Wario
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character
in Nintendo
's Mario
series. The character was designed as another antagonist
to Mario
(besides Bowser), and first appeared in the 1992
Game Boy
title Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
as the main antagonist and final boss
. He was portrayed as an exaggerated version of Mario and his name is a variant of Mario's name (as shown by the W in his name, which is an upside down M that portrays him as an upside down Mario). Wario was first designed by Hiroji Kiyotake
, and is voiced by Charles Martinet
, who also voices many other characters in the series
Since his debut, Wario has appeared as protagonist
and antihero of the Wario Land and WarioWare series in addition to many appearances in games in the Mario series such as Super Mario 64 DS
and Yoshi's Island DS. He has also appeared in other media such as the Super Mario Adventures
graphic novel.
in the form of Spike, a construction foreman. Although Spike bears a slight resemblance, Wario was not to receive his true debut until 1992. The first named appearance of the character occurred in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
where he was designed by game artist Hiroji Kiyotake
, who was also responsible for designing Samus Aran
of Metroid
. The motive for Wario's design arose from the distaste of Super Mario Land
's design team towards designing a game based around someone else's character. The creation of Wario allowed them a character of their own to "symbolize their situation".
Wario is portrayed as an exaggerated version of Mario; he has huge, muscular arms, a large moustache
, and a bellicose cackle. The name Wario is a portmanteau of Mario's name with the Japanese adjective warui (悪い) meaning "bad"; hence, a "bad Mario" (further symbolized by the "W" on his hat, an upside down "M"). When asked by fans if this meant Wario is a full-on bad guy, Kiyotake established that Wario was an anti-hero, stating that "Wario will ally himself with Mario when the consequences call for it, but being the famous plumbers more naive and thick-headed cousin, he usually only does things his way and only wants to accomplish his goals." Voice actor Charles Martinet
, who had voiced Mario since 1987, auditioned to provide the voice for Wario in 1993. Martinet was told to speak in a mean and gruff voice, and described voicing Wario as a looser task than voicing Mario, since Mario's voice and personality is free-flowing, coming from the ground and floating into the air, while one of Wario's cornerstones is self-pity. Starting with Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land, Wario experiences rejuvenating effects from garlic. The character is also often seen making use of bombs, as in Wario Land and Wario Blast. The WarioWare series prominently uses bombs as a visual motif in every microgame to represent the time limit.
In video games in which Wario makes a cameo appearance, he is often portrayed as a villain. However, the development team for Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
stated that he was not really a villain, and they did not consider this during development. They focused on his behavior, which alternates between good or evil. Etsunobu Ebisu
, a producer of The Shake Dimension, considers Wario to be a reckless character, who uses his strength to overwhelm others. Tadanori Tsukawaki, the design director of The Shake Dimension, described Wario as manly, and said he was "so uncool that he ends up being extremely cool". Because of this, he wished for Wario to come off as macho rather than silly, and requested that the art designers emphasize his masculinity. Wario was chosen as the star of the WarioWare series
because the developers felt it was the best character for the franchise, in particular for frequently acting stupid.
video game Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, having captured Mario's castle. He appeared yet again in the role of a villain in the Japan-only puzzle game Mario & Wario in 1993, where he drops a bucket on top of either Mario, Princess Peach
, or Yoshi
's head. This was followed by the first game in the Wario Land series, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
(1994), a platform game
which marked Wario's first appearance as a protagonist and introduced his first villains, Captain Syrup and her Brown Sugar Pirates. His next adventure, 1995's Virtual Boy Wario Land
, plays similarly, and incorporates the ability to move in and out of the background. A sequel for the Game Boy title, Wario Land II
, was later released in 1998, in which Captain Syrup returned as the antagonist. This game also introduces Wario's invulnerability, allowing him to be burnt or flattened without sustaining damage. The Game Boy Color
saw the release of another sequel in 2000, Wario Land 3
, which used the same mechanics and concepts of its predecessor. The following year, the sequel Wario Land 4
debuted on the Game Boy Advance
, incorporating Wario's ability to become burnt or flattened, but reintroducing the ability to become damaged from standard attacks. In 2004, Wario World
, the first console Wario platforming title, was released for the Nintendo GameCube
; featuring three-dimensional graphics and gameplay, it did not use any major elements from previous platforming titles. Wario: Master of Disguise
was released for the Nintendo DS
in the 2007, using the touch screen for movement and incorporating puzzles into the gameplay. The most recent release in the series is Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
, which was released for the Wii
in 2008 and reintroduced Captain Syrup. The game uses a hand-drawn animation style, and Wario's design alone required more than 2,000 frames of animation. He also made an appearance in "Super Mario 64" for the DS, where he isn't the enemy, but the opossite, as one of the heroes.
