
 * 5) Super Smash: Wario can also break undamaged blocks with his Dash Attacks, when rolling, or by jumping into them from below. He breaks fractured blocks without being stopped and can also defeat large enemies immediately.
 * 6) Super Jump Slam Overalls: Similar to the Super Smash, Wario's Smash Attack can break unstructured blocks, break through fractured blocks unstopped, and defeat large enemies immediately. Additionally, it can cause a ground shaker, stunning small enemies.
 * 7) High Jump Boots: Pressing up while jumping with these boots allows Wario to jump higher. Enemies can also be used to perform high jumps when pressing up while jumping onto them.
 * 8) Prince Frog's Glove: With these flippers, Wario can swim against strong currents while tapping the button.
 * 9) Super Grab Gloves: Wario can lift big enemies as well as normal ones. His speed is reduced while carrying big enemies and he cannot throw them as far as smaller enemies.

Golf Minigame
In some levels, Wario will find a block with the word Minigame written on it. Wario can get this block out of his 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. The door and the block will be found at the same level. This golfing game is not like the real world golf, but the goal is roughly the same; use Wario's Smash Attack on a Para-Goom and send it into the hole. If it falls into lava or water, another Para-Goom will fall on the closest spot of the lava/water, so Wario will be able to continue. To play this game, the player must press the button to move the blue arrow in the energy meter displayed at the bottom of the screen, and press it again to stop it. Then, a red arrow will appear; they have to make it stop on the red or the blue space inside the meter, or else Wario will stumble and it will count as a shot. The player can also use the direction pads (left and right) to see where the Para-Goom will end up if hit with the maximum power.

To play golf, Wario must have enough money in his possession. In the north side of the music box world, there is a strange uncolored building. After getting all of the seven crayons, the building will be colored and Wario can play golf anytime he wants by visiting it. The number of golf courses in this building is four, but the fourth one can only be accessed by getting all of the Musical Coins, found in all levels.

Bosses
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 won't reenable the pausing as long as Wario is still within the same area.

Treasures
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.

Time Attack
Once Wario has opened all 100 treasure chests, Time Attack mode is activated.

The following message will be displayed from now on when starting the game: Time Attack Thus, Wario has to try to collect all the four keys the fastest way possible and enter an exit doorway in this mode. The best time will be saved for each world, though saving when playing a world is not possible. If Wario breaks his personal record, he will joyfully lift his thumb. Otherwise, he will react as if he would not have opened a chest and entered an exist doorway in the normal mode. The save option in the pause interface is not available in Time Attack mode.
 * Compete for time taken to get all 4 keys and clear the course.
 * Press on the Map Screen to see the list of best times.

The Rolling Glitch
When crouching at the foot of a hill, Wario may get stuck in a tight spot while sliding before he starts rolling. The can be performed at The Stagnant Swamp and The Colossal Hole.

In this case, one will be able to walk as normal, but the game still treats Wario as if he is just rolling. Thus, he can break regular blocks and defeat enemies just by walking through them. Though there is a slight difference, as this state he will even stay if he walks on a hill, enters doors, crouches, climbs up a ladder, performs a normal attack or a Dash Attack.

It will end if Wario gets attacked by an enemy, enters a pipe or if he hits a wall with a regular attack. In the last case, the animation will occur that can normally be seen when rolling Wario smashes at a wall.

The Swamp Water Glitch
This glitch can be performed at The Stagnant Swamp. To do so, Wario must be floating in the muddy water and touching either edge of the pool. When is pressed at the correct time, Wario will briefly dive under the water and the camera will move up. This can be repeated until the camera reaches the top of the level and Wario can be seen floating in the air. Wario will still act like he is at the bottom of the swamp, and will appear to swim in invisible water, walk on invisible platforms, and enter an invisible door or pipe.

The ends when Wario uses a zip line, jumps through the top of the screen, or uses the aforementioned door or pipe.

The Ice Skatin' Glitch
To perform this glitch, Wario must travel to the Cave of Flames and enter the eastern pipe, in search of the green key and treasure chest. He must then proceed to the area obscured by Bonfire Blocks, after first destroying them with the Hot Wario form. On the bridge, he should be careful to avoid the Tadpoles that will leap out of the fire, as well as the Brrr Bear coming towards him. Wario has to jump on the Brrr Bear's head and give it a few pushes to the left. There should be a short distance between the Brrr Bear and a Tadpole's starting position. As it regains balance, Wario must let himself become frozen, but upon colliding with a leaping Tadpole, he will be sent rolling back to the previous area, preempting his transformation into Ice Skatin' Wario.

Though he may seem back to normal, Wario still acts as if he were in his Ice Skatin' Wario form. Thus, he can walk straight into enemies and knock them out. He also does not respond to the effects of flames, Mad Scienstein's potions, or even the Brrr Bear's ice breath. This glitch can be undone by walking into a Seeing-eye door, entering a pipe, or exiting the level via Save Menu. The player will have no choice but to undo it anyway, since the rest of the level cannot be beaten when stuck in the Ice Skatin' Wario reaction.

References to other games

 * Metroid: The High Jump Boots are from this game.

References in later games

 * Mario Tennis: The Wario & Waluigi Court's music is a cover of the Day in the Woods music.
 * Dr. Mario 64: The game's character roster is almost entirely made up of characters originating from Wario Land 3.
 * WarioWare: Twisted!: The music box can be seen on a shelf during Wario's storyline.
 * Fortune Street: When a computer-controlled Wario builds a tent on the board, his dialogue mentions Rudy the Clown.
 * WarioWare Gold: A microgame based on Wario Land 3 appears in 18-Volt's set.