Wario Land II

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| above = Wario Land II

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| caption = {{#if:Wario Land II NA Box Art.jpg|North American Game Boy Color box art|North American Game Boy Color box art}}

| label2 = DeveloperTemplate:Pluralize from text | data2 = Nintendo R&D1

| label3 = PublisherTemplate:Pluralize from text | data3 = Nintendo

| label4 = DirectorTemplate:Pluralize from text | data4 = Takehiko Hosokawa

| label5 = ProducerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data5 = Takehiro Izushi

| label6 = DesignerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data6 = Masani Ueda

| label7 = ProgrammerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data7 = Masaru Yamanaka
Katsuya Yamano
Nobuhiro Ozaki

| label8 = ArtistTemplate:Pluralize from text | data8 = Hiroji Kiyotake

| label9 = WriterTemplate:Pluralize from text | data9 = Template:If first display both

| label10 = ComposerTemplate:Pluralize from text | data10 = Kozue Ishikawa

| label11 = Series | data11 = Wario

| label12 = Engine | data12 = Template:If first display both

| label13 = PlatformTemplate:Pluralize from text | data13 = Game Boy, Game Boy Color

| label14 = Release | data14 = Game Boy
Template:VgreleaseGame Boy Color
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Wario Land II, known in Japan as Template:Nihongo foot is a 1998 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy.<ref>Wario Land II for GBC – Wario Land II Game Boy Color – Wario Land</ref> Players control Wario as he sets out to recover his stolen treasure from Captain Syrup.

The gameplay retains the side-scrolling platforming of Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, with the player guiding Wario through various levels with the goal of finishing with as many coins as possible. Wario Land II introduces an immortality game mechanic in which enemies cannot inflict damage, but instead cause Wario to lose coins or transform into forms with abilities that allow players to access new areas.

The original version was released for the Game Boy in North America and Europe in March 1998. A colorized version, sometimes called Wario Land II DX, was released in Japan in October 1998 as a launch game for the Game Boy Color, and later in other regions. It received positive reviews. The Game Boy Color version was rereleased as a Virtual Console game for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gameplay

File:Wario Land II gameplay.png

Wario dashes through a thin wall to find a secret room full of coins.

Wario Land II differs from many platformers of its era by emphasizing exploration and puzzle-solving over traditional mechanics like timers, health points, or limited lives. The game's challenge lies in navigating obstacles, solving environmental puzzles, and unlocking paths blocked by coins or treasure locks. Some levels feature hidden exits that can alter the storyline, unlock additional stages, and lead to different endings. A total of five alternate endings can be unlocked by collecting all treasures, in addition to the "Really Final Chapter".

Unlike most platformers, Wario is invincible, he cannot die. Instead, enemy attacks cause him to lose coins or undergo transformations. Certain transformations grant him new abilities that allow access to previously unreachable areas. For example, touching fire turns him into Hot Wario, enabling him to defeat enemies on contact and burn through obstacles.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The game also features a minigame based on the Game & Watch game Flagman, which becomes available after collecting all picture tiles. Unlike its predecessor, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Wario Land II imposes no time limits, allowing players to explore levels at their own pace, a feature retained in later entries of the series.

Plot

Following the events of the second-best ending in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Captain Syrup and her minions, the Black Sugar Pirates, infiltrate Wario's castle early one morning. They steal his treasure, set off his giant alarm clock, and leave the tap running, flooding parts of the castle. After waking up and discovering the chaos, Wario sets off in pursuit across the surrounding lands to reclaim his hoard.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Depending on the player's progress and choices, the game can conclude with one of several endings. In the final chapter, Captain Syrup is defeated and Wario recovers his treasure, the amount of which varies based on the player's performance.

Reception

Wario Land II received acclaim. Electronic Gaming Monthly awarded it "Game of the Month," with reviewers praising its large scope, hidden secrets, and inventive gameplay. Dan Hsu highlighted the unconventional mechanic in which the player cannot die, noting that it leads to humorous outcomes that sometimes unlock new areas: "Wario Land II reminds me of so many old-school platformers, yet it's like nothing I've seen before."<ref name="EGMGB" />

The Game Boy Color version holds an aggregate score of 88% on GameRankings, based on 14 reviews.<ref name="GRGBC" /> Writing for IGN, Alec Matias called it "the perfect game to accompany you on a long road trip because of its lastability and replayability".<ref name="IGN" /> AllGame criticized the Game Boy Color version for lacking significant improvements beyond the addition of color, but praised its strong puzzle design and consistently solid platforming.<ref name="allgameGBC" /> Reviewing the Virtual Console re-release, Nintendo Life acknowledged the shift in gameplay from earlier entries but concluded that it is good once players adapt.<ref name="NLife" /> In 2019, PC Magazine named Wario Land II one of the 10 best Game Boy games.<ref name="PCM">Template:Cite news</ref>

External links

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