, which due to a tilt sensor on the cartridge allows microgames to be controlled by tilting the handheld left and right, and the Nintendo DS release WarioWare: Touched!
, incorporating both the DS's touch screen and microphone in the gameplay. One of the Wii's launch games in 2006 was WarioWare: Smooth Moves
, whose gameplay uses the Wii Remote
's motion sensing technologies in a variety of ways. The Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi
have seen two new releases, 2008's WarioWare: Snapped!
, which is available to download in the DSiWare service and uses the DSi's built-in front camera in its gameplay, and the 2009 Nintendo DS game WarioWare D.I.Y., which allows players to create their own microgames.
, Wario appears as the main antagonist who wants to take over the woods, before being defeated by Toad
. That same year Wario was also featured in the video game Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!
, a remake of a Bomberman
title for the Game Boy which incorporated Wario as a playable character. Starting with Mario Kart 64
, Wario has appeared in twenty Mario sports games, including the Mario Tennis
, Mario Golf, Mario Baseball
, Mario Strikers
, and Mario & Sonic
series. Wario has also appeared in all installments of the Mario Party series but Mario Party Advance
. Wario is a playable character in two platformer remakes for the Nintendo DS, Super Mario 64 DS
(2004) and Yoshi's Island DS (2006), as well as the 2001 puzzle game Dr. Mario 64
, and the 2008 fighting game Super Smash Bros. Brawl
. In Brawls predecessor Super Smash Bros. Melee
, Wario is featured as a collectible trophy. Amongst the cameos of Wario are one aiding protagonist Scoots in the video game Densetsu no Stafy 3
, and in the scenery of Pilotwings 64
.
The Super Mario Adventures graphic novel, which is a collection of comics originally serialized in Nintendo Power
, features Wario in two of the stories. It features a variety of storylines, including a story of Wario's past explaining his rivalry with Mario.
described Wario as a "pretty uncool dude" which they "cannot help but like", and also listed him as having one of the best mustaches in Nintendo games. Computer and Video Games
found the levity of Wario's games "liberating" compared to big Nintendo franchises such as Mario and The Legend of Zelda
, and that regarding the character, "perhaps secretly we empathise more with the hopelessly materialistic Wario than goody brown-shoes Mario. Deep down, we'd all rather chase pounds
over princesses." IGN
editor Travis Fahs commented that while Wario was not the most likeable character, he has incredible confidence that overshadows his flaws and makes him entertaining. The website later ranked Wario 31st in a list of the "Top 100 Videogame Villains". In the book A Parent's Guide to Nintendo Games: A Comprehensive Look at the Systems and the Games, author Craig Wessel described Wario as a "sinister twist" on Mario. In the book Icons of Horror and the Supernatural: An Encyclopedia of Our Worst Nightmares, Volume 1, author S. T. Joshi cites both Waluigi and Wario as examples of alter egos, also as evidence of how popular it is to feature such character archetypes.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's Mario
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
series. The character was designed as another antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
to Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
(besides Bowser), and first appeared in the 1992
1992 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:* Gremlin Graphics releases Zool, Amiga's answer to Mario and Sonic. It goes on to become the best selling Commodore Amiga game, boosting the already popular computer to be the leading gaming machine in Europe....
Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
title Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
is a platforming video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1992, in North America on November 2, 1992, and in Europe on January 28, 1993...
as the main antagonist and final boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
. He was portrayed as an exaggerated version of Mario and his name is a variant of Mario's name (as shown by the W in his name, which is an upside down M that portrays him as an upside down Mario). Wario was first designed by Hiroji Kiyotake
Hiroji Kiyotake
Hiroji Kiyotake is a game designer for Nintendo. He is the original designer of Wario. Kiyotake is one of the directors and graphic designers of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, making him one of the key people in the introduction of the character Wario and...
