warioworld

Warioworld Butt-Stomps Onto Nintendo Switch Online

A new addition has come to Nintendo Switch Online for Switch 2 owners: it’s Warioworld, the 2003 3D platformer from those days when Wario was about more than just microgames.

Also, this was back when he had his own castle. The continuity goes like this: he took over Mario’s castle in Super Mario Land 2, after failing to keep it for long he found the financial means to build his own castle in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 by swiping treasure from pirates. Those pirates stole the treasure back from him in Wario Land II…but he kept the castle. Now in Warioworld, Wario has acquired a cursed jewel that plagued his castle with monsters and took his treasure AGAIN. After all that, Wario must have decided castle life wasn’t for him because we haven’t seen the place since. (Mario doesn’t have a castle anymore either.)

Warioworld is one of two times Nintendo collaborated with famed Japanese studio Treasure; the other time was for the shooter Sin & Punishment (which is also on NSO). In fact a lot of Treasure’s finest games, like Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Headdy, are on NSO already so you can find out rather easily what the hype is about.

“Go on a garlic-fueled rampage in this action title released for the Nintendo GameCube™ system in 2003! Wario’s journey begins with a promise of vengeance against a powerful and cursed black jewel that’s warped his castle and nabbed his treasure. Defeat enemies, collect coins and treasures, and rescue Spritelings trapped in boxes as you progress through four stages. Wario’s got some mighty powerful moves, like Wild Swing-Ding and Piledriver, that aren’t just good for attacking, they’re also slick at clearing path-blocking traps.”

Another update is due for Nintendo Switch Online in four days; more on that when the time comes.

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Avatar of Jayce
Jayce

Oh the Misery

47 messages 1 like

I never really cared much for Wario games, but Warioworld sounds like it has more depth than I expected. The cursed jewel plot is unusual for a platformer, and the gameplay seems active enough to keep my attention. I like games where the main character’s moves are versatile, so using Wario’s attacks for more than just hitting enemies seems clever. I might try it just to see how different it feels from standard Mario games. Also, it’s nice that NSO makes these older titles so easy to access, instead of having to dig out old hardware. I don’t expect to play it for hours, but it could be a fun distraction.

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Avatar of Vicks Addict
Vicks Addict

New Member

45 messages 0 likes

I’ve been waiting for something like Warioworld on Switch Online. Older 3D platformers sometimes don’t age well, but the involvement of Treasure makes me hopeful that it plays smoothly. I like games where there’s a clear goal, like rescuing Spritelings, while still collecting treasures, so it mixes challenge with reward. The moves Wario has, like Piledriver, make me think about how much strategy is involved, even in a casual game. I also appreciate the story continuity—it adds context to the chaos Wario causes. I plan to play a couple of stages tonight to see if it feels like the classics I remember.

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Avatar of Pizzaking
Pizzaking

Lurker

41 messages 0 likes

I remember watching my brother play Warioworld years ago, and I liked watching him use the big attacks to clear paths. Seeing it on Switch Online makes me want to try it myself because I think I can handle it better now. The mix of collecting treasures and fighting monsters sounds like a good challenge. I like that the article explains the castle backstory; it helps me understand why Wario is always chasing treasures. I think this game will be fun to pick up for a few minutes or an hour at a time.

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Avatar of Artonium
Artonium

New Member

2 messages 0 likes

It's interesting that you mentioned other games that appeared on NSO thanks to the collaboration with Treasure, such as Sin & Punishment and other cult classics. Few would have expected such classics to be available on a modern console. This is a really cool opportunity for fans of old games.

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