Software:Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

From HandWiki
Short description: 1994 video game

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
North American box art
Developer(s)Nintendo R&D1
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Hiroji Kiyotake
Takehiko Hosokawa
Producer(s)Gunpei Yokoi
Designer(s)Hiroji Kiyotake
Takehiko Hosokawa
Kenichi Sugino
Programmer(s)Masaru Yamanaka
Yuguru Ozawa
Isao Hirano
Yoshinori Katsuki
Composer(s)Ryoji Yoshitomi
Kozue Ishikawa
SeriesWario
Super Mario
Platform(s)Game Boy
Release
  • JP: January 21, 1994
  • NA: March 13, 1994
  • EU: April 28, 1994
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, known in Japan as Script error: The function "nihongo_foot" does not exist. is a 1994 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. A spin-off of the Mario series, it follows Wario, the antagonist of Software:Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992), as he travels around an island in an attempt to find the treasures necessary to purchase his own castle. The player traverses through side-scrolling levels, avoiding obstacles and jumping between platforms, while collecting coins and treasure in order to progress.

Wario Land received positive reviews from critics, lauding its length and aesthetic quality, though it garnered mixed opinions on the game's difficulty. It sold more than five million copies and established the Wario series of spin-offs and sequels. The game was re-released for the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console.

Gameplay

Wario with the Bull Helmet power-up

Wario Land features gameplay markedly different from the previous two games in the Super Mario Land series. The game takes place on a route through several themed areas, which are split into several courses, culminating in a boss fight. Wario is able to jump on or bump into enemies to knock them over. Enemies thus stunned can be picked up and thrown at other enemies. When in his grown form, Wario is also able to perform a shoulder charge, which is used to attack enemies, break through blocks and open hidden treasure chests.

There are additionally three unique helmets that Wario can obtain, with their own abilities. The Bull Helmet increases Wario's strength and doubles the length of his shoulder charge attack, allowing him to smash through blocks more easily. It also gives Wario the abilities to stick onto ceilings and perform a "butt stomp" into the ground, which stuns nearby enemies and breaks through blocks underneath him. The Jet Helmet increases Wario's running speed and lets him fly in purely horizontal directions in the air, as well as to shoulder charge underwater. Finally, the Dragon Helmet lets Wario shoot long-ranged bursts of flames both on land and underwater, which destroy enemies and blocks on contact. This attack replaces his shoulder charge so long as he wears the Dragon Helmet. Players can also collect a Starman to gain temporary invincibility. If Wario takes damage from an opponent or obstacle, he will shrink, losing his shoulder charge move, and will remain small until he collects a clove of garlic, a helmet, or reaches the end of the level. If Wario is hit while small, or is hit by an instant kill obstacle, such as pits or lava, he will lose a life and all the coins he had collected in that level.

Unlike the Super Mario series, in which coins are typically used to earn extra lives, coins in this game are instead used as currency. They can be earned by collecting them, finding them in blocks, or shoulder charging enemies. If Wario has acquired 10 or more coins in a level, he can pull out a 10-coin piece, which he can throw at enemies, and pick up again if desired. They can also be spent to open level exits, or activate checkpoints. Extra lives are earned by collecting heart points, which are earned by defeating enemies or collecting Hearts, with an extra life earned for every 100 points. At the end of each level, the player can choose to either gamble the coins they have collected in the level in a game of chance, or spend them to try and earn heart points.

Certain levels contain a locked treasure room, each of which contains a unique treasure. To acquire the treasure, the player must find the key in the level, carry it to the treasure room (Wario cannot use helmet abilities or the shoulder charge while carrying the key), break open the treasure chest, take the treasure, and finish the level. Upon finishing the game, each treasure the player has acquired is traded in for a set amount of coins. Even the least valuable treasure is worth roughly as many coins as the player would normally acquire over the entire game. The game's ending varies according to how many total coins the player has.

Plot

"Kitchen Island" redirects here. For the real-world term, see Kitchen.

