Many of Mario's allies have had their own spin-off series, from the Luigi's Mansion games to the plethora of Yoshi games across generations of consoles. However, a series that many fans tend to overlook is the games starring Wario, Mario's more devious antithesis.
Wario has been in many Mario spin-off games, such as Mario Party and Mario Kart, but the yellow-clad anti-hero has had his own titles. While all have proven to be vastly entertaining, many players will agree that there have been some games that have stood out more than others. But which ones are exactly the best?
Wario Blast (1994)
In a rather strange crossover, Wario finds a portal that brings him to the world of Bomberman. The end result is a port of the Japanese version of Bomberman GB but with Bomberman replaced with Wario, (although Bomberman is an optional character).
Wario plays no differently from Bomberman in any way, which may disappoint some gamers but those that enjoy Bomberman will get joy out of it. It plays, sounds, and feels like many Bomberman games; the only exception is that Wario is now included, which can still help provide much entertainment for viewers.
Virtual Boy Wario Land (1995)
The Virtual Boy is infamous for being known as one of the worst-selling Nintendo consoles ever made, with a measly twenty-two games in its total library. Most of them range from mediocre at best to nearly unplayable. However, Virtual Boy Wario Land is one of the few that can be considered a gem on the system.
It maintains the gameplay style of all Wario Land titles: shoulder bashing, collecting treasure, and traversing from level to level trying to satisfy Wario's greed. It also adds 3D elements by going from foreground to background platforms. Unfortunately, there is no other way to play Virtual Boy Wario Land without the Virtual Boy itself except for emulation.
Wario: Master Of Disguise (2007)
While the Wario Land games experimented with alternate paths and levels to allow players to explore and look for secret treasures, Wario: Master Of Disguise takes that concept a bit further with a Metroidvania style of gameplay. Wario can don different disguises for different puzzles and can return to various points on a map later on after unlocking certain items and abilities.
It keeps Wario's signature shoulder bash and his slower traversal while adding the new abilities for extra spice. Unfortunately, Master Of Disguise received only average reviews mainly due to the overreliance on touch screen controls for both main gameplay and mini-game play.
Super Mario 64 DS (2004)
It might not be a game that follows Wario, but the character does end up having a lead role in the Nintendo DS version of Super Mario 64. Players will see Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Wario going on a journey in Peach's castle after Mario believes something is amiss. Despite its more restricted controls, Super Mario 64 DS was still a hit for the handheld system.
Wario, like all the characters, comes with his own unique abilities. He has enhanced strength that allows him to break black bricks, hit enemies harder, and can move the fastest while carrying an object. He is definitely a great asset to have when it comes to the harder levels.
Wario World (2003)
Hopping onto the GameCube, Wario got his own 3D platformer in the form of Wario World. Unlike other Nintendo universe games for the Nintendo GameCube, Wario World is more focused on combat (which is fitting for him). From hand-to-hand combat to full-on wrestling moves, Wario is at his most combat efficient in Wario World.
New to this game is also an inhaling ability, similar to what Kirby does in his games. Rather than an open world, the levels are more linear thus making it much shorter than most Wario titles. It does maintain unique humor and enough charm to make it a solid entry in Wario's library of games.
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (1994)
After making his debut as the villain of Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins, Wario became the star of the sequel. This was the start and it introduced the famous shoulder bash that would even help turn him into one of the best characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Wario Land is a slower 2D platformer (in a good way) that stands out from his red rival's games. Picking up items and enemies is brought from Super Mario Bros. 2 and would remain another significant feature of nearly all Wario titles in the future. Unlike Mario games, Wario Land allows more exploration of levels for more treasure and alternate exits, allowing for more replayability. There are even different endings, depending on how much treasure Wario collects on his journey.
Wario Land 4 (2001)
Taking advantage of the more powerful hardware of the GameBoy Advance, Wario Land 4 boasts prettier visuals than the previous three games but takes a backstep. It returns to its roots of the first Wario Land, where exploration is minimal and mainly for a little extra treasure.
That said, it still keeps its flowing 2D platformer gameplay that remains strong and fun throughout, especially when combined with the surreal visuals and humor of Wario's adventure.
Wario Land II (1998)
Captain Syrup makes her return from the first Wario Land to get revenge on Wario by stealing his treasure. The greedy Wario steps up and sets off on an adventure to get his precious riches back. Visually, it looks very similar to the first Wario Land but there are many differences.
For example, the animations and sprite work are much smoother but there are now transformations. Wario is capable of turning into different things depending on what enemy hurts him with, allowing him to overcome puzzles and challenges. With bigger levels featuring minigames, wilder enemies, and more treasure, it does what a proper sequel should do: take what was established then make it bigger and better.
Wario Land 3 (2000)
The third entry continued to improve on the formula. More abilities, more transformations, and even more to explore with Nintendo dipping their toes into the Metroidvania elements before giving in with Mario Land 4. Wario Land 3 proves to be a video game sequel better than the original and the sequel.
The abilities and other unlocks expand new and previous levels even more, with multiple exits to each level. On top of that, the new world that Wario explores is rich and filled with a lot of creativity that makes it fun to explore and discover what's next. In many ways, Wario Land 3 is often considered a perfect end to a trilogy of Wario games for the GameBoy.
Wario Land: Shake It! (2008)
After a long hiatus post-Wario Land 4, the developers behind Yoshi's Woolly World got their start at Nintendo with the newest Wario Land game. Wario Land: Shake It! was the leap to the Nintendo Wii and featured a brand new hand-drawn art style for all sprites and cutscenes that make the game resemble a Wario anime.
There are even anime cinematics done by Production I.G. that look stellar. However, the gameplay is top-notch as well, taking a more linear approach as a middle-ground between Wario Land II and Wario Land 3. It swaps transformations for vehicles, mixing in solid motion control elements seeing how it was a Wii game. Wario Land: Shake It! suffers from being a little too short but features a lot of replay value as a solid ending to the Wario Land series for now.