The first GBA game raocow is LPing is Wario Land 4! A very good game, and a fine installment in the Wario Land series. This one brings back Hit Points, so Wario can die in this game, unlike Wario Land 2 and 3. Well, he doesn't die, more like, kicked out of the level. Level progression is also somewhat open, as all 4 Passages (worlds) open up after the short Tutorial Passage.
I would also like to spotlight a book that was written in-depth about this game, found here: http://danielprimed.com/warioland4/
And when I say in-depth, I mean it. This has to be the most comprehensive look at any video game that was ever made. It breaks down the mechanics of the game and the levels right down to the core. He did this as a criticism of not the game, but of current gaming journalism. It's really well made, and I recommend you all to check it out. I'll be posting his thoughts occasionally as rao plays. No need for me to do a guide, cause this guy has done the job already, and then some.
Last edited by Sebby197 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
-Banned in Antarctica
Sebby19 wrote:If your life depends on throwing up, switch to the keyboard
I don't even have anything to read e-books, so I just bought it as a .pdf for my PC. Seriously, everyone should get this.
Here is the Preface of the book, also found on his website for free:
"All writers are liars. You know that though, don’t you? That’s what you learnt at high school when your teacher forced you to write those essays on some book you didn’t care about and some theme seemingly unrelated to it. We write books about one thing, only to talk about something else. I too must confess to such two-faceness. And as is the tradition with prefaces, I shall now self-indulgently reveal the lie before you’ve had a chance to read the book and realise it for yourself.
This book is not, as the title suggests, an analysis of Wario Land 4. Rather, it is a critique of contemporary games writing, in particular the broadly-defined games criticism. I evaluate games criticism through the proposition of games analysis, a new type of games writing which seeks to improve the art and science of video games through clear language, authoritative evidence, and a focus on interactivity. A Critical Analysis of Wario Land 4 is an example of games analysis brought to its logical conclusion: a piece of writing which thoroughly explains the workings of an entire game. Everything from mechanics to engagement to level design is covered. Without trying to sound arrogant, I would contest that there has never been a deeper, more comprehensive piece of writing ever written about a video game.
This is not to condemn games criticism nor discourage those engaged in thoughtful games discussion (it is, after all, for you guys that I wrote this book), however, while there are some genuinely excellent pieces of writing out there, games criticism certainly has a few issues in its current form*. Thus, it is my intent to use games analysis as a means to improve the state of games criticism. I don’t see games analysis as a replacement for games criticism, but rather as an important subset of the broader discussion. What sets game analysis apart from other forms of games writing is that it acknowledges the following three points.
*Game designer, Dan Cook, succinctly covered many of these problems in his essay, A blunt critique of games criticism. I would recommend reading his article to further understand some of the issues this book attempts to address.
#1 Games are Complicated
Video games are sophisticated systems of rules which employ the expertise of art, maths, science, architecture, literature, psychology, and cinematography, just to name a few. The book, over 450 pages of critical analysis on what many would consider a relatively simple game, more than validates this point. The complicated, interdisciplinary nature of video games makes talking about them with any authority quite difficult.
#2 Thus, A Clear Language is Needed to Critically Discuss Them
Some games writers speak of this magical day when the language needed to critically discuss video games will appear out of thin air and they’ll finally be able to talk about the medium with real depth. While these people are off daydreaming, others have been hard at work making such language a reality. Tadhg Kelly’s What Games Are is one such example. For this book, I’ve used the work of Richard Terrell. Richard runs the Critical Gaming blog and for the past 5 years has been developing a critical vocabulary in which to understand games. His Critical Glossary contains more than 450 terms and is backed up with thousands of pages dedicated to theory and examples from popular games. If you’re interested enough in games to buy this book, then Richard’s blog should immediately strike you as profound. I urge you to take a look before digging into the main analysis.
#3 No Evidence, No Authority
The most confounding and inexcusable aspect of games criticism, and games writing in general, is the lack of evidence to support a writer’s claims. Without evidence there is only opinion, and if there’s anything we’ve learnt from the internet, it’s that anyone can, and does, have an opinion. Evidence grants authority. It proves that the writer isn’t just spouting out ideas, but has a considered and balanced argument. In the very least, it shows the reader how the writer came to form their opinion. In fairness, many writers do provide some form of evidence in their writing, but it’s often vague, insufficient, or never properly scrutinised. Saying that game X is boring because levels Y and Z are poorly designed doesn’t tell the reader how levels Y and Z are poorly designed or how two poorly designed levels can make an entire game boring, never mind what “boring” means. The more extensive the evidence and thorough the explanation of the connection between the evidence and the argument, the more credible the article.
