Virtual Boy Wario Land

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Template:Infobox Virtual Boy Wario Land (also shortened as Wario Land), originally titled Wario Cruise (as seen on its serial number) and Wario's Treasure Hunt in development, is a video game released by Nintendo for the Virtual Boy in 1995. It is the second installment in the Wario Land series, and the follow-up to Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3.

Story

Artwork of the Virtual Boy Wario Land prologue.
Artwork of the prologue.

The game begins with Wario landing his Bulldog seaplane in the middle of the Awazon river basin for some relaxation time, until a beaver in the river squirts him with water from its mouth, angering him. But as he was fuming, he spots three Mask-Guys heading behind the Aldegara Waterfall carrying treasure, intriguing him. Wario follows the trio into their secret cavern, where they hide their loot inside a vault, which can only be accessed as long as 10 gate keys remain in their place. He then ambushes them and attempts to open the vault to steal their fortune, but is then surprised when the keys fly away to parts unknown. To make matters worse, he falls through a trap door which plunges him into the underground chasms below. Now caught in a deep underground labyrinth, an angry Wario begins his quest to get out, beating up any enemies that dare stand in his way while also attempting to locate the keys to get into their vault, along with any coins he might find along the way.

After braving the labyrinth and defeating several monsters, Wario comes face to face with the true master of the cavern: a malevolent genie-like monster called Demon Head. Though Demon Head was powerful, through grit and gusto, Wario was able to fell the foul spirit. Afterwards, he finds himself back at the vault's entrance. The following ending depends on whether or not Wario obtained all the gate keys and how much money he accumulated on his journey:

  • If Wario did not obtain all the keys, he will sigh with disappointment and simply leaves the cavern with whatever loot he did acquire. He heads back to his plane, only to find that a family of beavers have made it into their new nest, rendering it useless and leaving Wario stranded in the jungle. Wario becomes violently angry as a result, which scares the beavers away. Wario chases and grabs one of them, but before he could punish it, the beaver offers an alternative way of flying in exchange for all the coins he found in the cavern. After careful consideration, Wario reluctantly agrees to this deal and takes his leave while the beaver takes the cash.
    • Rank D/Poor Ending: If Wario collected less than 5,000 coins, he is forced to fly home by flapping two fans with his own arms, tiring him greatly.
    • Rank C/Fair Ending: If Wario collected 5,000 coins, he is given a bike attached to a miniature blimp that he must pedal home.
    • Rank B/Good Ending: If Wario collected 20,000 coins, he is given a strange bird/dragon-like creature which he rides home alongside its children.
    • Rank A/Nice Ending: If Wario collected 50,000 coins, he is given a new plane which he rides atop of and pilots with a remote control.
  • If the player found all the gate keys items by this point, Wario will be able to open the vault and claim his fortune, along with a magic carpet which flies him home as well as a magic bottle.
    • Rank S/Great Ending: If Wario collected less than 5,000 coins, he will simply fly home on the magic carpet with the treasure and the bottle in tow.
    • Rank S/Best Ending: If Wario collected 5,000 coins, a beautiful bunny-girl will be seen sitting alongside him on the magic carpet as they fly home with fireworks in the background.
    • Rank S/Awesome Ending: If Wario collected 20,000 coins, Demon Head will appear from the bottle as Wario's slave and apparently "row" him back home on the magic carpet.
    • Rank S/Perfect Ending: If Wario collected 50,000 coins, it will be the same as the Best Ending.

Gameplay

Artwork from the instruction manual, showing Wario about to fall into the trapdoor placed in front of the treasure room. The artwork demonstrates how the player gradually climbs their way out of the underground chasm by unlocking elevators, found at the end of stages.
Artwork from the instruction manual, showing Wario about to fall into the trapdoor placed in front of the treasure room. The artwork demonstrates how the player gradually climbs their way out of the underground chasm by unlocking elevators, found at the end of stages.

