Wario Land 4

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This article is about the game. For the book of the same name, see Wario Land 4 (book).

Wario Land 4, known in Japan as Wario Land Advance: Yōki no Otakara (ワリオランドアドバンス ヨーキのお宝, meaning Wario Land Advance: The Treasure of the Golden Diva)[1], is a platform 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 the downloadable Virtual Console game for the Wii U on May 8, 2014. It is the fifth game overall in the Wario Land series, which is a spin-off of the Super Mario Land series. It is also the final Wario Land game to be released on a handheld system and the last Wario Land game 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 2-D 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

File:WL4-newspaper.PNG
The newspaper article shown in the game's intro, with the Black Cat's shadow.
Kuro Neko in the intro of Wario Land 4
The Black Cat almost getting run over in the game's intro.

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

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 proper 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.

File:WL4-WarioFalling.PNG
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 inside the Inner Pyramid, Wario comes face to face with the Golden Diva. The Black Cat then jumps in front of Wario and attacks the Golden Diva, to no effect. The Cat gets swallowed by the Diva, who proceeds to fight 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 turned cursed by the Golden Diva. With the Diva's defeat, the curse could be 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.

File:WL4-Shokora Ending.PNG
The black cat transforms into Princess Shokora in front of Wario.

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

Template:WL4 Golden Pyramid Map

File:WL4-boss door.PNG
Four Pyramid Jewels need to be collected in each main Passage.

Upon creating a new save file, the player can select a game mode to play as. There are Normal, Hard and S-Hard. The most difficult mode, S-Hard, is unlocked upon completing Hard mode. Gameplay 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 boss of the five Passages have been cleared, an inner pyramid, (the Golden Pyramid) is revealed on the main map. This includes one last level, (the Golden Passage) and the final boss; the Golden Diva.

Unlike previous installments in the series, Wario is given a Heart Meter, which contains a total of eight hearts. Wario can collect hearts throughout the stages. Collecting one replenishes one heart of the meter. Wario loses a heart by touching a threatening part of an enemy, spikes, etc. He can also fully replenish his meter by opening a Heart Box. Below the Heart Meter is the Heart Gauge. Most enemies drop a Little Heart when defeated. Each Little Heart collected fills the gauge by an eighth. Filling it gives Wario an extra heart, and the gauge is then emptied.

Each of the eighteen levels contains four Jewel Pieces, found within boxes, that need to be collected. When four Jewel Pieces are joined, they form a Pyramid 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.

When Wario enters a level, he enters 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. However, there are some areas that can only be accessed by hitting the switch. This is achieved through the Frog Blocks. The Frog Blocks can be found either solid or transparent. When the switch is hit, all transparent 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 maybe even the Keyzer to find in that new area. 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 game mode. If the time runs out, the player's score quickly decreases 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. In the Golden Passage (the last level of the game), the switch is placed at the beginning directly under the vortex, so Wario lands on it upon entering the last level. This can make the last level more difficult, as he must recover all four Jewel Pieces and the Keyzer within a time limit.

There are two Puzzle Rooms in each level (excluding the Entry Passage and Golden Passage). Each one is found in a Purple Pipe, and contains either a Diamond worth 1000pts., or an amount of coins that are worth roughly 1000 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 is not necessary to complete the game, but rather if the player wants to earn a few extra points. Likewise, the player never sees a Jewel Piece or a Keyzer is a Puzzle Room, but a Heart Box can be seen in some rooms.

The vortex and switch
Wario about to exit a level through a vortex.

There is also an additional bonus challenge to complete. 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, a full song with Japanese vocals. It can be unlocked by getting 10,000 or more points in each of the eighteen levels.

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 (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. 8000 to 9990 show a Silver crown, and a score of 6000 to 7990 shows a Bronze Crown. A score of below 6000 shows no crown.

There are a total of twelve Treasure Chests in Wario Land 4. Three of them are found in each of the four main boss rooms, embedded into the wall in the background. They cannot be touched by Wario at this point. 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 the boss, the Treasure Chests that are left over are collected and stored in the Golden Pyramid for the final boss against the Golden Diva. The amount of Treasure Chests collected does not affect the main game. However, the more Treasure Chests Wario obtains on the game's completion, the more beautiful Princess Shokora appears in the game's ending cutscene.

Mini-Game Shop

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

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 to defeat the boss of that Passage. The three Game Bots run the shop, each hosting a different mini-game. Each mini-game costs 5000 points to play (discounted to 2000 until Wario completes Entry Passage) Points can be earned during normal gameplay.

There are three three mini-games, and they are;

There are three different colored Game Bots, each hosting a different mini-game.

Image Name Description
File:WL4-Blue Game Bot.PNG Blue Game Bot The Blue Game Bot runs the mini-game Wario's Homerun Derby. When selected, it brings out a pair of baseball bats and skillfully begins to juggle two baseballs up in the air. The symbol on the Bot’s screen is the shape of a baseball pitch, similar to the one found in the mini-game.
File:WL4-Red Game Bot.PNG Red Game Bot The Red Game Bot is in charge of The Wario Hop. When the cursor selects this Bot, it immediately begins jumping up and down excitedly. Speakers appears on on its sides and white musical notes appear above the speakers. The symbol on the Bot’s screen is also a musical note. The music theme reflects the funky tunes and sound effects heard in The Wario Hop.
File:WL4-Yellow Game Bot.PNG Yellow Game Bot The Yellow Game Bot owns the mini-game Wario's Roulette. When selected, the Bot’s screen divides into three different colored sections. With the scrolling movement similar to a slot machine, the pictures changes while showing a different set of eyes, noses and mouths.

Item Shop

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

The Item Shop in Wario Land 4 is a place where Wario can spend his medals in exchange for items. These items assist him in defeating a boss by dealing pre-damage at the battle's start. The shopkeeper is a form of the Black Cat. This character is very similar to the later-occurring Mr. Game & Watch. However, a major difference between the two characters is the Item Shopkeeper has eyes in Wario Land 4.