, and is voiced by Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet is an American actor and voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Mario, the titular character in Nintendo's flagship video game franchise. He has held this role since 1994, longer than any other actor. He also voices Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Toadsworth, and a select few...
, who also voices many other characters in the series
Since his debut, Wario has appeared as protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
and antihero of the Wario Land and WarioWare series in addition to many appearances in games in the Mario series such as Super Mario 64 DS
Super Mario 64 DS
is an enhanced remake of the 1996 Nintendo 64, platform game Super Mario 64, produced by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was a launch title for the Nintendo DS, released in North America and Japan in 2004; it was later released in Europe and Australia in 2005.Nintendo...
and Yoshi's Island DS. He has also appeared in other media such as the Super Mario Adventures
Super Mario Adventures
is an anthology of comics that ran in Nintendo Power magazine throughout 1992, featuring the characters from Nintendo's Mario series and based loosely on Super Mario World. Charlie Nozawa, the artist who created the comics, is also known by the pen name Tamakichi Sakura...
graphic novel.
Concept and creation
A rival to Mario first appeared in the 1985 game Wrecking CrewWrecking Crew (video game)
is a action game developed and published by Nintendo. It was designed by Yoshio Sakamoto and released as a launch title for the Nintendo Entertainment System.-Gameplay:...
in the form of Spike, a construction foreman. Although Spike bears a slight resemblance, Wario was not to receive his true debut until 1992. The first named appearance of the character occurred in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
is a platforming video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1992, in North America on November 2, 1992, and in Europe on January 28, 1993...
where he was designed by game artist Hiroji Kiyotake
Hiroji Kiyotake
Hiroji Kiyotake is a game designer for Nintendo. He is the original designer of Wario. Kiyotake is one of the directors and graphic designers of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, making him one of the key people in the introduction of the character Wario and...
, who was also responsible for designing Samus Aran
Samus Aran
is the protagonist of the Metroid video game series. Introduced in the 1986 video game Metroid, Samus is a female ex-army soldier bounty hunter usually fitted with a powered armor suit with weapons that include beams and missiles...
of Metroid
Metroid
is an action-adventure video game, and the first entry in the Metroid series. It was co-developed by Nintendo's Research and Development 1 division and Intelligent Systems, and was released in Japan in August 1986, in North America in August 1987, and in Europe in January 1988...
. The motive for Wario's design arose from the distaste of Super Mario Land
Super Mario Land
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld game console. It and the Game Boy debuted in Japan on April 21, 1989, in the United States on July 31, 1989, and in Europe on September 28, 1990...
's design team towards designing a game based around someone else's character. The creation of Wario allowed them a character of their own to "symbolize their situation".
Wario is portrayed as an exaggerated version of Mario; he has huge, muscular arms, a large moustache
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
, and a bellicose cackle. The name Wario is a portmanteau of Mario's name with the Japanese adjective warui (悪い) meaning "bad"; hence, a "bad Mario" (further symbolized by the "W" on his hat, an upside down "M"). When asked by fans if this meant Wario is a full-on bad guy, Kiyotake established that Wario was an anti-hero, stating that "Wario will ally himself with Mario when the consequences call for it, but being the famous plumbers more naive and thick-headed cousin, he usually only does things his way and only wants to accomplish his goals." Voice actor Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet is an American actor and voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Mario, the titular character in Nintendo's flagship video game franchise. He has held this role since 1994, longer than any other actor. He also voices Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Toadsworth, and a select few...
, who had voiced Mario since 1987, auditioned to provide the voice for Wario in 1993. Martinet was told to speak in a mean and gruff voice, and described voicing Wario as a looser task than voicing Mario, since Mario's voice and personality is free-flowing, coming from the ground and floating into the air, while one of Wario's cornerstones is self-pity. Starting with Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land, Wario experiences rejuvenating effects from garlic. The character is also often seen making use of bombs, as in Wario Land and Wario Blast. The WarioWare series prominently uses bombs as a visual motif in every microgame to represent the time limit.