Main targets

Upon falling down the precipice within the earth, Wario must find his way through fourteen underground stages, including four boss stages, in order to make his way out. An elevator is found at the end of each stage, allowing Wario to climb higher the more he progresses in the game. A gate key is hidden somewhere in each stage, in which obtaining it is vital as it grants access to the elevator. Before each boss, a guard must be defeated before gaining access to the boss of that stage. The power and difficulty of the guard increases with each boss stage.

Each of the ten stages contain a well-hidden treasure, with each one resembling a different real-life object (such as a pocket watch and fountain pen). Collecting all ten treasures will allow Wario to enter a treasure room at the end of the game.

Wario's health and forms

Wario's health system comes in three stages. He starts off in his ordinary form. Garlic bottles and Viking helmets are found throughout ? Blocks, which will transform Wario into Bull Wario. If Wario touches harmful enemies, spikes, lava, etc., he will be reduced to Small Wario. Collecting a garlic bottle as Small Wario will restore him to normal form. Taking damage as Small Wario or failing to clear a level within twenty minutes will result in a loss of a life, sending Wario back to the beginning of the stage.

Wario begins with three lives. More can be earned by either collecting one hundred hearts or a diamond. If Wario loses all his lives, he receives a Game Over and loses all hearts and coins. In a Game Over, one collected treasure will be lost (if any, and the deduction begin from the most recent stage and works backwards).

Wario has three additional forms which can't be reached through the garlic bottle power-up. They are Eagle Wario, Sea Dragon Wario and King Dragon Wario. Eagle Wario is reached by collecting an Eagle Statue, which can be found in ? Blocks. A Dragon Crystal can either transform Wario into Sea Dragon or King Dragon form, depending on the circumstances. If a Dragon Crystal is collected in any form but Eagle, Wario will transform into Sea Dragon. However if Eagle form is present when a Dragon Crystal is collected, he will transform into King Dragon Wario. It can also work the other way, where if an Eagle Statue is collected while in Sea Dragon form, King Dragon form will be reached. The King Dragon form has both the abilities of Eagle and Sea Dragon Wario, being able to fly and attack with flames respectively.

Items, blocks, and miscellaneous

Many coins and hearts are scattered throughout the ten main stages. There are two types of coins; one with a rhombus on it and other with a crown. The more common rhombus coin is worth a single coin towards the score, and the rarer crown coin is worth twenty. All coins collected in a stage are put towards a grand total, which is counted up after entering the elevator in the room before the next stage. There are two types of hearts; one smaller and one significantly larger. The larger heart is worth ten small hearts.

Coins and hearts can spent on playing mini-games between stages.

Many different types of blocks are found in the game. "? Blocks" hold objects or items which can be collected or used by Wario. These can only be struck once. A more common type of block looks like a square stone which can either be broken or cracked. Normal Wario can crack blocks by hitting them from below. Hitting again will break them. Small Wario can only break already cracked blocks, while Bull Wario can break them in one hit, cracked or not.

A much larger version of these blocks can only be broken by Bull Wario. Other methods of releasing an item or breaking a block can be performed through a Barge or Body Slam. Hidden Blocks can't be seen unless they are struck from below, which they will then release the object or item and become visible. Bonfire Blocks are the same size and shape as other blocks, but they have a flame symbol. These kinds of blocks can only be broken by the flames of Sea Dragon or King Dragon Wario. There are also areas of walls or flooring within stages which at first do not appear as breakable blocks. They are able to be broken using flames as aforementioned, and they usually lead to a hidden area.

Jump Boards are able to sling Wario to the background of the stage and vice versa. This is used when there is a separate area which is in the background that contains collectibles. Similar objects appear in the eleventh stage, where many of the Pan Platforms can send Wario into the background. In this stage also contains electric fans placed throughout areas. These fans will periodically turn on and off, and while rotating can send Wario flying in the direction of the wind. Warp Pipes also appear in the game: entering one will send Wario to a different area. Seen in the sixth stage are two secret switches, each with half a Phanto-esque mask shown on the front. Hitting both secret switches will destroy a wall to reveal a jump board that Wario can use to a hidden area.