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

Image Name Description
Apple Bomb Apple Bomb The Apple Bomb is an apple with colored stripes across the bottom half. It disguises a bomb that is concealed inside. When purchased, the Item Shopkeeper drags the apple to the boss room. She then raises the apple, which then breaks open to reveal a ticking bomb. She throws the bomb at the boss to inflict a small amount of damage.
File:WL4-Blast Cannon.PNG Blast Cannon The Blast Cannon is a grey cannon with multicolored stripes along the barrel. When purchased, it is wheeled to the boss room by the Item Shopkeeper. She then snaps her fingers, causing a bomb to be blasted as a projectile out of the cannon. It hits the boss to inflict a small amount of damage.
Vizorman Vizorman The Vizorman is a seemingly inanimate being that wears a vizor with a white suit with a cape. There is a letter "V" on its chest, with legs bearing multicolored stripes. The Item Shopkeeper drags the Vizorman to the boss room. She then starts charging a laser which is projected from the vizor and hits the boss, dealing a small amount of damage.
File:WL4-Bugle.PNG Bugle The Bugle is a golden bugle with multicolored stripes across the lower half of the tube. It is carried to the boss room by the Item Shopkeeper. She then starts playing a tune on the Bugle, releasing many music notes which fly around the room, eventually hitting the boss and inflicting an average amount of damage.
File:Black Dog.PNG Black Dog The Black Dog is a dog with a huge jaw and bright yellow eyes. It is one of the four items where the Item Shopkeeper transforms into the actual item. When purchased, she follows Wario to the boss room, where she transforms into the Black Dog. The dog bites the boss several times, inflicting a large amount of damage.
File:WL4-LargeLipsSprite.PNG Large Lips The Large Lips is a being with oversized lips, which replace the whole head. The Item Shopkeeper follows Wario to the boss room. She then transforms into the Large Lips, which violently kisses the boss and deal a large amount of damage.
File:WL4-BigFistSprite.PNG Big Fist The Big Fist is a large fist that wears a white glove. It resembles Master Hand and Crazy Hand from the Super Smash Bros. series. The Item Shopkeeper transforms into the Big Fist which throws a powerful punch at the boss and deals a large amount of damage.
File:WL4-BlackDragon.PNG Black Dragon The Black Dragon is a large dragon with a huge jaw and bright yellow eyes, with wings on its back that allows it to fly. When purchased, the Item Shopkeeper follows Wario to the boss room. There, she transforms into the fearsome Black Dragon, which breathes fire on the boss to deal a large amount of damage.
File:WL4-Smile.PNG Smile The Smile is the only item in the Item Shop that is free. However, it is a joke item. Selecting it only causes the Item Shopkeeper to smile and make a sound effect towards the player. This is a reference to the Japanese McDonald's menu which includes a "Smile" for free.[2]

The more effective the item has on damaging a boss, the more medals it is likely to cost. 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. All items and prices are as follows:

Item Price in medals
Normal Hard S-Hard
Apple Bomb 2 3 4
Blast Cannon 2 3 4
Vizorman 4 6 8
Bugle 6 9 12
Black Dog 10 15 20
Large Lips 10 15 20
Big Fist 10 15 20
Black Dragon 10 15 20
Smile N/A N/A N/A

Each item deals a fixed amount of damage to each boss. All damage totals are shown below. The last four items are not available for purchase against the first boss of the game, Spoiled Rotten.

Item Boss / Damage taken by Item
Spoiled Rotten Cractus Cuckoo Condor Aerodent Catbat Golden Diva
Apple Bomb 2 2 2 1 2 1
Blast Cannon 3 3 2 2 1 1
Vizorman 6 4 3 3 3 2
Bugle 8 5 4 4 4 3
Black Dog N/A 7 9 8 10 8
Large Lips N/A 9 8 14 7 5
Big Fist N/A 8 12 7 9 6
Black Dragon N/A 10 7 9 8 7

Sound Room

“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 manual

The Sound Room is a place found on the main map of the Golden Pyramid, where the player can listen to any CD that they have collected within the sixteen main passage levels. Each of the sixteen CDs have a unique track recorded on it. A bonus Karaoke can be unlocked by getting 10,000 or more points (a gold crown) in all 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.

Many of the CDs features remixed audio which was originally elsewhere in the game, such as the Switch sound effects in the So Sleepy CD.

Passage CD title and image

CD color found in the Emerald Passage, from Wario Land 4.

Emerald Passage

File:Sound Room-About That Shepherd.PNG File:Sound Room-Things That Never Change.PNG File:Sound Room-Tomorrow's Blood Pressure.PNG File:Sound Room-Beyond the Headrush.PNG
About That Shepherd Things That Never Change Tomorrow's Blood Pressure Beyond the Headrush

CD color found in the Ruby Passage, from Wario Land 4.

Ruby Passage

File:Sound Room-Driftwood and the Island Dog.PNG File:Sound Room-The Judge's Feet.PNG File:Sound Room-The Moon's Lamppost.PNG File:Sound Room-Soft Shell.PNG
Driftwood & the Island Dog The Judge's Feet The Moon's Lamppost Soft Shell

CD color found in the Topaz Passage, from Wario Land 4.

Topaz Passage

File:Sound Room-So Sleepy.PNG File:Sound Room-The Short Futon.PNG File:Sound Room-Avocado Song.PNG File:Sound Room-Mr. Fly.PNG
So Sleepy The Short Futon Avocado Song Mr. Fly

CD color found in the Sapphire Passage, from Wario Land 4.

Sapphire Passage

File:Sound Room-Yesterday's Words.PNG File:Sound Room-The Errand.PNG File:Sound Room-You and Your Shoes.PNG File:Sound Room-Mr. Ether & Planaria.PNG
Yesterday's Words The Errand You and Your Shoes Mr. Ether & Planaria

Game modes

File:WL4 Screenshot - Game Mode Selection.png
Selecting "Hard" mode upon creating a new save file. Note that "S-Hard" mode is not yet present as an option.

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

The chosen game mode affects the location of the Jewel Pieces, how many enemies are seen in the levels, and the health the player begins with upon entering the level. For example, on S-Hard mode Wario enters the level with only one health point. The game mode also affects the time given to get back to the vortex after the player hits the switch (refer to table in the section below). In a few levels on some difficulties, the switch even changes its location. Purchasing items from the Item Shop costs more medals on more difficult modes. The difficulty of Mini-Games are generally unchanged across difficulty levels. However, on S-Hard mode, Wario's Homerun Derby uses a cheerleader who throws very difficult pitches, compared to the lower level modes.

List of Time Limits

“This switch has an ignorant little frog face!! Once you step on it, hurry up and get back to the vortex!”
Wario, Wario Land 4 instruction manual

This table is a list of switch times given to complete levels in different game modes. It also includes the times to defeat the in-game bosses.

