Wario Land 4
Wario Land 4 is a Game Boy Advance video game released in 2001. It is, as the name implies, the fourth game in the Wario Land series, which is a spin-off of the Super Mario Land series. In the game, Wario advances through the levels through transformations triggered by enemy attacks. This is the first Wario Land game to feature hit points - in previous games, it was impossible for Wario to die. However, he does have infinite lives.
Story
Wario sees an article in the morning paper about a treasure that has been uncovered in a golden ziggurat in the jungle. He runs there to claim the treasure for himself. He ends up locked in several epic battles, aided by a figure resembling Mr. Game & Watch, and rescuing the spirit of an ancient princess who had been locked away thousands of years earlier. Wario finally arrives back home, much richer.
Gameplay
The game is divided into 4 "passages" , each with a different theme and boss. Each passage is further divided into 4 levels, each with 4 Jewel Pieces to be recovered, making total of 16 Pieces or 4 complete Jewels per passage. Once all 4 Jewels have been completed, Wario can fight the boss of that area.
The Passages are as follows:
Entry Passage
This passage is not really considered part of the game, as it only has one level: The Hall of Hieroglyphics, which, true to its name, uses hieroglyphics on the walls to teach Wario his basic moves. The boss of this passage is Spoiled Rotten.
Emerald Passage
This Passage is nature-themed. The four levels are:
- Palm Tree Paradise
- Wildflower Fields
- Mystic Lake
- Monsoon Jungle
The boss is Cractus, an animate cactus with a huge head that can skewer Wario with its claws and drool a poisonous liquid on him, turning Wario into Zombie Wario.
Ruby Passage
This Passage is mechanical-themed. The four levels are:
- The Curious Factory
- The Toxic Landfill
- Doodle Woods
- Domino Row
The boss is Cuckoo Condor. He is what appears to be a giant cuckoo clock. He can grab Wario and shoot gears and electricity at him. After he takes enough damage, the cuckoo clock falls apart, revealing a giant bird, presumably a condor, underneath. In this form, Cuckoo Condor can lay eggs that hatch into self-destructing chicks to damage Wario.
Topaz Passage
This Passage is toy-themed. The four levels are:
- Toy Block Tower
- The Big Board
- Doodle Woods
- Domino Row
The boss is Aerodent, a rat that hides in a giant inflatable teddy bear. He throws down needles, which can be used to deflate the teddy bear, making Aerodent an easier target. Later in the fight, Aerodent will drop flames, which do not harm Wario, but instead turns him into Fiery Wario. Fiery Wario will run around the screen for a while, wasting valuable time.
Sapphire Passage
This passage is horror-themed. The four levels are:
- Crescent Moon Village
- Arabian Night
- Firey Cavern
- Hotel Horror
The boss is Catbat. He is essentially a big cat with a statue of a bat on his head. He creates waves which must be jumped over, and can also spit out orange and purple spiked balls, which either damage Wario or turn him into Puffy Wario, respectively. The latter's purpose is to waste time.