Behavior and/or combat of enemies and hazards

Many different types of enemies are seen throughout the game, many being unique to a certain stage. Simply jumping on an enemy will not defeat it in most cases, it will usually temporarily stun them. Ground Pounding near an enemy may also stun it. When stunned, an enemy will become harmless and can be picked up and thrown. If a thrown enemy clashes with another enemy before bouncing twice, they will both be defeated. Usually, Wario would need to Barge, Ground Pound or Body Slam a weak spot of an individual enemy to defeat it. A stunned enemy can also be thrown into a coin cloud to redeem coins. An Angry Watermelon is seen blocking paths in Stage 9. Melons dropped by Honey-Bees can be placed on a Watermelon Spring, which will send it flying upwards into the background, possibly hitting the button which destroys the Angry Watermelon, thus clearing the way.

Stage design

The gameplay theme and terrain varies from stage to stage. Most of the terrain Wario will encounter is made up of solid flooring. Some stages are part or entirely made up of water, where Wario is able to swim in. Some areas contain water currents which are difficult to swim against. The sixth stage is the only one that contains a waterfall, which Wario is able to slowly climb. Shallow bodies of harmful lava are seen throughout the game. Stage 11 contains areas where the player must safely travel over flames along the ground, and sometimes on the ceiling. Conveyor belt flooring is seen in Stage 9, which will move Wario in a certain direction while he is not moving.

Stages

Boss stages (marked with an asterisk below) are marked with a skull symbol on the map screen.

Bosses

This section is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.

Image Name Description
Sprite of the guard, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Guard
Sprite of Dinosaur Fish, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Dinosaur Fish
Sprite of the boss Sand Fish, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Sand Fish
Sprite of Tank and Operator, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Tank and Operator
Sprite of Demon Head, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Demon Head