Level Time limits given in different game modes to complete the levels
Normal Hard S-Hard
Entry Passage
Hall of Hieroglyphs 1:00 0:15 2:30*
Spoiled Rotten (boss) 1:00 0:30 0:15
Emerald Passage
Palm Tree Paradise 1:30 0:45 4:30*
Wildflower Fields 2:30 1:20 0:50
Mystic Lake 3:00 2:00 1:30
Monsoon Jungle 4:00 2:45 2:00
Cractus (boss) 4:00 3:00 2:00
Ruby Passage
The Curious Factory 3:30 2:50 2:30
The Toxic Landfill 5:00 3:30 2:30
40 Below Fridge 4:00 3:30 2:00
Pinball Zone 6:00 5:15 3:30
Cuckoo Condor (boss) 4:00 3:00 2:00
Topaz Passage
Toy Block Tower 4:00 2:30 2:00
The Big Board 3:00 2:30 2:00
Doodle Woods 6:00 5:15 4:00
Domino Row 4:00 3:00 2:00
Aerodent (boss) 4:00 3:00 2:00
Sapphire Passage
Crescent Moon Village 3:30 2:45 2:00
Arabian Night 4:00 3:00 1:30
Fiery Cavern 5:00 4:00 2:45
Hotel Horror 4:00 3:15 2:00
Catbat (boss) 4:00 3:00 2:00
Golden Pyramid
Golden Passage 9:30 6:00 3:30
Golden Diva (boss) 6:00 5:00 4:00
*Switch position changes

Wario's Reactions

“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 manual

All of Wario's reactions 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. All of the reactions have been based on previous games in the series, but they are put to more use in Wario Land 4. Wario is invincible in all forms, but touching an enemy merely knocks it aside and not destroy it.

Below is a table describing all of the reactions (exception: normal Wario).

Image Name Description
Wario Wario Wario in his standard form. He can perform a ground-pound, ram enemies or blocks, crawl to get through thin 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, until Wario hits a ceiling, at then Wario turns back into his normal form.
Flaming Wario Flaming Wario Wario after catching fire from a Kaentsubo. 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 any Bonfire Blocks touched turns into ash. Falling into water returns Wario to his normal form.
Flat Wario Flat Wario Wario after being crushed by a Compressor. His body becomes flat light. If he leaves the ground or jumps, he falls back slowly, swaying side to side, just like a feather. He can get into small spaces. Wario can turn back into his normal form by entering a Decompressor.
Fat Wario Fat Wario Wario, only fatter. He can turn into this form by eating Apples thrown by a Ringosukī. Wario is invulnerable to enemy attacks, enemies are killed by only touching them. Due to Wario's increased weight he cannot jump high and he walks slow until Wario walks a certain distance.
Bubble Wario Bubble Wario Wario after touching an underwater bubble. He can float upwards until he reaches the surface. This effect is useless unless there is a water current. Wario can access areas that are otherwise inaccessible because the bubble is unaffected by these currents.
Snowman Wario Snowman Wario Wario after a mound of snow falls on him from a ceiling. Snow sticks to Wario around his belly area and he is greatly weighed down. Wario turns into a huge snowball and start rolling, breaking any Snowman Blocks that get in his way if he starts walking from a slope.
Frozen Wario Frozen Wario Wario after getting hit by a Yeti's sneeze. He becomes immobile and start sliding backwards. The ice breaks once Wario hits a wall or object.
Bouncy Wario Bouncy Wario Wario when a Menhanmā strikes him with his hammer. He curls up into a spring and transform into Bouncy Wario. The player is able to make Wario bounce to incredible heights by pressing A Button. If left alone, the bounce gains power. After jumping, Wario transforms back into his normal form by hitting solid ground.
Zombie Wario Zombie Wario Wario when a Skeleton Bird throws him goo. He moves slow, and jumping above a thin platform causes him to fall through the floor by pressing A Button, reaching otherwise inaccessible places. Like Wario Land 3, he is still able to jump, but he cannot jump higher. Wario can transform back by either touching water, or being exposed to bright light.
Bat Wario Vampire Bat Wario Wario after being hit by a Minicula. In this form, Wario takes on the appearance of a Bat, and is able to fly by repeatedly pressing A Button in order to reach high places. Unlike Wario Land 3, he cannot transform into an actual vampire. Returning to normal form can be achieved by touching water or being exposed to bright light, like with Zombie Wario.

Controls

“So these are my basic controls! You got a problem with that?”
Wario, Wario Land 4 instruction manual
Controls Purpose
Start Button Opens pause menu/confirm
A Button Jump/swim/confirm
B Button Ram (attack), throw (hold to build power)
+Control Pad Left/right to move. Up to look up
+Control Pad up + B Button Throw upwards
+Control Pad down Ground pound (break blocks below or defeat enemies, ends when player releases the d-pad), roll on 45 degree slope, S-ground pound (break stronger blocks, hold d-pad down for more than a 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 S-ram (ram with more power)

Wario's moves

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

Wario has several different moves in Wario Land 4. Mastering each one of them is essential for progressing in the game.

Image Name Description
File: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. He also runs a tad faster than normal.
File:WL4-S-ram.PNG Dash Attack Just like the regular Attack, but with more power. Wario must run for a short distance to build up momentum. Once he does, he runs at terrific speed and is able to break stronger, more solid blocks.
File:WL4-GroundPound.PNG Smash Attack A stronger version of the classic move that is mainly used in the Mario franchise can be used in Wario Land 4. Wario can use it to break blocks below, or defeat enemies.
File:WL4-S-GroundPound.PNG Smash Attack (powered) Similar to the normal Smash Attack but with more strength. Triggered by continuously ground pounding for a certain amount of time without hitting the ground. Wario can break the more solid blue blocks by performing this move. The move won't cancel until he hits the ground.
File:WL4-Roll.PNG Roll On a 45º 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 fall into water.
File:WL4-Swim.PNG Swim Wario is able to swim when he is in a body of water. He can move forward, as well as upward and downward. However, he is unable to swim against water currents.
File: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.
File:WL4-Throw.PNG Throw If Wario picks up an enemy, rock or Pinball, he is able throw it upwards or sidewards. He can also break blocks from a long distance away.