In video games in which Wario makes a cameo appearance, he is often portrayed as a villain. However, the development team for Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension, known as Wario Land: Shake It! in North America and as in Japan, is a video game for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth game to be released in the Wario Land series. It is also the first home console Wario Land game and the first new Wario Land game in...
stated that he was not really a villain, and they did not consider this during development. They focused on his behavior, which alternates between good or evil. Etsunobu Ebisu
Etsunobu Ebisu
Etsunobu Ebisu is a video game producer at Konami. His work includes Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon. He is now employed at Good-Feel, known for developing Wario Land: The Shake Dimension.-External links:...
, a producer of The Shake Dimension, considers Wario to be a reckless character, who uses his strength to overwhelm others. Tadanori Tsukawaki, the design director of The Shake Dimension, described Wario as manly, and said he was "so uncool that he ends up being extremely cool". Because of this, he wished for Wario to come off as macho rather than silly, and requested that the art designers emphasize his masculinity. Wario was chosen as the star of the WarioWare series
Wario (series)
The series is a series of video games created by Nintendo starring the character Wario. It started with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, the first game with Wario as a playable character, and gained many sequels. The Wario series includes mostly platforming video games and minigame compilations,...
because the developers felt it was the best character for the franchise, in particular for frequently acting stupid.
Wario Land series
Wario made his first appearance as a villain in the 1992 Game BoyGame Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
video game Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, having captured Mario's castle. He appeared yet again in the role of a villain in the Japan-only puzzle game Mario & Wario in 1993, where he drops a bucket on top of either Mario, Princess Peach
Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario series of video games. She is the Princess of the fictitious Mushroom Kingdom, and often plays the damsel in distress role within the adventure series. In 2007, Princess Peach landed on Forbes magazine's Wealthiest Fictional People list, with a fortune upwards of...
, or Yoshi
Yoshi
, is a fictional dragon-like character who appears in video games published by Nintendo. His debut was in Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Mario and Luigi's sidekick , and he later established his own series with several platform and puzzle games, including Super...
's head. This was followed by the first game in the Wario Land series, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, known in Japan as , is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo on the Game Boy in 1994. It is the first video game to feature Wario as both a playable character and the main character, as well as the first appearance of Captain Syrup and her Brown Sugar...
(1994), a platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
which marked Wario's first appearance as a protagonist and introduced his first villains, Captain Syrup and her Brown Sugar Pirates. His next adventure, 1995's Virtual Boy Wario Land
Virtual Boy Wario Land
Virtual Boy Wario Land, known in Japan as , was released by Nintendo for its ill-fated Virtual Boy system in 1995. It stars Wario in a platforming adventure quite similar to most of his other starring roles....
, plays similarly, and incorporates the ability to move in and out of the background. A sequel for the Game Boy title, Wario Land II
Wario Land II
Wario Land II, known as in Japan, is a video game released for the Game Boy in 1998. It was the last first-party title made for the Game Boy and was later remade to take advantage of the Game Boy Color hardware...
, was later released in 1998, in which Captain Syrup returned as the antagonist. This game also introduces Wario's invulnerability, allowing him to be burnt or flattened without sustaining damage. The Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
saw the release of another sequel in 2000, Wario Land 3
Wario Land 3
Wario Land 3 garnered tremendous critical acclaim upon release. GameSpot granted the game a score of 9.8/10 and stated, "As far as platformers go, Wario Land 3 is a game that fires on all cylinders." IGN gave it an outstanding rating of 9.0/10...
, which used the same mechanics and concepts of its predecessor. The following year, the sequel Wario Land 4
Wario Land 4
Wario Land 4, known as in Japan, is a video game released for the Game Boy Advance system in 2001. In this game, Wario has to gather four treasures to unlock a pyramid and save Princess Shokora from The Golden Diva...
debuted on the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, incorporating Wario's ability to become burnt or flattened, but reintroducing the ability to become damaged from standard attacks. In 2004, Wario World
Wario World
is a platform game developed by Treasure and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Europe on June 20, 2003, in North America on June 23, 2003, in Australia on July 10, 2003, and in Japan on May 27, 2004. It marks Wario's first starring appearance on a home games console...