After being ejected from Mario's castle in the previous game, Wario resolves to get his own castle, one even bigger and more impressive than Mario's. To fund this extravagant dream, he travels to Kitchen Island, where the Brown Sugar Pirates have hidden many treasures and coins, including a golden statue of Princess Peach, stolen from the Mushroom Kingdom. Wario intends to retrieve this statue and sell it back to Mario for the price of a castle.[1] After exploring the island, stealing the pirates' treasures, and infiltrating their Syrup Castle, Wario confronts the leader of the pirates, a female buccaneer named Captain Syrup. She summons a genie to destroy Wario, but he defeats the genie and Syrup destroys the castle with a large bomb as she escapes. In doing so, the pirates' biggest treasure is revealed: the giant gold statue of Princess Peach. However, Mario appears in a helicopter, thanks Wario and takes the statue away in front of his eyes.

Still holding the genie's lamp, Wario summons the genie and wishes for a castle. The genie tells him that he requires money to grant his wish, and so Wario gives him all the coins the player has collected over the course of the game, plus trades in all the found treasures for more coins. Exactly how well the genie grants Wario's wish depends on the final amount of coins he is given: Wario can get (from best to worst outcome) a European-style castle, a Japanese-style castle, a log cabin, a treehouse, or a tiny birdhouse. If the player collects all the treasures and has enough coins to reach the 99,999 limit, the genie will give Wario an entire planet with his face etched on its surface.

Release

Originally released for the Game Boy on January 21, 1994 in Japan.[2] a speculated December 1993 release date,[3] the game was later re-released on the Nintendo 3DS's eShop Virtual Console download service in Japan on December 14, 2011,[4] and in 2012 in Europe on February 16, and North America on July 26. The game could be downloaded along with its predecessors, Super Mario Land and Software:Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings81.00%[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM7/10, 7/10, 7/10, 7/10[6]
Famitsu6/10, 6/10, 6/10, 7/10[2]
GamePro18.5/20[7]
IGN7.9/10[11]
Jeuxvideo.com16/20[10]
Nintendo Life9/10[9]
Power Unlimited85%[8]

In the United States, it was the top-selling Game Boy game in March[12] and April 1994.[13] By 1997, 4 million units had been sold worldwide.[14] The game has sold 5.19 million copies worldwide to date.[15]

In Weekly Famicom Tsūshin, the four reviewers gave mixed opinions on whether the game was appropriately difficult or not for an action game. Two reviews felt that Wario moved a bit too slow in the game while another two said it lacked the freshness of the Mario games with one preferring Super Mario Land. The fourth reviewer found the game to be surprisingly fun, and admired small details within the game like the save data being erased with a bomb.[2]

Game Informer's Ben Reeves called it the 13th best Game Boy game and called it the most successful spin-off from the Mario series.[16] In the United Kingdom, it was the top-selling Game Boy game for three months in 1994, from May to July.[17][18][19]

GamePro named it the best Game Boy game at the 1994 Consumer Electronics Show, praising the new power-ups and the multiple endings.[20] In their later review, they deemed the game faster, more challenging, and more fun than its hand-held predecessors. They particularly commented that the backgrounds were not as cluttered as in the previous games, making the action easier to follow, that the music was less obtrusive, and that the sprites were better detailed.[7] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it a unanimous 7 out of 10, criticizing that the game is too easy but praising the new power-ups and strong graphics.[6] Power Unlimited gave the game a review score of 85%, describing it addictive, long and varied, and called it a worthy successor to the first two Super Mario Land titles.[8]

Pocket Gamer awarded the Virtual Console re-release a 9 out of 10.[21] Nintendo Life similarly awarded the game 9 out of 10, praising the game as one of the best platforming games for the Game Boy system.[9]

Legacy

Wario Land, the sequel to Software:Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, was designed to promote Wario to a starring role and expand the Mario universe. Wario Land spawned five popular sequels: Virtual Boy Wario Land, Wario Land II, Wario Land 3, Wario Land 4, and Software:Wario Land: Shake It!. Other Wario titles have been released following the success of Wario Land, including Wario World, Software:Wario: Master of Disguise, and the WarioWare Inc. series.

Several Mario spin-off titles have referenced the original Wario Land. In Mario's Super Picross, Bull Wario, Dragon Wario, and Small Wario appear in the background of the Wario stage selection screens. Subsequently, in Picross 2, Wario is depicted wearing his safari helmet that was introduced in this title. Similarly, Wario's Amiibo board map in Mario Party 10 features his safari helmet as a background element. In Mario Kart 7, Wario's bull transformation appears as a billboard on the Wario Shipyard racetrack. Additionally, the music track of this course is based on the main theme of Wario Land.