Passages and levels

“My game unfolds inside a pyramid made up of six passages!”
Wario, Wario Land 4 instruction manual
Passage Level Description
Artwork of the Entry Passage symbol
Entry Passage
File:WL4-Icon01.png
Hall of Hieroglyphs
The very first level in the game. It consists of a very simple layout, with hieroglyphs of the Item Shopkeeper on the walls that teach Wario his basic moves. Weak enemies such as Marumen and Spear-Masks appear in this level. In the Normal and Hard game modes, the switch is right at the end of the level (thus making it far easier to reach the vortex in time). However, in S-Hard mode, the Switch is found near the beginning.
File:WL4-Icon02.png
Spoiled Rotten
The boss of the Entry Passage is a purple, eggplant-like creature called Spoiled Rotten. It seems to be quite young, as it carries a blanket and toy doll. Accompanying it are two Eggplant Warriors that act as body guards. They behave exactly like Totsumen and they can be defeated in the same way. Spoiled Rotten is at first defenseless on its own. But after Wario rams it a few times, it will reach a point where its health is quite low. Spoiled Rotten will then throw a tantrum, bearing teeth that harm Wario on contact. He will then need to attack from behind. Defeating Spoiled Rotten will grant access to the four main Passages.
Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbol
Emerald Passage
File:WL4-Icon03.png
Palm Tree Paradise
The first level of the Emerald Passage is very straightforward and of extremely low difficulty. It takes place on a tropical setting with lots of palm trees. Marumen and Spear-Masks in low numbers patrol the grounds of this level. The level's path has no alternate routes for the player to take. The switch is at the end, and the player must go back the way they came to reach the vortex. The level's theme is a shortened version of the Karaoke soundtrack.
File:WL4-Icon04.png
Wildflower Fields
The level Wildflower Fields takes place in a sunny field blossoming with wild flora. Throughout the stage, there are many Money Flowers that are pollinated by Beezleys, which will swell and release coins. The Beezleys can also sting Wario and transform him into Puffy Wario, which will enable him to reach greater heights in the level. A lot of the level's structure is made up of giant sunflowers, which are hollow so Wario is able to pass through them.
File:WL4-Icon05.png
Mystic Lake
The Mystic Lake is a location of great beauty, with lush grasses and cool lakes. A large part of the level is underwater, where Wario must swim most of the way. The waters are abundant in Goggley-Blades and Utsuboankō, which are enemies that harm Wario. In the mid-way point of the level, a Togenobi guards the Keyzer, which is essential for progressing to the next level. After hitting the switch, the upper part of the level is unlocked, which mainly consists of blocks and falling boulders.
File:WL4-Icon06.png
Monsoon Jungle
The Monsoon Jungle takes place in a swampy setting with lots of water. The water is vastly infested with Tobawani, which will snap at Wario if he swims nearby. Swinging Platforms are in abundance above the water, which are used to allow Wario to safely cross without harm from the Tobawani. However, the swing is often difficult to time and the player may often find themselves falling in the water. After hitting the switch, Wario will gain access to the underground area of the level, where he will make his final progress before exiting.
File:WL4-Icon07.png
Cractus
The boss of the Emerald Passage is Cractus, a possessed venus flytrap with a huge head that can skewer Wario with its claws and drool a poisonous liquid on him, turning Wario into Zombie Wario. Wario can deal damage by ground pounding its head. After taking a certain amount of damage, Cractus will stand upright which will make it harder for Wario to inflict damage on the creature. He will then have to climb a vine above the plant. Defeating Cractus restores the Crown to the Golden Pyramid.
Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbol
Ruby Passage
File:WL4-Icon08.png
The Curious Factory
The Curious Factory is a level full of machinery; such as conveyor belts, Compressors and Decompressors (which will transform Wario into Flat Wario and back again). Flat Wario can be used to enter tiny places. Togerobos make their unique appearance in this level, being a strange creature that has a spiked ball for a head. Kaentsubos also make their first appearance here. Hitting the switch will open up the underground area of this level, which is much more challenging than the overworld because of the abundance of rotating platforms that Wario will have to cross.
File:WL4-Icon09.png
The Toxic Landfill
The Toxic Landfill is a filthy, polluted level that is mainly made up of toxic water and garbage that take the shape of blocks, which Wario must ram to destroy and make a path. Bow Balloons and Ringosukī are the main enemies that appear in this level. The arrows of the Bow Balloon will transform Wario into Puffy Wario, and the Apples of the Ringosukī will transform him into Fat Wario. Both reactions are crucial for progressing in the level. After hitting the switch, Wario must make his way through the underground part of the level to reach the vortex.
File:WL4-Icon10.png
40 Below Fridge
The level 40 Below Fridge, as the name suggests, takes place in a very cold fridge. The level is mainly made up of ice. The snow creature Yeti are in abundance in this level. They have the ability to transform Wario into Frozen Wario by sneezing on him. Falling Snow from the ceiling transforms him into Snowman Wario if they land on him. In this form, if Wario walks on a 45° platform, he will start rolling into a snowball and he will be able to break Snowman Blocks.
File:WL4-Icon11.png
Pinball Zone
Pinball Zone is a funky, colorful and noisy level with many things going on at once. It takes place inside a pinball machine, where the main focus is throwing Pinballs into slots to break the Pinball Block, which will allow access to the next room. This is the only level to feature the Spike Cannons, which is an undefeatable enemy that shoots spikes at Wario. The level's background displays a new theme in every room. The themes vary from forests, robots, dragons, etc.
File:WL4-Icon12.png
Cuckoo Condor
The boss of the Ruby Passage is Cuckoo Condor, which is what appears to be a giant cuckoo clock. It can grab Wario and shoot gears and electricity at him. After taking a fair amount of damage, the cuckoo clock will fall apart, revealing a giant bird (presumably a condor) within. In this form, Cuckoo Condor can lay eggs that hatch into self-destructing chicks to damage Wario. Wario can counter this attack by catching and throwing the eggs at the Condor's head. Defeating Cuckoo Condor restores the Earrings to the Golden Pyramid.
Artwork of the Topaz Passage symbol
Topaz Passage
File:WL4-Icon13.png
Toy Block Tower
The first level of the Topaz Passage takes place in a toy castle, with lots of toy blocks found throughout the level. Several unique items appear in this level. There is the Triangle Toy Block (which Wario must throw into the slot on a Toy Block Door to open the door), and the Rolling Toy Block; which Wario can ram to move along the ground and use as an object to stand on. The Pig Head Statue is also unique to this level. It is a pig head that is fixed to a wall in the background. It spits out fire which flares up on the ground below, transforming Wario into Flaming Wario if he come into contact with it.
File:WL4-Icon14.png
The Big Board
The Big Board is the only level to feature the chance wheel, which is an object with a rotating number counter that Wario can stop by hitting the blue button below the block. When it stops on a certain number, it will have numerous effects such as producing Giant Diamonds, Dice and transforming Wario into many of his reactions. The very last chance wheel is blue instead of green. It will not disappear after the first hit, but will allow Wario to keep hitting it. This will eventually release the Keyzer. The level has a general relaxed feel to it. It contains many Toy Cars, being the main enemy found here.
File:WL4-Icon15.png
Doodle Woods
The Doodle Woods is a level with a very up-beat feel to it. It is the only level to feature Hoggus, an untouchable enemy that loves to draw. It has a sketchbook, where it will produce drawings of Butatabis and Dendens which come to life and try to harm Wario. There are also many prominent features of the level related to drawing such as pencils and erasers that act as platforms. Later in the level after the switch has been hit, Wario will come across an area that he must keep climbing upwards. There are several pictures of Deburīnas on the walls that may have been drawn by Hoggus. The pictures will come to life once Wario comes near them.
