Ergo, Mario getting hurt results in losing a life. Mario is a selfless hero, so we want him to succeed. Once agin, this not only makes for some fun gameplay and unique twists on platforming norms, but also shapes Wario’s character. And in one of the game’s funniest gags, eating a donut will transform our hero into Fat Wario, who can fall through floors and, despite having reduced jumping height, will launch enemies into the air when he lands back on the ground. If snow should fall on Wario, he’ll become a snowman who can roll down hills and destroy enemies and obstacles. If Wario gets smashed on the head, he becomes as flat as a pancake and can float in the air. And just like its predecessor, Wario doesn’t grab power-ups, but receives new abilities via ‘conditions’ which are inflicted upon him by enemies. The greedy Wario risks losing only his precious treasure when struck by attacks that would do in other platforming heroes.

He can charge through enemies without any worry of defeat. Like Wario Land 2 before it, Wario Land 3 sees its nefarious anti-hero as an invincible brute. While the aging process has taken away some of the game’s spectacle (especially when one remembers the far more timeless Gameboy Advance was released the following year), Wario Land 3 remains a fun platforming adventure in its own right.

It was such an improvement over the first two entries that, upon its initial release in 2000, Wario Land 3 was widely hailed as one of the best handheld games of all time. As the third installment in Wario’s initial platforming series, Wario Land 3 polished what its predecessors started, and added some new tricks of its own into the mix. Wario’s misadventures continued on the Game Boy Color with Wario Land 3.

Warioland 3 soccer boss