| Gameplay | B+ |
|---|---|
| Controls | A |
| Graphics | A |
| Presentation | B |
| Audio | B |
| Value | B |
| Vital Stats | |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Developer | Good Feel |
| Price | $49.99 |
| buy from MotionGaming | |
| MetaCritic score | 78 |
review by David V
You might think the tagline of this review is nonsensical -- after all, "waggle" is the embodiment of pointless motion control on Wii -- but I can't think of a better way to describe how Wario Land: Shake It! works. Rather than come up with some involved motion control scheme, the developers at Good Feel embraced the idea of waggle and made it their own. In the end, it came out the other side into a control scheme that makes sense and works well. It's tied to a 2D platformer that looks really nice and has enough in it to occupy you for a dozen hours.
Wario Land's premise is a bit bizarre, which is good, because I like bizarre things. A tiny race of people living on a globe, and referring to their realm as The Shake Dimension, has come under the tyranny of The Shake King, who has seized a mystical money sack that, when shaken, dispenses an infinite amount of coins. The globe is sent on the sly by Captain Syrup to Wario, and one of The Shake Dimension's beings escapes and encounters Wario, whom he appeals to for help. His avarice sufficiently piqued by the promise of the infinite money bag, Wario agrees to help and enters their realm through a magic telescope aimed at the globe.
Each world in Wario Land: Shake It! is a different area on the globe. There are six areas -- the first is a single-stage tutorial level on Captain Syrup's ship -- each with about a half-dozen levels. Each level has many treasures and challenges to find, so while it may be a simple matter of completing the level the first time, the lure of the treasures and missions extends the replay level significantly. Each area also has one bonus level that is much more difficult than the others and provides a special challenge.
Unlike other platformers, you don't automatically gain access to new areas of the map. Instead, you must collect coins in the levels and then buy the maps from Captain Syrup. From her shop on her pirate ship, you can also buy additional health stars (you begin with 5), free backup lives, and other goodies.
To control Wario, you hold the Wii remote sideways and use the D-pad for your primary directions. Press the 2 button to jump and the 1 button to do a shoulder shove for breaking down walls or stunning enemies. The plus + button brings up a pause menu that lets you continue, restart, and quit.
The shaking comes in a few forms. When holding a money bag, shaking the Wii remote causes it to spill its contents, which you then dash around and pick up. When holding nothing, a good sharp shake causes Wario to execute a ground pound, which stuns any enemies near by, and can also raise and lower walls or detonate bombs. When hanging from a horizontal bar, shaking the Wii remote causes Wario to go into a spin around the bar, permitting you to jump high into the air (for a fatso he's awfully graceful). And after grasping an enemy, shaking him sometimes produces a life bag, which refills one of Wario's health stars.
There's also a bit of tilt control in the game, too. When holding an object that can be thrown, tilting the Wii remote aims the throw higher or lower. When spinning on a horizontal bar, rotating the Wii remote back towards you stops Wario from spinning. There are unicycles that control by tilting the Wii remote. The entire control scheme is very well thought out, makes sense, feels good, and fits the game perfectly. Sure, it's awfully waggly, but try it and you'll see why I say it's "intelligent waggle".
The graphics are a nice 2D presentation with hand-drawn and animated art work. According to one account I read on the Internet, it took 2000 drawings just to animate Wario for this game. All of the animations are smooth and well-executed. If you're addicted to 3D worlds, then you might not see what all the fuss is about, but if you view animation as an art form, then you'll certainly appreciate the craftsmanship that went into the visuals for Wario Land: Shake It!
There's a wide range of gameplay available, from standard platforming and puzzles to strategic throwing of enemies, detonating bombs, searching for hidden areas, and even acrobatics in the horzontal bar sections. There's rope swinging, ground pounding from up high, and lots and lots of shaking. When you get to the end of a level, you find one of the five chiefs of the tiny people imprisoned in what looks like a potbellied stove. Give that a good shake and it sets off a "proximity alert" to the Shake King, and then it's a sprint all the way through the level back to the beginning to escape with your charge and your booty. During these sequences, some parts of the level seal off, and others open up. You can still collect coins and treasure on the way back, but time is of the essence and if you don't finish within the time granted, Wario doesn't get to keep the treasures he found. The thoughtful and methodical gameplay up to that point turning to a desperate dash is an exilliarating change of pace, making you see the level in a whole new way.
The hand drawn style extends to the menus and presentation, which is competently done. Like a lot of Wii games that use the remote sideways, there is no IR pointing in the menus. There are four save slots, which is adequate for most households. Getting into and quitting games is relatively straightforward, although the area map mechanism took a little getting used to. The pause menus remind you of any achievable missions for the level, a nice touch.
The audio is a mixed bag, in my opinion. The sound effects are adequate, and there is a modicum of voicework, such as Wario's gutteral cackle and catchphrases, but there's nothing in the way of what you'd really call voice acting. The music is tight and efficient, though I don't care for the styles used, which are fiercely generic electronic jazz. Sometimes I felt that the music was a bit obtrusive while playing the levels and competed for attention.
The value proposition in Wario Land: Shake It! comes down to whether or not you like 2D platformers, and if you like collecting things. The standard levels can be ripped through in about an hour each, and the challenge levels add a bit of time, since they are significantly tougher. But it's the treasures and challenges that really contain the value here. With each level having anywhere from 3 to 5 treasures plus 3 to 6 challenges, that could easily double the amount of playtime contained within the game.
If you're a fan of platformers, especially 2D platformers, then Wario Land: Shake It! is a worthwhile purchase that I can recommend without hesitation. For the rest of you, you'd be best off copping a rental to see if it's your cup of tea. I think the game is really well done and a worthwhile addition to the Wii library, and it deserves more sales than it's gotten so far, but I wouldn't say it's a must-buy game. It's merely a very very good one.