File:WL4-Icon16.png
Domino Row
Domino Row is the only level in the game to feature the use of Dominoes, which are found in increasingly long rows throughout the level. If Wario is to brush past a beginning of a row, they will begin to fall, bringing the ones in front down with it. At the end of the row is a switch. If the dominoes are to reach the switch first, a blue flag with a D will be raised. However, if Wario is to beat the dominoes to the switch and he hits it first, then a yellow and purple flag will be raised with a W on it. In result, this will open up a path that would be more convenient for Wario to take, such as shortcuts or paths with more coins.
File:WL4-Icon17.png
Aerodent
The boss of the Topaz Passage is Aerodent, a rat that hides in a giant inflatable teddy bear. It throws down Tack Soldiers, which Wario can throw to deflate the teddy bear. This will cause it to flip upside down and expose the rodent, its weak spot. Wario can then ram the rodent to inflict damage. When Aerodent has taken a considerable amount of damage, the Teddy will drop flames which do not harm Wario, but instead transforms him into Flaming Wario. He will catch fire and run around the screen for a while, wasting valuable time. Defeating Aerodent restores the Necklace to the Golden Pyramid.
Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
Sapphire Passage
File:WL4-Icon18.png
Crescent Moon Village
Crescent Moon Village takes place in a haunted, moonlit village. The first level of the Sapphire Passage introduces the many ghostly enemies that are native to the horror-themed levels, such as the Skeleton Bird and Men'ono. Most of the level takes a straight path, with many blocks and posts as obstacles. A notable enemy appearance in such areas is Yūrei, who, similar to Hoggus, appears in the level's background and cannot be touched. Unlike Hoggus, Yūrei does not harm Wario. Instead, he watches from afar as Wario makes his progress. Whenever Wario defeats an enemy or breaks a block, coins will be produced, which will scatter across the ground. Yūrei's obsession is money, and he will dive and gather up as much money as he can if they are left unattended. Also, once Wario obtains the Keyzer, Yūrei will try and steal it. If he succeeds, Wario will have to chase him to retrieve it, thus wasting valuable time.
File:WL4-Icon19.png
Arabian Night
Arabian Night is set in an abandoned Arabian village, with Indian-style buildings and unique Magic Carpets. Most of the level requires Wario to ride one of these Magic Carpets by jumping, causing the carpet to rise below his feet. Mayu Birds are in abundance in the sky's, where they will harm Wario if he is to make contact with their fangs. The level consists of two parts, the indoor and outdoor areas which link to each other via building entrances. While the inside areas are situated in the buildings that Wario can enter, the outside is quite literally everywhere else. Wario can also turn into his zombie form and his bat form in this level.
File:WL4-Icon20.png
Fiery Cavern
Fiery Cavern takes place is an underground cavern with many pools of lava. Wario is able to swim in this lava in the same way as he swims in water, but he will take a great deal of damage. An enemy that is unique to this level is Iwao, a primate that hurls giant boulders that damage Wario if he happens to be in its path. Wario can only defeat these creature by performing a ground pound to the head. Wario will come across these creatures in great numbers throughout the first half of the level. In the second half when Wario hits the unavoidable switch, everything in the level will freeze over, including the lava and even the Iwao. In result, Wario is now able to safely travel over the cooled lava (which is now solid ice). The Iwao, when frozen over, quickly thaws and evolves into Yeti. These creatures have a white coat and always appear to be sneezing, casting icicles that will transform Wario into Frozen Wario.
File:WL4-Icon21.png
Hotel Horror
This level takes place in an old, run down hotel that has multiple floors and many rooms (some are initially locked). Wario enters the level on the first floor, at room 101. Every room in the hotel is accessible, but not always straight through the front door. All rooms link to each other some way or other. Most rooms consists of two floors, so there are two entrances. To the far left of the hotel is a giant bird cage, where a Skeleton Bird hangs around the area. Wario can access each floor's left side by climbing the steps in the bird cage, but the Skeleton Bird should generally be avoided as it releases a green goo that transforms Wario into Zombie Wario, sending him falling through the floor. Enemies that populate the level's corridors are ghostly creatures such as Men'ono and Minicula. When the switch is hit, all doors with a frog sign on the front will be unlocked.The very last level is very different in terms of gameplay. For starters, the switch appears at the beginning of the level directly above the vortex, regardless of the game mode. This forces Wario to complete the whole level within a time limit. The whole underground area of this level consists of a river with a strong current that pulls Wario back towards the beginning of the level. In some of the overworld areas, there are places that Wario can fall, thus causing him to travel back to a certain location due to the water's current. The enemies that appear here all first seen in the Sapphire Passage. If the player is to use an Action Replay or some other similar hacking device, they can avoid hitting the switch and a hidden theme will play as the level's true theme, instead of the normal switch music.
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Catbat
The boss of the Sapphire Passage is Catbat. It is essentially a large, ghostly-like cat with a statue of a bat on his head, which is his weak spot. Catbat has ears that act as bat wings, and likewise it is able to fly during the battle. There is a pool of water below the unstable flooring where a Mechanical Fish patrols by swimming back and forth. The drill on the creature's head will harm Wario if he is to make contact. Catbat creates waves which must be jumped over. Wario can also balance on top of these moving waves to jump and ram the bat's weak spot. Once he does so, Catbat will take damage. In retaliation, it will spit out orange and purple spikes, which either damage Wario or turn him into Puffy Wario, respectively. The latter's purpose is to waste time. Defeating Catbat restores the Bracelets to the Golden Pyramid.
Artwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Golden Pyramid
File:WL4-Icon23.png
Golden Passage
The very last level is very different in terms of gameplay. For starters, the switch appears at the beginning of the level directly above the vortex, regardless of the game mode. This forces Wario to complete the whole level within a time limit. The whole underground area of this level consists of a river with a strong current that pulls Wario back towards the beginning of the level. In some of the overworld areas, there are places that Wario can fall, thus causing him to travel back to a certain location due to the water's current. The enemies that appear here all first seen in the Sapphire Passage.
File:WL4-Icon24.png
Golden Diva
The game's final boss. She wears all four pieces of the Legendary Treasure collected from previous bosses. At the beginning of the battle, the Black Cat is brave enough to confront the Diva. The Golden Diva swallows the feline whole and Wario is left to battle by himsellf. The Golden Diva has several different attacks, much more than previous bosses. She begins by hiding her face behind her fan. Wario will have to throw ghostly heads at her. Then she will cast several different enemies, one at a time, in an attempt to harm Wario. They are the Green Enemy (which Wario can throw), the Big Ball (he must ram), the Black Duck (also throw), and the Tonkachi‎, which he must throw up in the air so it lands back on top of him, transforming him into Bouncy Wario. He must then throw himself upward to strike the Diva, and thus damaging her. A few sequences of these enemies will bring the Golden Diva to a low point in her HP. She then unleashes her final phase, where her head grows to a fearsome size and she starts destroying the ground. Wario must ram the side of her head to bring her to the last few points of HP. On the very last point, simply none but her Lips will remain. A simple attack to these Lips will free the swallowed Black Cat. The ending cutscene follows.

