Wario has been one of my many gaming staples over the years. From the Viking hat in his first outing to his "I win! I win!" in Mario Tennis, I've always held a special place in my heart for the villainous one. Sure, he's supposedly Mario enemy (and therefore Luigi's as well), but it always felt like one of those UCLA vs USC rivalries—very different from Mario and Bowser's relationship. But I digress... Wario has once again proven his superiority with the first original Nintendo platformer for the Game Boy Advance! And honestly, it's so good you'll wonder Nintendo is even bothering with the Mario remakes (besides a quick buck).

Wario Land 4 is wacky... and I don't mean that in a light way. You don't believe me? Try this: the manual is almost completely written "by Wario," which makes for some very refreshing reading material full of boasts and a few insults, though the content can get understandably gross.... It also includes a maze in the shape of Wario's head, just in case you're board of reading! But don't worry, the craziness is reflective of the game itself. Some things won't be too strange for Wario Land 2/3 veterans, such as the deformations and wacky moves, but all gamers will be taken back with at least one aspect: this game is decidedly more Japanese! In fact, one of the first levels features Japanese vocals! In addition, bosses' expressions will become increasingly more ludicrous as Wario continues to demonstrate his super-human strength, followed by an Anime-style victory pose or two. But the weirdest and possibly most intriguing extra is the Sound Room. Each main level has a hidden CD to be uncovered, playable in the Sound Room. But unlike what most would suspect, it does not feature the regular game music! Instead, most of the "songs" consist of strange MIDI effects and short samples using the Stereo audio to its fullest extent in interesting patterns. Very few could be considered real songs. These strange, creative CDs come with "animated GIF" slide shows with items that make no sense--just like what you might find in a Japanese web banner. The most amusing "sequence" (2 frames going back and forth) is a Japanese guy (probably one of the game designers) with Wario clothing and facial ornaments placed via a computer (I think)! Just about each CD comes with its very own "Wario animation." It truly is priceless. It's games like Wario Land 4 that remind you of Sega's influence in the industry, and the new spin is definitely reflective of the change in Wario's lead management.

Nintendo knows that stylistic approach alone isn't enough to warrant a good score, and Wario has more than enough muscles to back his game up. At first I was afraid 16 standard levels would be too short, but levels and bosses are challenging enough to keep the game over twelve hours long on Normal mode. Though this translates to a shorter game than WL3, it also means less repetition and confusion, the GBC game's only flaw in my book. Wario Land 4 easily features the most condensed action I've ever seen from the franchise, borrowing much of the gameplay from WL2/3 and a slightly quicker pace from the original (you have a life meter now, folks!) Some levels may look open at first, but exploration will reveal specific paths and/or deformations needed to find the chests and exit switch, which will trigger a self-destruct sequence. It's very likely that secrets will initially be overlooked or skipped, especially during the countdown, but searching will never feel like a chore; revisiting a level is surprisingly painless. There are no cheap tricks in this game--in fact, there isn't one bottomless pit in the whole thing! Sure, you may have to replay a level to discover an unclaimed item, but you can rest assured that Wario wouldn't stand for being ripped off. On the monetary side, Wario is a greedy bastard. Finding money is not a problem, and though you'll part with some to play one of the mediocre mini-games, Wario would still have enough money left over to buy a NEW Wario car and a date with Peach by the end. :-p What valuables are good for is High-scores, a feature Nintendo has kindly included with each level. In essence, money is your score, and the prospect of hidden rooms will push some Wario-fanatics to play for ungodly point totals. With scores as big as these, the game's Gold/Silver/Bronze ranking system really helps evaluate performance. And if finding everything you missed isn't enough of a challenge, selecting Hard Mode will reveal slightly rearranged items and very demanding escape times--more than enough to keep the game challenging in a second attempt.

Wario's new game brings and interesting variety of sound to the handheld. Each unique level comes with an equally exclusive song, and the variety of these tunes is amazing. Ryoji Yoshitomi, the new Wario composer, utilized the GBA's improved capabilities to create music that is sometimes more atmospheric than melodic, and the soundtrack has turned out even better than I had expected. It's amazing what can be done with MIDI and a resourceful artist: one song even has guitar fret noises! Quite a few songs stuck out so much that I stopped just to listen. Wario has a voice with him on the road, though he graciously refrains from grunting with his every move. Thank you, Nintendo. As mentioned before, the game has a few vocal pieces as well, which are done quite nicely. Unfortunately, the nature of the 8-bit audio hardware becomes apparent during these moments, since the vocals are extremely downgraded. Even Charles Martinet's brilliant Wario voice take a hit. That's my only quarrel with the audio, though. Sound effects come off great on the handheld, and Wario's transformations lead to amusing usage of the pitch-bend technique on any song. WL4, like many other GBA games, will force you to bust out your PC speakers to get the full experience, and if Nintendo still has the high-fidelity vocals lying around, a real CD would be nice.

The graphics are an interesting dilemma: they're just as varied as the sound. Some levels feature amazing color and layering with good animation (thanks in part to great sprite rotation). But some levels--one world in particular—look significantly worse. When comparing this world to those before and after, it is quite obvious that this art is a stylistic choice, but it could easily throw off hasty analysts. Nonetheless, each level looks different from the rest, and the constant change of scenery is a welcome addition to the Wario Land series. As for Wario himself, he has never looked better! He is exquisitely detailed with his fiendish facial features and muscular body, yet he maintains a natural, hand-drawn appearance. Very nice. In fact,when I popped in Wario Land 3 and saw our hero...I laughed! When EAD wants the game to look great it does, and that's what really counts.

Wario Land 4 is selling well in both Japan and North America, and with good reason too. It may be a little on the short side, but the intense, obscure action coupled with the system's power makes for one hell of a ride! (Boy, does that sound familiar...) Bravo, Nintendo. You've made platforming freaks very happy once again.