(This is why FAQ writers and Let’s Players have a leg up over game critics. FAQ writers because they’ve already written extensively about the game system, and therefore have it all mapped out in their head. Let’s Players because they have the evidence right in front of them, which makes it easy to shoot off a quick observation in context).
When evidence is utterly void, the only way to grab reader interest is to inflate opinion. Thus, we see posts with titles like “Is Zelda Skyward Sword the worst game in the series?”, backed up with a few paragraphs of fashionable ignorance. Forget about looking at the dungeons, inventory, story, or game structure.
In A Critical Analysis of Wario Land 4 all assertions are backed up with evidence and detailed explanations. My opinions are downplayed to the point that I don’t even reveal if I like Wario Land 4 or not. The goal is to interpret the game for what it is; not to talk about my feelings. I’ve chosen this super objective approach so that the book acts as a polarising alternative to the over-abundance of opinion out there. I want the nuances of the game design to set the agenda, because it’s these details that define the game.
Of all the games one could write a book about, don’t you find it a little odd that I chose Wario Land 4? I could have written about a Bioshock or an Uncharted. Instead, I chose a simple game with a child-friendly veneer released more than 11 years ago on a portable platform—talk about irrelevant! This decision was intentional. Along with making a case for games analysis, I also want to challenge three aspects of the game enthusiast community:
◦The games press’s lack of enthusiasm for portable games and games for children.
◦The general stigma of playing and writing about old games.
◦The focus on games which emphasise ideas over interactivity (i.e. Bioshock and Journey) by writers of games criticism.
So there you have it: my ulterior motive is revealed and you’re free to press on to the first chapter. One final word though. I’ve spent the past 2 years cramming every bit of observation and insight into this book. This will make it a challenging read at times, but I encourage you to stick with it. By the end, I’m sure that you’ll have grown your understanding of game design and be able to further appreciate the level of craftsmanship that goes into these wonderful, interactive works of art."
Daniel Johnson
-Banned in Antarctica
Sebby19 wrote:If your life depends on throwing up, switch to the keyboard
This was one of my favourite games as a kid, it's all so twisted and creative. I don't see it mentioned quite as much as some other gba stuff which is sad since it's really well made and memorable.
- The R-button dash can break brown blocks but only once you've built up speed, at which point you'll go through them without stopping
- Ground pounding enemies is often better than trying to bash them, but obviously your mileage may vary
- Enemies drop those little red dots that fill your meter, one meter = one heart
- Don't bother with the minigames/item shop. I won't tell you what they do but if you did know you wouldn't want to bother with them anyways. Trust me on this.
As someone's who played this to death, I will say that you should definitely bother with the mini games. Because the items you buy with the medals can absolutely annihilate the bosses in this game, and are really useful for saving time (because the battles are all on a time limit).
Maybe avoid them for your first attempt at the fight (so you see all the boss' various attacks and patterns), but if you keep dying to any particular one, then save up some medals and buy one of the super powerful items. It'll save you a lot of hassle.
As for which one to play... well, the Wario Hop is the most reaction based, and the Wario Roulette is arguably the easiest to rack up on medals on.
Passage wise... well, most people tend to start with the Emerald Passage and end with the Sapphire one. But you don't really have to do that. The passages are all roughly around the same difficulty level, with the first level in each being the easiest and the last one being the most difficult. Really, just start with the one you like the idea of most. It'll work out fine in the end.
Either way, have fun with the game raocow. It's a great platformer, and it's got some really interesting level and boss ideas too.
CM30 wrote:As someone's who played this to death, I will say that you should definitely bother with the mini games. Because the items you buy with the medals can absolutely annihilate the bosses in this game, and are really useful for saving time (because the battles are all on a time limit).
Maybe avoid them for your first attempt at the fight (so you see all the boss' various attacks and patterns), but if you keep dying to any particular one, then save up some medals and buy one of the super powerful items. It'll save you a lot of hassle.