Allies

Within the Golden Pyramid, there are a few characters who are willing to help Wario. They all have different purposes and their personalities and traits may differ, but they all have the same goal; to rid the Pyramid of the money crazed Golden Diva and to restore it to its former glory.

Image Name Description
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. In the dead of night, he hops into his Wario Car and drives off across the desert and through a jungle to reach the Pyramid. He soon falls down a precipice and gets trapped inside.
File:WL4-Cat.PNG Black Cat While Wario is speeding through the city in his Car, he almost runs over a Black Cat. A copy of the newspaper that Wario read about the Pyramid flies into her face. The Cat takes a curious interest in the article, and she decides to take a trip to the Pyramid herself. The cat seems to already know her way around the Pyramid, because she leads Wario to the main room.
File:WL4-Keyzer2.PNG Keyzer Keyzers unlock the door to the next level in a Passage and disappears as soon as they do so. Eighteen Keyzers are found in the game, one for every level. Yūrei tries to steal Keyzer off Wario in the level Crescent Moon Village.
Arewo Shitain-hakase Arewo Shitain-hakase Arewo Shitain-hakase is the detective that was exploring the Pyramid before Wario came and raided it. He also appears in the newspaper in the opening cutscene. While always minding his own business, Wario is polite enough to usually use him as an object to throw in a Puzzle Room.
File:WL4-MGW.PNG Item Shopkeeper The shopkeeper of the Item Shop is found in the corridor before the boss. She sells 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 Item Shopkeeper is actually a form of the Black Cat, as she transforms in the final battle against the Golden Diva.
File:WL4-Shokora Angels.PNG Princess Shokora After the Golden Diva is defeated, Wario and the Black Cat escape the Pyramid before it crumbles on top of them. Outside, Wario and the cat laugh. However, the treasures that Wario stole from the Diva are suddenly absorbed by the Black Cat, and she undergoes a transformation and turns into Princess Shokora, the rightful ruler of the Pyramid. She kisses Wario to show her thanks, and gets lifted into heaven by four angels.

Bosses

Each of the six bosses guards 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 called Spoiled Rotten. It seems quite young, as it carries a blanket and doll. Accompanying it are two Eggplant Warriors that act as body guards. They behave exactly like Totsumen and they can be defeated the same way. Spoiled Rotten is, at first, defenseless on its own. But after Wario damages it a few times, it reaches a point where its health is quite low. Spoiled Rotten then throws a temper-tantrum, bearing teeth that harm Wario on contact. Wario hurts it by attacking it from behind. 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 Cractus, a possessed venus flytrap with a huge head and claws that can skewer Wario and drool a poisonous liquid, turning him into Zombie Wario. After taking a certain amount of damage, Cractus stands upright, making it more difficult for Wario to inflict damage on the creature. He then has to climb a vine above the plant. Defeating Cractus restores the Crown to the Golden Pyramid.
File:Cuckoocondor.gif Cuckoo Condor The Earrings The boss of the Ruby Passage is Cuckoo Condor. It is what appears to be a giant cuckoo clock. He can grab Wario and shoot cogs and electricity at him. After taking a fair amount of damage, the cuckoo clock's structure falls apart, revealing a giant bird (presumably a condor), underneath. In this form, Cuckoo Condor can lay eggs that hatch into self-destructing chicks which Wario can counter by throwing the eggs back at the Condor's head. Defeating Cuckoo Condor restores the Earrings to the Golden Pyramid.
Aerodent hiding on his giant teddy bear in Wario Land 4 Aerodent The Necklace The boss of the Topaz Passage is Aerodent, a rat that hides in a giant inflatable teddy bear. It throws down Tack Soldiers, which Wario can throw to counter-attack and deflate the teddy bear. This cause sit to flip upside down and expose the rodent, its weak spot. Once Aerodent has taken a considerable amount to damage, the Teddy drops flames. These flames not harm Wario, but instead turns him into Flaming Wario. He catches fire and run around the screen for a while, wasting valuable time. Defeating Aerodent restores the Necklace to the Golden Pyramid.
Wario Land 4: The boss Catbat Catbat The Bracelets The boss of the Sapphire Passage is Catbat. It is essentially a large, ghostly-like cat with a statue of a bat on his head, which is his weak spot. Catbat has ears that act as bat wings, and likewise he is able to fly during the battle. There is a pool of water below the unstable flooring where a Mechanical Fish patrols by swimming back and forth. The drill on the creature's head harms Wario if he is to make contact. Catbat creates waves which must be jumped over. In retaliation to any damage, Catbat spits out orange and purple spikes, which either damage Wario or turn him into Puffy Wario, respectively. The latter's purpose is to waste time. Defeating Catbat restores the Bracelets to the Golden 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. At the beginning of the battle, the Black Cat is brave enough to confront the Diva, but she swallows the feline whole and Wario is left to battle by herself. The Golden Diva casts several different enemies into the battle, at one after the other but later on, several at once. Wario can counter attack these enemies to inflict damage on the Golden Diva. They are the Green Enemy, the Big Ball, the Black Duck and the Tonkachi. A few sequences of these enemies brings the Golden Diva to a low point in her HP. She then unleashes her final phase, where her head grows to a fearsome size and she starts destroying the ground. On the last point of health, nothing but her Lips remain. A simple attack to these Lips frees the swallowed Black Cat. The ending cutscene follows.