Notes

References

  1. ↑ "Basic Information". Wario Land: SML3 (Electronic manual). Nintendo. c. 2012. p. 2. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Tsūshin, Hamamura; Uchisawa, Goro; Watanabe, Miki; Chuji, Giorgio (February 18, 1994). "New Games Cross Review" (in Japanese). Weekly Famicom Tsūshin (ASCII Corporation) (270): 37. 
  3. ↑ "CES Quick Hits - Wario Land (Nintendo". GamePro (IDG) (49): 48. August 1993. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_049_August_1993/page/n49/mode/1up. 
  4. ↑ Wahlgren, Jon (September 28, 2011). "Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 Steals an OFLC Rating". https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2011/09/wario_land_super_mario_land_3_steals_an_oflc_rating. 
  5. ↑ "Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3". CBS Interactive. http://www.gamerankings.com/gameboy/563296-super-mario-land-3-wario-land/index.html. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Semdrad, Ed; Carpenter, Danyon; Manuel, Al; Sushi-X (April 1994). "Review Crew: Wario Land". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) 7 (57): 46. https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/735ec927-7a71-41f9-a89f-40e64b7bc842. Retrieved November 13, 2025. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "ProReview: Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3". GamePro (International Data Group) (59): 140–142. June 1994. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Power Unlimited Game Database" (in nl). November 1994. Archived from the original on September 8, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030908181318/http://www.powerweb.nl/database/index.php?&query%5border%5d=platform&ending=DESC&query%5bstart%5d=3820. Retrieved November 22, 2022. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Dillard, Corbie (February 17, 2012). "Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3". sec. Conclusion. http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/gameboy/wario_land_super_mario_land_3. 
  10. ↑ Unknown, Pargonis (January 8, 2010). "Test de Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 sur GB par jeuxvideo.com". https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00012032-super-mario-land-3-wario-land-test.htm. 
  11. ↑ Fahs, Travis (2008-07-25). "Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 Retro Review" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/07/25/wario-land-super-mario-land-3-retro-review. 
  12. ↑ "EGM's Hot Top Tens". Electronic Gaming Monthly: 46. May 1994. https://retrocdn.net/images/9/92/EGM_US_058.pdf. Retrieved October 19, 2021. 
  13. ↑ "EGM's Hot Top Tens". Electronic Gaming Monthly: 48. June 1994. https://retrocdn.net/images/8/8e/EGM_US_059.pdf. 
  14. ↑ Rothstein, Edward (December 8, 1997). "Nintendo's Game Boy lives as nostalgia for simpler computer games catches on". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/08/business/technology-connections-nintendo-s-game-boy-lives-nostalgia-for-simpler-computer.html. 
  15. ↑ 2021CESAゲーム白書 (2021 CESA Games White Papers). Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association. 2021. ISBN 978-4-902346-43-5. 
  16. ↑ Reeves, Ben (2011-06-24). "The 25 Best Game Boy Games Of All Time". Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/04/21/the-25-best-game-boy-games-of-all-time.aspx. Retrieved 2013-12-06. 
  17. ↑ "Chart Attack with HMV". Computer & Video Games (Future plc) (152 (July 1994)): 126–128. 15 June 1994. https://retrocdn.net/images/4/45/CVG_UK_152.pdf. Retrieved September 15, 2021. 
  18. ↑ "Chart Attack with HMV". Computer & Video Games (Future plc) (153 (August 1994)): 126–128. 15 July 1994. https://retrocdn.net/images/6/61/CVG_UK_153.pdf. Retrieved September 15, 2021. 
  19. ↑ "Chart Attack with HMV". Computer & Video Games (Future plc) (154 (September 1994)): 112–113. 15 August 1994. https://retrocdn.net/images/8/8c/CVG_UK_154.pdf. Retrieved September 15, 2021. 
  20. ↑ "CES Showstoppers". GamePro (International Data Group) (57): 74–81. April 1994. 
  21. ↑ Rose, Mike (2012-04-23). "Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3". Pocket Gamer (Steel Media). http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/3DS/Wario+Land%3A+Super+Mario+Land+3/review.asp?c=40051. Retrieved 2015-05-26. 
  • Official website
  • Official website Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.





Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Wario_Land:_Super_Mario_Land_3&oldid=4216671"