, the first console Wario platforming title, was released for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
; featuring three-dimensional graphics and gameplay, it did not use any major elements from previous platforming titles. Wario: Master of Disguise
Wario: Master of Disguise
Wario: Master of Disguise, known in Japan as , is a platforming video game developed by Suzak, and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. The game was released on January 18, 2007 in Japan, and was released on March 5 in North America. The game's Japanese title...
was released for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
in the 2007, using the touch screen for movement and incorporating puzzles into the gameplay. The most recent release in the series is Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension, known as Wario Land: Shake It! in North America and as in Japan, is a video game for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth game to be released in the Wario Land series. It is also the first home console Wario Land game and the first new Wario Land game in...
, which was released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in 2008 and reintroduced Captain Syrup. The game uses a hand-drawn animation style, and Wario's design alone required more than 2,000 frames of animation. He also made an appearance in "Super Mario 64" for the DS, where he isn't the enemy, but the opossite, as one of the heroes.
WarioWare series
In 2003, the Wario franchise introduced a new series of games, starting with WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! for the Game Boy Advance. The premise involved Wario's decision to open a game development company to make money, creating short "microgames" as opposed to full-fledged games. The gameplay of the title involved playing a collection of said microgames in quick succession. Mega Microgames! was later remade as WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games! for the GameCube, featuring the same microgames, but lacking a story mode and focused more on multi-player. In 2004, two sequels were released for the game, the Game Boy Advance title WarioWare: Twisted!WarioWare: Twisted!
WarioWare: Twisted!, known in Japan as is a video game for Game Boy Advance by Nintendo. The game is of a variety and puzzle genre. It was released on October 14, 2004 in Japan, May 23, 2005 in North America, and May 19, 2005 in Australia. It was not released in Europe, despite having been...
, which due to a tilt sensor on the cartridge allows microgames to be controlled by tilting the handheld left and right, and the Nintendo DS release WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!, known in Japan as , is a video game for the Nintendo DS. It has been regarded by game journalists as one of the games which best utilizes the features of the Nintendo DS, alongside others such as Kirby: Canvas Curse, Nintendogs, and Metroid Prime Hunters.-Gameplay:The gameplay...
, incorporating both the DS's touch screen and microphone in the gameplay. One of the Wii's launch games in 2006 was WarioWare: Smooth Moves
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
WarioWare: Smooth Moves, known in Japan as , is a party video game developed by Nintendo SPD and Intelligent Systems. The game was published by Nintendo for its Wii video game system in Japan in December 2006, and in Europe, North America, and Australia in January 2007...
, whose gameplay uses the Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
's motion sensing technologies in a variety of ways. The Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi
Nintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
have seen two new releases, 2008's WarioWare: Snapped!
WarioWare: Snapped!
WarioWare: Snapped!, known in Japan as is a mini-game compilation developed by Nintendo SPD Group No.1 and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DSi's DSiWare digital distribution service, and is part of the WarioWare series of video games. It is the sixth game in the...
, which is available to download in the DSiWare service and uses the DSi's built-in front camera in its gameplay, and the 2009 Nintendo DS game WarioWare D.I.Y., which allows players to create their own microgames.
Other appearances
In 1994's Wario's WoodsWario's Woods
is a puzzle game, developed and published by Nintendo, for both the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The NES version was released in Japan on February 19, 1994, and both versions were released simultaneously in North America on December 10, 1994...
, Wario appears as the main antagonist who wants to take over the woods, before being defeated by Toad
Toad (Mario)
Toad, known in Japan as , is a fictional character belonging to an anthropomorphic mushroom-like species of the same name in the Mario series, created by Shigeru Miyamoto. A citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad is one of Princess Peach's most loyal attendants and is constantly working on her behalf...
. That same year Wario was also featured in the video game Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!
Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!
Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!, known in Japan as , is a Game Boy game published in 1994 by Nintendo and developed by Hudson Soft. It is a crossover between Nintendo's Wario franchise and Hudson's signature Bomberman franchise. It is much more of a Bomberman game than a Wario game despite Wario...
, a remake of a Bomberman
Bomberman
Bomberman is a strategic, maze-based computer and video game franchise originally developed by Hudson Soft. The original game was published in 1983 and new games in the series are still being published to this day. Today, the commercially successful Bomberman is featured in over 70 different games...
title for the Game Boy which incorporated Wario as a playable character. Starting with Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart 64
is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second installment in the Mario Kart series. It was released in 1996 in Japan and in 1997 in North America and Europe. In January 2007, Mario Kart 64 was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console service for the Wii...
