Top 10 Wario Games

In this platforming/beat’em up game, Wario must take back his castle from the evil Black Jewel, which turns all of his treasures into monsters. Unlike Mario, Wariodefeats his enemies by punching, throwing, and pile driving them into dust; this guy doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. There are also some puzzles to solve along the way as Wario collects treasure, coins, and other shiny objects on his journey to reclaim his throne. After seeing Wario’s brutal beatings, jumping on an enemy’s head will seem so boring by comparison.

Before designing “Kirby’s Epic Yarn” and “Yoshi’s Woolly World”, developer Good-Feel produced, “Wario Land: Shake It!”, a game that still looks pretty good even after almost a decade. It takes a 2D, side-scrolling style like the classic “Wario Land” games, only this time it’s on the big screen. The simple control scheme is also reminiscent of the classic Game Boy titles: the player only needs to hold a Wii Remote sideways to run, dash, throw, and, new to this game, shake enemies. This game literally took thousands of hand-drawn frames to smoothly animate all of Wario’s actions, including that massive rump.

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#8: “WarioWare D.I.Y.” (2010)

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Every WarioWare Game Ranked

Have you ever thought to yourself “I can make a better game than this!”? Well break out your stylus and pointy mustache because “WarioWare D.I.Y.” let’s you become the game developer and it isn’t afraid to let you get weird with it. The game offers a variety of tools, including colors, sound effects, and templates to get your idea off the ground and formed into a functioning micro mini-game. You don’t have to be a genius or even an artist to design games, since the hilarity and fun comes from the sheer randomness and unpredictability of it all: the classic “WarioWare” formula.

We’re willing to bet you had no idea Nintendo’s Wario and Hudson Soft’s Bomberman had a crossover game on the Game Boy. While the concept isn’t exactly original, “Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!” provides a lengthy handheld experience full of explosives, power-ups, bosses, and addicting chaos that comes from the classic arena battler. Players can choose between controlling Wario or Bomberman and then must set out to eliminate the other players. There’s also a password feature that lets you jump in and out of gameplay quickly without losing your progress. Using an enemy’s own weapon against him is brutal and, honestly, we’re not surprised Wario is the one to do it.

Fans must have been shocked when the third entry in the “Mario Land” series was void of the hero and featured the villain as the main character. After being defeated in the previous game, Wario stumbles upon some pirates and sets out to steal as much loot as he can. Similarly to Mario, Wario can acquire different power-ups that grant him new abilities, like the Bull Helmet which lets him cling to surfaces or the Dragon Helmet which shoots fire. Unlike a typical Mario game, there is no kingdom to save or princess to rescue as the entirety of the game depends on treasure and coins, even changing the outcome of the ending depending on how much Wario has collected.

Every “WarioWare” game introduces a new feature that it focuses the gameplay around and in “WarioWare: Twisted!” that feature was a gyro sensor built into the cartridge. To complete mini-games the player must literally tilt the system back and forth, even requiring that input to navigate the game’s menus. In true “WarioWare” fashion, the player is bombarded with micro mini-games that need split-second timing to solve. The best advice we can offer is: hold onto your GBA tightly or you might just fling it across the room trying to beat your high score.

Wario’s second outing on the Game Boy dropped the “Mario Land” subtitle altogether: this game belongs to Wario alone. The helmet power-ups from the lastgame are gone and, instead, Wario transforms under different circumstances to unlock new areas or defeat foes, for example, if he gets set on fire he’ll do a mad dash and incinerate anything in his way. The focus on treasure is back as Wario must recover the loot he stole in his previous game and send those pirates packing. You don’t want to mess with this man’s booty.

The Game Boy Advance’s portable power really gave handheld games a boost and a great example of this is “Wario Land 4.” The “Wario Land” developers had the formula down by now and used the Game Boy Advance’s technology to pump out a golden platformer with crisp sound, graphics, and control. Wariois back again to save a princess trapped in a pyramid, though, admittedly, he’s only there because of the prospect of getting rich. There are still optional treasures to get that affect the game’s ending, and mini-games in between the baddie pummeling. If you own a Game Boy Advance, this one is a must.

In 2003, Nintendo’s R&D1 team unleashed a completely new genre of gaming unto the world that consists of playing very short mini-games at a rapid-fire speed. This game added a less-aggressive and more clever version of Wario who looks to get rich by creating his own video games. Fresh new faces in Wario’s world make their debut and the player must clear each of their mini-games, which usually revolve around a common theme. A remake on the GameCube titled “WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!” was released the following year, which added a plethora of multiplayer modes.
Before we pile drive our way to number one, here are a few honorable mentions:

“WarioWare: Smooth Moves” (2007)

“WarioWare: Touched!” (2005)

Released exclusively for the Game Boy Color, “Wario Land 3” continued on the path that the second entry forged with even more transformation abilities, unique power-up items, and secret paths. Wario gets sucked into a magical music box and the deity trapped inside promises to free him in addition to mounds of treasure if Wario helps. A day and night mechanic was added to this game, which changes the types of enemies you encounter and treasure you can find. Additionally, some areas can only be accessed once you’ve acquired a particular item, which gives you a reason to replay older levels. There’s so much packed into this cartridge; it’s gem Wario himself would pilfer.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite Wario game? For more informative Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.