The fact they are powerful is why I said he shouldn't bother, because raocow's the kind of guy who would go out of his way to avoid doing this kind of stuff
Hard mode actually changes quite a lot in this game and is a very good example of what difficulty modes should be. It changes the number and type of enemies, the chests are harder to find, the time limit to exit level and for bosses are drastically reduced... Overall it's a lot more interesting than normal mode (I think the time limis for Spoiled rotten and for the first level are like 2 minutes in Normal, for example...)
Also I really disagree with using the medals, it's really cheesy shit and they aren't necessary at all. The minigames themselves are fun in their own right, though.
CM30 wrote:As someone's who played this to death, I will say that you should definitely bother with the mini games. Because the items you buy with the medals can absolutely annihilate the bosses in this game, and are really useful for saving time (because the battles are all on a time limit).
Maybe avoid them for your first attempt at the fight (so you see all the boss' various attacks and patterns), but if you keep dying to any particular one, then save up some medals and buy one of the super powerful items. It'll save you a lot of hassle.
The fact they are powerful is why I said he shouldn't bother, because raocow's the kind of guy who would go out of his way to avoid doing this kind of stuff
True. They're a tad too overpowerful, and tend to completely destroy the difficulty of the main four bosses.
But I still think they're fun to try out if you get really stuck/need the best ending with all the treasure. Or if you want to see what happens when a giant clock is punched in the face by a massive fist.
Jesuiscontent wrote:Hard mode actually changes quite a lot in this game and is a very good example of what difficulty modes should be. It changes the number and type of enemies, the chests are harder to find, the time limit to exit level and for bosses are drastically reduced... Overall it's a lot more interesting than normal mode (I think the time limit for Spoiled rotten is like 2 minutes in Normal, for example...)
Also I really disagree with using the medals, it's really cheesy shit and they aren't necessary at all. The minigames themselves are fun in their own right, though.
lol game boy color
Hard mode should probably have been renamed Normal mode and Normal mode renamed Easy mode to be honest.
But yeah, the difficulty levels are pretty cool. As is the Super Hard difficulty you unlock by beating the game at least once on hard mode. It's especially neat how they added a new enemy in the harder difficulty modes, which shows up in various places in the Ruby Passage.
Jesuiscontent wrote:Hard mode actually changes quite a lot in this game and is a very good example of what difficulty modes should be. It changes the number and type of enemies, the chests are harder to find, the time limit to exit level and for bosses are drastically reduced... Overall it's a lot more interesting than normal mode (I think the time limis for Spoiled rotten and for the first level are like 2 minutes in Normal, for example...)
Also I really disagree with using the medals, it's really cheesy shit and they aren't necessary at all. The minigames themselves are fun in their own right, though.
lol game boy color
After all that, you will unlock the Very Hard mode which is pretty much hardcore and comes nearly somehat Kaizo Mario while playing it. It's i think also the only Mode where u can see the "True Ending", when the sources don't lie...
Also the Game Discs unlocks some songs which is avaiable for each stage.
Also to hint: If u get on every Level (Except Boss Levels) a Gold Crown (10.000 Poins and more) u will unlock a little special in the Music Room.
100% Approved! Patooties are Talkhaus' best thing!
It's best to leave the Sapphire passage for later once you're more used to the game, especially since you're playing on hard mode with the stricter time limits.
Daniel Johnson sounds like a really cool guy. Any analysis I do would be pointless compared to the text within that book, but I know thoughts would be welcome...
First of all, this game has a good first impression on me. The noir approach at the beginning was incredibly smart, and really draws my attention to what happens next. It's nice to finally know the origins of the Wario car after all these years. Making the moves from the previous games available instantly makes for a more open experience. I like the dash mechanic, as well....
There might be something else in the Berry Beginning (not sorry) Entry Passage that was missed... perhaps look back on that next episode..? (Even if there is nothing there, it's nice to review progress for the beginning. It really drills in the progress made in previous parts...)
Overall, a pretty rad start to a game that (nearly) topped off a pretty rad series.
I am prone to almost everything... except spontaneous violence.
Any questions, concerns, or aspirations you have with me can go to the PM box... Now here's a quote:
raocow wrote:I know there is a population on Earth. They like to populate. I like to gesticulate. We're friends!
Worlds are ordered in difficulty anti-clockwise starting from the intro. So it's Emerald - Ruby - Topaz - Sapphire. Emerald Passage level 1 is a literal joke. Also one famous hôtelière level from TSRP2 is based in a level from Sapphire passage (which is the harder world by far).
