Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Developer	Nintendo R&D1
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Gameboy
Release Date	JP January 21, 1994 US February 1994 EU April 28, 1994
Gallery	GH Gallery

Although billed as a sequel to Super Mario Land, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 is actually the beginning of the spin-off Wario Land games. The game stars Wario, who was previously the villain of the previous Mario Land, in his quest for treasure. It is a Mario game in name only, as Mario himself only makes a small cameo appearance.

Story

Captain Syrup and her Black Sugar pirates have stolen a golden statue of Princess Peach. Wario hears about this and decides to attack the pirate stronghold on Kitchen Island. His goal is to steal the Princess Peach statue, which he would hold for ransom, along with any other treasure he could find on the island. Wario hoped to use his money to buy his own castle (as he had previously tried to steal Mario's castle in Super Mario Land 2).

Gameplay

Instead of the Mario games, which focuses on jumping, Wario has a new moveset. His basic move is a "charge attack" which he could use to tackle his way through obstacles and defeat enemies. Wario could also pick up his enemies (similar to Super Mario Bros. 2) and toss them at other enemies or through special blocks. Wario also had a variety of power-ups that he could use to gain new abilities.

The game had a total of forty levels that were divided into seven worlds. Not all levels had to be beaten for the game's completion. There were a variety of secret exits throughout the game that unlocked new levels and even a whole world. As Wario progressed through the game, the objective is to collect as many coins as well as the island's hidden treasures (fifteen in all) by the end of the game. Depending on the amount of coins Wario has at the game's end, he gets a different prize.

Legacy

Wario Land acted as the genesis of the Wario series and started Wario's transformation from a full-time villain to an anti-hero. Although it was the end of the "Super Mario Land" series, it was also the beginning of the new "Wario Land" series.

Sequels

The game was originally followed up by Virtual Boy Wario Land, a game on the short-lived Virtual Boy in 1995. A direct sequel, Wario Land II was released in 1998. Wario Land II brought back moves, music, settings and enemies from the first game but also changed the gameplay formula by making Wario invincible.

See Also

• Enemies in Wario Land