Enemies

Image Name Description
Sprite of a horned frog, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Horned Toady Weak, harmless enemies which will ram Wario with their alien-like antennas. They can easily be defeated by a Body Slam or a Barge.
Sprite of a Bomb-Bat from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Bomb-Bat Bat creatures who emerge from the background carrying a thorned bomb. As Wario walks by, they will drop this bomb and it will bounce in the direction of Wario.
Sprite of an crawling skull, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Upside-Downer A creature with a skull as a head. They are found walking upside down along the ceiling, and will fall onto Wario with their fangs if he passes underneath.
Sprite of a horned spearman, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Metal-Head Metal-Heads emerge from wooden doors when Wario approaches. They will then charge at Wario while pointing their spears.
Sprite of a Mask-Guy from Virtual Boy Wario Land.   Sprite of a Mask-Guy without a mask, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Mask-Guy One of the most common enemies seen in the game. They will charge Wario if they catch sight of him, using their sharp spear on their nose as a weapon. When bumped from behind, their mask will fall off, revealing their true form.
Sprite of a Chain-Saw Fish, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Chain-Saw Fish A common underwater enemy that can swim at high speed. They use their chain-saw nose to harm Wario.
Sprite of a school of fish, from Virtual Boy Wario Land   Sprite of a Thorny Fish, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Thorny Fish A slow-moving fish that swims between the background and foreground of a stage, often being followed closely by a school of fish.
Sprite of a Big Mouth, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Big Mouth A large, underwater creature that hides within holes in the wall. When Wario is nearby, Big Mouth's will continuously emerge and snap their jaws
Sprite of a Flying Fowl, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Sprite of a Flying Fowl, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Flying Fowl Flying Fowls circle large tree trunks, and will at swoop with their sharp beaks if Wario is nearby.
Sprite of a Chippy, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Chippy A bear-like enemy that can behave in one of three different ways. Most Chippies can be found walking along the ground, throwing explosives at Wario. Others hide in trees and throw spears, whereas some float down to the ground on a leaf, carrying a spiked shield.
Sprite of a Dark Tortoise, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Dark Tortoise An enemy that throws shuriken-like objects, which can harm Wario.
Sprite of a Waterfall Climber, from Virtual Boy Wario Land   Sprite of a Waterfall Climber, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Waterfall Climber These creatures sit on rocks, and are able to jump up high and climb the stage's waterfall. Their horns are able to harm Wario.
Sprite of a Thorn Rocket, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Thorn Rocket A spiky enemy that is found sitting on areas of quicksand. Thorn Rockets propel themselves upwards, making it more difficult for Wario to pass.
Sprite of a Plant Chomper, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Plant Chomper Stationary creatures that resemble Munchers from the Super Mario series. They can be found in large groups forming the ground, and can harm Wario with their teeth if he tries to walk across them. The shadows of Plant Chompers can also be seen within areas of quicksand.
Sprite of a Torny from Virtual Boy Wario Land Torny Tornies are found moving over the top of Plant Chompers. Wario is able to sit on top of a Torny, in order to cross areas of Plant Chompers without being harmed.
Sprite of a Big Blob, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Big Blob A mini-boss that blocks the entrance to a door, and is invincible to all of Wario's attacks. Wario must lure a Torny into the Big Blob, which causes it to shrink and disappear.
Sprite of a Mastah Mosquito, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Mastah Mosquito A large mosquito that swoops at Wario whenever he approaches, aiming to harm him with its sharp proboscis.
Sprite of a Mole Burrower, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Mole Burrower A mole creature who is found within walls underground. It emerges when Wario approaches, swinging it's arms and harming Wario if he is to come into contact.
Sprite of a Pollen Plant, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Pollen Plant Pollen Plants are able to walk on their roots and open their flower to release spores, which harm Wario.
Sprite of two Honey-Bees, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Honey-Bee Honey-Bees occupy conveyor belt areas, dropping Watermelons and Bombs on Wario if he comes near.
Sprite of an Angry Watermelon, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Angry Watermelon A large watermelon that either blocks Wario from accessing the next area, or hides a hidden door. Either Angry Watermelon may be defeated by correctly using the Watermelon Spring.
Blade-Face sprite Blade-Face A creature with two cleavers protuding from either side of its body. Blade-Face will levitate and circle an area, harming Wario if he touches the blades.
Sprite of a Coo-Coo, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Coo-Coo A featherless bird who resides within Coo-Coo Clocks. Coo-Coo will emerge from the clock and begin to rapidly lay eggs. These will hatch into Little Coos upon hitting the ground, and will quickly blow up.
Sprite of a bomb, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Little Coo A mechanical bird produced by Coo-Coo. They come from eggs which hatch as soon as they hit the ground. Little Coos will chase after Wario, quickly exploding.
Sprites of a Flame Mask-Guy and its appearance without a mask, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Flame Mask-Guy A creature resembling a regular Mask-Guy although they are covered in more spikes, and able to shoot flames from the nose of their mask. If Wario bumps off their mask, their revealed form is identical to a regular Mask-Guy.
Face Ball sprite Face Ball A large ball creature which looks similar to a Phanto mask. This mini-boss produces Little Face Balls, and a harmful substance which gushes from its mouth. Wario must defeat a Face Ball in order to leave certain areas.
Sprite of a Little Face Ball, from Virtual Boy Wario Land.   Sprite of a stunned Little Face Ball, from Virtual Boy Wario Land. Little Face Ball A smaller species of Face Ball which is produced in groups of three. They possess harmful spikes on their underside. Little Face Balls can be thrown at Face Ball to inflict damage.
Vase sprite Vase A decorated vase with eyes. This creature is immobile if left alone, but if Wario is to pick up and throw them, the effect which follows depends on which side the vase lands on.
Vase-Based sprite Vase-Based Vase-Based is produced when a Vase is left on its side. This foe will slowly bounce around the room, aiming to harm Wario with its spears.
Sprite of a Lightning Saucer, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Lightning Saucer This piece of machinery horizontally patrols the upper area of the screen, always moving directly above Wario. Once positioned, they will send a bolt of lightning towards the ground, harming Wario.
Sprite of a Magma Saucer, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Magma Saucer Magma Saucer can be seen as a counterpart to the Lightning Saucer. They patrol the upper area of the screen, releasing balls of magma when Wario is nearby.
Sprite of a Fire Octopus, from Virtual Boy Wario Land Fire Octopus These creatures reside in certain areas where the floor is made up of flames. When Wario is nearby, Fire Octopus will leap into the air, breaking any blocks in their way and aiming to land on Wario. They also cause the floor to shake every time they land.
Thorn-Ball sprites from Virtual Boy Wario Land Thorn-Ball An enemy resembling a bee, which propels spiked balls high into the air. They appear in both the stage's foreground and background.