Also, a note: when your time runs out in a level, the game starts draining down your money instead, so you can grab a few extra seconds if you collect lots of money. You can also make the spear-holding enemies go from yellow to blue to red (more aggressive, more money) by ground-pounding near them.
Also, your completionist spirit will mean you'll have to beat every boss much faster than the actual limit for 100% completion- you'll see when you get there.
It's a shame you aren't playing WL3 (which is my favourite entry in the series by very, very far), but I guess I can always vote for that in the next poll :'D
Oh man, the GBA, when I started gaming for real. Between WL4, Metroid Fusion, and the other lovely GBA titles, I have so much love for that era of handheld games.
Also, I love how bizarre and twisted Wario's games tend to be
Hey, raocow. Remember how you were all "WHAT" to Spoiled Rotten's 30-second time limit?
On the unlockable Super Hard mode for 100%'ing both Normal and Hard, it only gives you TEN SECONDS. And you can't take any hit whatsoever. So yeah. I don't recommend going for that hahah. OH YEAH! One other fun tidbit: Everyone's been telling you that those orbs give you an extra heart when you fill up their meter, but what no one's stating is that if you already have full hearts and fill it up, enemies stop dropping orbs and instead drop silver coins, worth 100 coins. That's pretty much the way to get a gold (BIG) crown on every level. It's like Psycho Waluigi, only instead of the requirement changing per level, it's a flat 10,000 for every level here. Strangely, Hall of Hieroglyphs is the hardest to get 10k on! Also there's no point to getting gold crowns on every level, unlike Psycho Waluigi. All they do here is unlock a karaoke version of the first Emerald Passage level's song in the sound room. And also shows you the Japanese lyrics. Which you can translate to find out the song is ABSOLUTELY INCOMPREHENSIBLE.
If you ground pound near these 2 enemies, they will change colour, and be worth more money Marumen: Purple -> Red Spearmen: Yellow -> Purple -> Red
The difference between Shoulder Charge and Head-butt Shoulder Charge A low-risk, low-reward attack. Charge forward a set amount of distance, this can be extended by jumping, and can be cancelled on the spot by moving backward. You can also jump farther while charging. You will recoil slightly whenever you hit something. Head-butt High-risk, high-reward. You must hold R for this whole attack. After building up momentum, Wario will be able to smash through enemies and dirt blocks, except the darker ones. Trying to stop will make you skid a bit. You can also jump farther.
Both attacks are equally fast. However, Shoulder Charging will be a lot of stop/starting, and Head-butting does require some space to get going. On uneven terrain though, Head-butting wins. Rolling down a slope is the fastest way to move, and is the most powerful attack. But you can't stop it.
-Banned in Antarctica
Sebby19 wrote:If your life depends on throwing up, switch to the keyboard
Guys I know you're all excited because raocow is playing a good game but don't spoil mechanics or stuff we haven't seen yet
He'll figure them out on his own and it's no fun for anyone if he already knows them beforehand.
In my defense, the game never tells you about the colour changing, you need to discover that on your own. And he did ask what is the difference between the two forward attacks.
Also, these guys are called Keyzers:
-Banned in Antarctica
Sebby19 wrote:If your life depends on throwing up, switch to the keyboard
Well, everyone else seems to saying a few useful tips about this game, so I guess I'd better point this one out before the next episode or two occurs.
Many, many water based enemies can be killed with a ground pound from a high spot even if they're otherwise immune to your attacks.
This lets you kill the crocodiles in Monsoon Jungle and the drill creature in Catbat's battle
It's not much, but it'll save a fair bit of aggravation along the line. It's a minor 'trick' that's pretty much impossible to figure out on purpose.
You might also find it slightly useful to realise that you can make an enemy jump up to the next ledge by ground pounding near it. This has its uses in a certain level of the Emerald Passage.
Either way, enjoy the game. And maybe consider reading that book at some point, because it's a really interesting break down of this game and its design.
I haven't been following raocow for quite a while, but what does he think about all the people trying to explain things to him? I mean, this is part ONE, give him a chance to figure out for himself how the game works no? Obviously one doesn't perfectly play a game after just 13 minutes. He closed the An Untitled Story comments section back then because people were telling him too much. How does he feel about this nowadays?
It's especially funny when people say things that are plain wrong, like "hold up to jump higher", which simply isn't true. It's as if people desperately try to show off their super knowledge of things.
Marumen: Purple -> Red
Spearmen: Yellow -> Purple -> Red