, Wario has appeared in twenty Mario sports games, including the Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis, known in Japan as , is a sports video game developed by Camelot and Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in the summer of 2000, and released in Europe later in November. It is the first tennis-based game starring Mario since...
, Mario Golf, Mario Baseball
Mario Superstar Baseball
Mario Superstar Baseball, known in Japan as is a sports game that was developed by Namco and NOW Production and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005. The game was created in the vein of other Mario sports games such as Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Power Tennis. This game...
, Mario Strikers
Super Mario Strikers
Super Mario Strikers, known as Mario Smash Football in Europe and Australia, is a five-a-side football game developed by Next Level Games for the Nintendo GameCube. The game was released in Europe and North America in late 2005, and in Japan and Australia in 2006...
, and Mario & Sonic
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, known in Japan as , is a sports video game developed by the Sega Sports R&D Department of Sega Japan. It was published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America, Europe and all other regions. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic...
series. Wario has also appeared in all installments of the Mario Party series but Mario Party Advance
Mario Party Advance
Mario Party Advance had generally mixed reviews. While the game contains a large number of minigames and unlockables, reviewers decried the game's tendency to punish players based on random chance, rebuked the game for lack of innovation in the minigames, and expressed concerns about the game's...
. Wario is a playable character in two platformer remakes for the Nintendo DS, Super Mario 64 DS
Super Mario 64 DS
is an enhanced remake of the 1996 Nintendo 64, platform game Super Mario 64, produced by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was a launch title for the Nintendo DS, released in North America and Japan in 2004; it was later released in Europe and Australia in 2005.Nintendo...
(2004) and Yoshi's Island DS (2006), as well as the 2001 puzzle game Dr. Mario 64
Dr. Mario 64
Dr. Mario 64 is a puzzle game based on the original Dr. Mario. It was developed and published by Nintendo, released for the Nintendo 64 in 2001, and is an enhanced remake of the original Dr. Mario, which was released for the NES and Game Boy in 1990.Originally, it was released only in North America...
, and the 2008 fighting game Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
. In Brawls predecessor Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
, Wario is featured as a collectible trophy. Amongst the cameos of Wario are one aiding protagonist Scoots in the video game Densetsu no Stafy 3
Densetsu no Stafy 3
is a platforming video game developed by TOSE and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance only in Japan on August 5, 2004. It is the third game in the The Legendary Starfy series, as well as the third and last title of the series ever developed and released for the Game Boy Advance...
, and in the scenery of Pilotwings 64
Pilotwings 64
is a video game for the Nintendo 64, originally released in 1996 along with the debut of the console. The game was co-developed by Nintendo and the American visual technology group Paradigm Simulation. It was one of three launch titles for the Nintendo 64 in Japan as well as Europe and one of two...
.
The Super Mario Adventures graphic novel, which is a collection of comics originally serialized in Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
, features Wario in two of the stories. It features a variety of storylines, including a story of Wario's past explaining his rivalry with Mario.
Reception
Since his appearance in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Wario has become a well-established mascot for Nintendo, and also received a largely positive critical reception. The video gaming magazine Nintendo PowerNintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
described Wario as a "pretty uncool dude" which they "cannot help but like", and also listed him as having one of the best mustaches in Nintendo games. Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
found the levity of Wario's games "liberating" compared to big Nintendo franchises such as Mario and The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
, and that regarding the character, "perhaps secretly we empathise more with the hopelessly materialistic Wario than goody brown-shoes Mario. Deep down, we'd all rather chase pounds
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
over princesses." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
editor Travis Fahs commented that while Wario was not the most likeable character, he has incredible confidence that overshadows his flaws and makes him entertaining. The website later ranked Wario 31st in a list of the "Top 100 Videogame Villains". In the book A Parent's Guide to Nintendo Games: A Comprehensive Look at the Systems and the Games, author Craig Wessel described Wario as a "sinister twist" on Mario. In the book Icons of Horror and the Supernatural: An Encyclopedia of Our Worst Nightmares, Volume 1, author S. T. Joshi cites both Waluigi and Wario as examples of alter egos, also as evidence of how popular it is to feature such character archetypes.