Enemies and other characters

“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 manual

During his adventure, Wario encounters more than three dozen kinds of enemies. While some can be found in more than one passage, many enemies are only unique to a certain passage. The enemy's characteristics usually go by the passage theme. Each enemy also drops an assigned value of Coins.

  • An asterisk (*) next to the enemy name signifies that they transform Wario in some way.
  • N/A under "Coins dropped" signifies that the enemy cannot be defeated.

Common enemies

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

Image Name Coins dropped Description Passages
File:Bouncers.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 weak walking enemy which can be found in most Passages. They are unable to hurt Wario in any way. Marumen change from purple to red whenever Wario ground pounds near one. Artwork of the Entry Passage symbolArtwork of the Emerald Passage symbolArtwork of the Ruby 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 pounds the ground nearby. The yellow Spear-Masks are slow moving, the blue Spear-Masks spin spin the spear it holds before it starts to walk or when it changes direction, and the red Spear-Mask charge at Wario whenever they catch sight of him. Artwork of the Entry Passage symbolArtwork of the Emerald Passage symbolArtwork 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
An aggressive creature wearing a mask with a knife attached to it. It 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. They can then be safely ground pounded. Totsumen behave in a similar way to Eggplant Warriors. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbolArtwork of the Ruby Passage symbolArtwork of the Topaz Passage symbolArtwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
Spiky Harimen 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 ground pound causes it to flip over, exposing its vulnerable underside. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbolArtwork of the Topaz Passage symbolArtwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
Harimen Zetto Harimenzetto 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 Harimen with a black shell. An S-ground pound is required to flip it over. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbolArtwork of the Ruby Passage symbolArtwork of the Topaz Passage symbolArtwork 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
The most common aquatic enemy found in the game. It charges at Wario when it catches sight of him. Goggley-Blade's belly is its weak spot. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbolArtwork of the Topaz Passage symbolArtwork of the Sapphire Passage symbolArtwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Spiked Head WL4.png Spiked Head None An immobile spiked creature that is seen more often in difficult game modes. They may be defeated if Wario throws another enemy at them. Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbolArtwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
File:Shieragutchi WL4.png 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 symbolArtwork of the Ruby Passage symbolArtwork of the Topaz Passage symbol
Ringosukī from Wario Land 4. Ringosukī* None A monkey that throws Apples which transforms Wario into Fat Wario upon contact. If defeated, they don't produce any Coins. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbolArtwork of the Ruby Passage symbolArtwork of the Topaz Passage symbolArtwork 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 to a ridiculous size and transform him into Puffy Wario. They also pollinate Money Flowers. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbolArtwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
File:Archer.PNG Bow Balloon* None An archer that shoots arrows at Wario, which have the same effect as a Beezley's sting. They don't produce any coins when defeated. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbolArtwork of the Ruby Passage symbol
Menhanmā from Wario Land 4. Menhanmā* None A hammer-wielding creature that tries to flatten Wario. Being hit does not harm Wario, but turns him into Bouncy Wario. Artwork of the Emerald Passage symbolArtwork of the Ruby Passage symbolArtwork of the Topaz Passage symbolArtwork of the Sapphire Passage symbolArtwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Yeti Yeti* Sprite of a Bronze Coin worth 50 points, from Wario Land 4.
50 points
A yeti that tries to freeze Wario with its icy sneeze, turning him into Frozen Wario. Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbolArtwork of the Sapphire Passage symbolArtwork of the Golden Diva symbol
Kaentsubo from Wario Land 4. Kaentsubo* None A walking flame jar which tips over when Wario approaches, spreading flames which transforms him into Flaming Wario on contact. Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbolArtwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol
File:WL4-PigHead.PNG Pig Head Statue* N/A A Pig Head Statue which appears in the level Toy Block Tower, as well as some Puzzle Rooms. It drops flames out of its mouth, which transforms Wario into Flaming Wario, allowing him to break Bonfire Blocks. Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbolArtwork of the Topaz Passage symbol
Skeleton Bird WL4.png Skeleton Bird* None A skeletal, ghost-like bird that drops green goo that turn Wario into Zombie Wario. He can then harm the Skeleton Bird by touching it in his zombie form. Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbolArtwork of the Golden Diva symbol
File:Vampire Bat.PNG Minicula* N/A An invincible bat flying in circles that transforms Wario into Vampire Bat Wario upon contact. Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbolArtwork 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 armed with an axe. It charges at Wario when it sees him and swings its weapon with the intention to harm him. It can be defeated by a ground pound or a ram from behind. Artwork of the Sapphire Passage symbolArtwork of the Golden Diva symbol
File:WL4-PearlBird.PNG Pearl Bird N/A A bird-like ally that is found in some Puzzle Rooms. It spits out glass orbs on regular intervals, and they smash when they hit the ground. Wario can catch and throw it at colored ! Switches to clear a path to a Giant Diamond. Artwork of the Ruby Passage symbolArtwork of the Sapphire Passage symbol

Entry Passage enemies

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 tend to act in the same way as Totsumen.

Emerald Passage enemies

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, eating the many large leaves in the level.
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 dig through the ground.
Utsuboankō Utsuboankō N/A A giant sea monster that hides in a hole in the background. When Wario comes near, they emerge in surprise, damaging Wario if they make contact. They cannot be defeated.
Togenobi (without tentacles) Togenobi N/A A large octopus with four rotating tentacles that hold maces. Wario is not able to defeat them.
Scuba Gator.png Tobawani Sprite of a Small Coin worth 10 points, from Wario Land 4.
10 points
A crocodile enemy that swims near the water's surface. It jumps up and tries to bite Wario once he is above it. They only appear in the level Monsoon Jungle.
File:WL4-Firefly Sprite.PNG Hotaru* N/A An enemy that accompanies the boss Cractus. If Wario touches the toxic drool of Cractus, he transforms into Zombie Wario, which is detrimental. Afterwards, Hotaru appears on the screen, and touching him reverses the effects.

