Wario Land: Shake It! (Wii) Preview
Posted by Jacob Lopez on 09.09.2008
Wario Land is going back to the platforming roots of the Wario series. After a DS entry that went almost unnoticed, this latest game may just be the one that gets Wario the love he needs.
Later this month, Wario will be making a return to his platforming roots with the release of Wario Land: Shake It! on the Wii.
Wario, created by Gunpei Yokoi, and introduced in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins originally started out as pure evil, and took over when Bowser was out sick. As time went by, Wario's actions were motivated more and more by greed and selfishness than any real desire to cause harm to anyone.
I was one of the many who did not think much of the announcement a few months ago when Nintendo said they would be releasing a new Wario Land game later this year. That all changed when I got some hands-on back in July. The game is beautifully hand-drawn 2D platformer goodness. The character animations are wonderfully done, and now I am actually excited about it.
In Shake It!, Yokoi's greedy, yet lovable anti-hero travels into the Shake Dimension, which has been conquered by a villainous pirate known as the Shake King. Wario will have to run, jump, butt-stomp, crawl and shake his way through 5 continents and their bosses as he fights his way through the game to finally take on the Shake King himself.
Wario may be outnumbered, but he is not alone in his quest to end the Shake King's reign. Coming along for the ride will be Wario's long-time rival, Captain Syrup, who will assist him in rescuing the imprisoned inhabitants of the Shake Dimension. Wario will also be equipped with new moves and vehicles to add fun and variety to the mix. As in the previous games, Wario will be able to jump and dash, but now with a shake of the Wii Remote, players can perform throws and ground pounds. If Wario picks up an enemy, he can shake it in hopes that it releases gold coins or power-ups. Players can also use enemies and objects as projectiles to defeat other enemies or unlock doors by tilting the Wii Remote to aim with a little indicator showing projected the trajectory of the object thrown.
Wario's intentions are not as noble as they may seem at first. Of course he wants to defeat the evil Shake King, rescue Queen Merelda and free the people of the kingdom. What's in it for him? The Bottomless Coin Sack, a never-ending supply of gold coins.
Either way, hardcore or casual, catering to my 2D platforming nostalgia fix or not, I don't care. I just want to have fun, and Wario Land might just be the next upcoming title to do it. I will just have to wait until I can pick this game up to find out for sure, but for now, I will just let you know that I am keeping this one on my watched list. Oh well, time to get back to my daily news! Keep an eye out for my review when I get a hold of the game (I am poor, so that may be a while longer than I would like).
