Wario
once again returns on the Nintendo Wii that melds classic arcade old
school gaming with the revolutionary control system of the console.
Featuring a classic tale that joins villain and hero, when the Queen
of the Shake Universe has been abducted by King Shake, only the
nefarious Wario can rescue her, however he needs additional
motivations in order to proceed.
This motivation is a bottomless bag
of gold that has also been stolen by King Shake, so it’s time to
transform into Wario and using your villainous powers to rescue the
Queen and claim the bottomless bag of gold. It’s a classic Nintendo
story that features an over the top plot plus great humour.
The
game itself contains five different levels, each with their own
unique environments and bosses to challenge the gameplay. An
interesting twist of the title is that you need to purchase the next
level which means you need to collect as many coins through your
travels as possible.
There are some times where you
may need to replay
the level again in order to collect more coins to access the next stage
but as the game is quite thoroughly entertaining, this is not really
a problem. The cash system also allows you to purchase additional
items such as potions or health.
Exploring the levels gives you quite a few challenges, especially
when you are confronted with enemies. Your character also needs to
liberate the Merfles from their cages who have been imprisoned by
King Shake and by shaking your controller, you can free these
strange creatures.
The
control system of the Wii is perfect for this game which
successfully uses the controller with the gaming environment. Where
the title does shine is through the “shake” system that allows you
to shake the controller to move enemies and the environment. For a
game that uses the classic side scrolling arcade system, the control
system works quite well for this genre and does give the world of
gaming something unique.
Graphically, Wario Land: The Shake Dimension is a visual treat on
the Wii with great cartoon inspired graphics that are oozing with
Nintendo gaming goodness. The colour palette is quite impressive and
vibrant which compliments the sharp graphics.
Although the
characters are quite basic, it actually suits the premise of the
story and gameplay well that does pay homage to the old school arcade
games of yesterday, however with a touch of 21st century
console magic. Musically, you can’t go pass the addictive soundtrack
and great “cartoon” inspired sound effects which lends itself well
to the gameplay.
In
conclusion, Wario Land: The Shake Dimension is a very entertaining
game on the Nintendo Wii that successfully melds the classic arcade
old school genre with the revolutionary control system of the Wii.
The title contains some really nice graphics for the system and it
allows the player a variety of different ways to complete the title,
ensuring prolonged longevity.
Definitely a must have game for all Nintendo fans!