Ruby Passage enemies

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 heavy robot with spikes on its back. It has a spiked head that it drops when they catch sight of Wario. The head rolls along the ground, damaging Wario if it hits him. Togerobo grows back a new head if the other one is gone. A ram from behind defeats it.
PET Bottom WL4.png PET Bottom 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 spear on its front, which retracts if it is disturbed. It can be defeated by a ground pound or a ram from behind.
File:Drill Bat.PNG Robo Bird None A robotic bird that attacks by flying in a straight line as soon as soon as it spots Wario. It inflicts damage if it makes contact with Wario. It only appears in the Hard and S-Hard game modes. It can be defeated by a standard ground pound or ram.
File:WL4-Spike Cannon.gif 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 out of the top of their heads at regular intervals, harming Wario if they make contact. The top of its head acts as a platform, where Wario can stand. However, he can only do this while no spikes are being released, otherwise they harm him. The Spike Cannon cannot be defeated.
File:WL4-Yellow Duck.PNG Hiyoko None An enemy that is produced by the condor form of the boss Cuckoo Condor. The boss lays eggs which hatch Hiyoko as soon as they hit the ground. They start to flash bright orange and blow up, harming Wario if he is nearby. Wario can catch the eggs before they break and throw them as a projectile.

Topaz Passage enemies

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.
File:Spear Bot.PNG Dice None A walking dice wielding a spear. They emerge from a chance wheel when the appropriate space on the ribbon is struck.
File:Doodle.PNG Hoggus N/A A floating pig-like artist that doesn't harm Wario. He draws Dendens and Butatabis, which come to life shortly after he draws them.
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).
File:Butatabi WL4.png Butatabi None A pig with a spike on its head created by Hoggus. 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. It has a hula hoop around its body that rotates while Deburīna dances. The edge of the hoop harms Wario.
File:Tack Soldier1.PNG Pin Enemy* None A hopping creature with a spike on the bottom assisting the boss Aerodent. They have to be thrown by Wario at the bear balloon to defeat the boss.

Sapphire Passage enemies

Image Name Coins dropped Description
Wario Land 4: ghost Yūrei N/A A pirate-like ghost that doesn't harm Wario, but follows him and tries to pick every coin before Wario can do so. He also tries to steal the Keyzer off Wario. He cannot be touched by Wario and likewise, he cannot be defeated.
Mayu Bird WL4.png Mayu Bird 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 a ground pound or a ram. If they are tapped on the side, they mysteriously fly away.
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.
Bowler Iwao Sprite of a Silver Coin worth 100 points, from Wario Land 4.
100 points
A burly creature that throws rolling rocks at Wario. They turn into Yetis when the switch is hit in the level Fiery Cavern. It can only be defeated with a ground pound on the head.
Mechanical fish Mechanical Fish None A mechanical fish with a drill patrolling the pool of the boss Catbat. An S-ground pound is the only way to defeat it.
File:WL4-Cough Virus.PNG Toge* None An enemy that accompanies the boss Catbat. Whenever Catbat takes damage, he coughs out small spiked balls as projectiles which float in the air. If Wario touches with the purple ones, he transforms into Puffy Wario. The red Toge appear later in the battle. They harm Wario instead of transforming him.

Golden Pyramid enemies

The last part of the game doesn't 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'ono and Miniculas.

Image Name Coins dropped Description
File:WL4-SpikeRock.PNG Green Enemy N/A 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 throws Tonkachi upwards at it, it loses the spikes and Wario can throw it at the Diva to inflict damage.
File:WL4-BearBomb.PNG Big Ball None The Big Ball is dropped by the Golden Diva. It is a blue ball with a bear that looks like Aerodent on it. Wario can ram it to send it flying, bouncing off the walls and possibly hitting the Diva, causing her damage. The ball explodes by itself if left alone.
File:WL4-DuckEgg.PNG Black Duck None The Golden Diva can throw black eggs at Wario, which crack open on impact on the ground to reveal a time-bombed duck. They walk back and forth across the stage, flashing faster and faster, until they explode. Wario can catch the eggs before they hit the ground, and then throw it at the Golden Diva to inflict damage.
File:WL4-SpikeHammer.PNG Tonkachi* 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.
File:WL4-Lips.PNG Diva's Lips None When the Golden Diva has been defeated, her Lips remains wiggling helpless across the stage. Wario must merely ground pound or ram to destroy them. Once done so, the Black Cat is freed (since the Diva swallowed her), and the game ends.

Reception

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 Mario game to date".[3] 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.[4] 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".

Media

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Wario Land 4 media.

Audio

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Video

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References in other games

  • Wario makes a guest appearance in Densetsu no Stafy 3, where Wario helps Starfy throughout the Undersea Ruins by using some of his reactions from Wario Land 4. Wario and Starfy arrive at a vortex, where they must enter to locate the switch and four Jewel Pieces in order to unlock the boss's door. Wario can transform into Bubble Wario, Flaming Wario and Puffy Wario respectively.
  • Metroid Fusion's unused game data shows various assets from Wario Land 4, including large blocks and crystals, which suggests that the game was based on the same engine as Wario Land 4.[5]
  • Wario's voice clips in Wario Land 4 were later reused for the WarioWare games. Additionally, the music and other sound effects in this game were also reused in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!.
  • The Wii game WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase features a Microgame titled "Wario Land", which features sprites and concepts taken from Wario Land 4. In the microgame, Wario must use dash to break through a block and defeat a yellow Spear-Mask. The attack must be timed to successfully strike the Spear-Mask while its spear is facing away from Wario.

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!

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

Gallery

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

Pre-release and unused content

Main article: List of Wario Land 4 pre-release and unused content
WL4-keyanim.gif

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. A lot of the enemies were also shown to have a different color scheme. A notable difference from the final game is how Wario originally had a Garlic meter, 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

File:WL4-Credits.PNG
The credits screen in Wario Land 4 shows 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

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

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 manual, 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?" – Wario informs the reader of his skills.
  • "Rumour has it that no one who’s entered the Golden Passage have ever come out alive! Scary!"– Wario warning the player of the dangers found in the Golden Passage.
  • "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!" – Wario, worried that the player will lead Wario into some danger.
  • "Haven’t you kids ever done something that made you look stupid? Oh, is that right? Well, FINE then! But 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!! But I’m a tough guy, so I keep coming back for more! You wimps could learn something from me!" – Wario gives examples of his tough times.

Trivia

  • 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.[7][8]

Names in other languages

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

References

External links

Template:WarioGames