Wario Land: The Shake Dimension (Wii)

Gamecow’s Price	RRP $79.95     Save $20.00 $59.95
Availability
Genre	General
Platform	Nintendo Wii
Release Date	25/09/2008
Rated

Wario Land: The Shake Dimension takes you back to the great platform games of yesteryear (well, not that long ago).  Fans of Wario will love this new game and players new to Wario will find an exciting and challenging game.

Wario Land: The Shake Dimension (Wii) Product Information

Wario, Nintendo’s greedy, uncouth and rude anti-hero, returns to his classic 2D treasure hunting roots. The Wario Land series is where Wario first appeared, and it’s back in all its side-scrolling, platform-jumping glory. With the Wii Remote controller turned sideways, veterans and newcomers alike can run, jump and smash their way through hectic side-scrolling stages. By shaking the Wii Remote, you can shake down your enemies, free coins from treasure bags and even cause earthquakes.

Wario receives an antique globe and telescope that allow him to travel to the once-idyllic Shake Dimension, now conquered by the tyrannical pirate, the Shake King. With the assistance of his longtime rival, Captain Syrup, he must rescue the Merfles, denizens of the Shake Dimension imprisoned by the Shake King. Only by defeating the bosses of all five continents of this strange world can Wario find and confront the Shake King, rescue Queen Merelda, queen of the Merfles, and, most importantly, claim the Bottomless Coin Sack, a never-ending supply of gold.

Each stage has Wario navigating an obstacle course of dangers and traps to find an imprisoned Merfle. Once he frees the little fellow, the countdown begins and he must find his way back to the starting gate before time runs out. Wario must also defeat a boss in each continent, and then buy a map of the next continent from Captain Syrup. Once all five continents’ bosses have been defeated, Wario takes on the Shake King himself.

Wario can jump and dash, as per previous Wario Land games. New to this game is the ability to shake the Wii Remote for various effects. By default, a shake of the Wii Remote makes Wario punch the ground, causing a small earthquake and dazing enemies. Wario can then pick up dazed enemies and, with another shake of the Wii Remote, shake them for rejuvenating garlic and occasionally gold. Enemies can also be thrown, and you aim by tilting the Wii Remote.

Wario also takes control of three different vehicles during the course of the game, all of which are piloted in part by tilting the Wii Remote. The controls are standard for a Wii Remote held sideways (D-pad, buttons), but with an important twist: most of Wario’s special moves are accomplished by shaking or tilting the Wii Remote. This allows great versatility but without forcing the player to remember complicated button combinations.

Wario Land: The Shake Dimension (Wii) Review

The story begins by introducing players to the Shake Dimension, a world that is ruled by Queen Merelda. One day, the Shake Dimension is attacked by a notorious pirate called the Shake King. Having captured the Queen and imprisoned all her followers, the Shake King acquires the legendary Bottomless Coin Sack, a sack which spits out endless amounts of money when shaken. Not too far away, Wario is enjoying an afternoon nap when he is awoken by Merfle, a strange fairy-like creature who’s loyal to Queen Merelda. Merfle pleads with Wario to help save the Shake Dimension, but he’s uninterested and goes back to sleep.

Wario Land: The Shake Dimension is very straightforward, players simply have to progress through linear levels, pick up any treasure they see and destroy enemies. Eventually, you’ll come across a big, bulky cage that contains one of Merfle’s friends, but when you break it open a timer will appear on screen, signifying you have to race back to the start. Similar to Wario Land 4, in most cases it’s not just a matter of backtracking your steps, as some areas will become completely blocked off while others will open up for exploration. This keeps things feeling fresh, and encourages replays to fully explore each area. On the downside, most levels will only take 10-15 minutes to complete, so those who rush to get the credits rolling will only get around 5 hours of gameplay.

One of the great features of The Shake Dimension is that levels are generally varied and have different obstacles to overcome. Some examples include a train in the Wild West where you have to destroy a boiler, a casino that features invisible platforms you can only identify when a light shines on them, and tropical forests that are infested by man-eating plants. Also, players will get the opportunity to control different vehicles ranging from submarines to jetpacks.
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension should be in every platform game fan’s collection. While it doesn’t really do anything new for the genre, is a little on the easy side and doesn’t feature a momentous soundtrack, there’s a great variety in level design and secondary challenges that will keep you coming back for more.

Full review PALGN