Critical reception

Compared to the other Mario games on the Virtual Boy, Virtual Boy Wario Land was well received.

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Virtual Boy Dave Frear, Nintendo Life 9/10 "The fantastic visual design and great audio enhance this top-notch platformer. It’s a game you will keep coming back to, either to try and get a different ending or just because it’s so much fun to play through. It’s unfortunate that there are not more levels but Virtual Boy Wario Land is thoroughly deserving of it's reputation and highly recommended."
Virtual Boy Neal Ronaghan, Nintendo World Report 8/10 "All in all, Virtual Boy Wario Land is a satisfying adventure that is fun even in its brevity. If you ever come across a Virtual Boy, it is a must play, as it is far and away the best game on the system. However, Wario’s long-lost second adventure isn’t quite good enough to be worth the hassle and expense of acquiring a Virtual Boy. If this Wario adventure ambles his way to Virtual Console in the future, it’s a worthy purchase, but just know you’re not getting a transformative experience; you’re just getting a decent Wario platformer with some cool 3D effects."
Virtual Boy Nike Halifax, Nerd Bacon 8/10 "Overall, Wario Land is a great game, and I’m glad that it got to evolve as a franchise beyond the Virtual Boy. At the same time, it’s a shame that so few people have ever gotten to play it. It more than holds its own–it’s charming, it’s whacky, it’s addictive, it has the perfect balance of challenge and accessibility, and it’s a game that (if it were on a system where such a feat is actually possible) you can pick up and play any time. And you should play it. I’ve encountered many a Virtual Boy dissenter in my time, and all it takes is fifteen minutes of Wario Land to make even the most stubborn curmudgeon at least admit that it’s not so bad. “Not so bad” is a hell of a lot better than “awful.” Hey, I’ll take it."

Staff

Main article: List of Virtual Boy Wario Land staff

The staff team involved in the development of Virtual Boy Wario Land was smaller in comparison to other Wario Land games in the series. Hiroji Kiyotake co-directed the game, while Kazumi Totaka developed the music and sound effects. If the player waits at the end screen for 1 minute and 15 seconds after beating the game, Totaka's Song will play.

Gallery

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

Media

Audio.svg Virtual Boy Wario Land - Title screen
File infoMedia:VBWL-Title Screen Theme.oga
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Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese バーチャルボーイワリオランド アワゾンの秘宝
Bācharu Bōi Wario Rando Awazon no Hihō
Virtual Boy Wario Land: Secret Treasure of the Awazon

Trivia

  • This is the last Wario game produced by Gunpei Yokoi before he left Nintendo in 1996 and died in 1997.
  • A sticker of Small Wario under the more recent name of Tiny Wario appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which makes Virtual Boy Wario Land the only Wario Land game that is also mentioned by name outside of the Chronicle in Brawl.
  • This is the only Wario Land game not to be re-released on the Virtual Console in any form.

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