Since a few years back, if you think of Wario, the first thing that pops into your head is garlic. The second would be microgames. Shouldn't it be platforming? After the fun, but overlooked Wario World and the disappointingly mediocre Wario: Master of Disguise, Nintendo finally takes the character back to its roots with Wario Land: The Shake Dimension. It might be risky to release a 2D platformer for a home console considering it's basically a dead genre, but in time at all you realise it was totally worth it.

While we are not the kind to value graphics over gameplay, the sheer beauty and liveliness that Wario Land breathes makes the game's visuals, made by the talented folks at Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, The Prince of Tennis), one of the title's highest points. The game doesn't just stop at animated cutscenes either - everything is hand drawn, making for stunning levels that maintain a great deal of variety, whether they're lavish jungles, a casino, Asian temples or a Wild West train (a homage to Wario Land 2). All characters, from the tiniest of minions to the most massive of bosses, not forgetting Wario himself are very detailed and colourful with tons of personality. The animation is especially brilliant, filled with all sorts of details with no punches pulled: everything moves and it does so beautifully. It's always hilarious to watch Wario catch on fire or running into a wall at high speed, but it's also hard not to feel sorry for some enemies, like chickens, rendered featherless by a good shaking (well, they were asking for it anyway).

Looks like Wario is trying to catch his dinner.

The only problem with the visuals is that, despite the game running in 16:9 mode, the gameplay itself is 4:3 with the sides of the TV being occupied by bars with statistics (these aren't static, so don't worry about burn in). Whether the reason for this is due to the fact that 2D platform games are usually designed in 4:3 or not, it's still a flaw in the otherwise impeccable presentation of the game and possibly the only flaw that can be attributed to the graphics. You can always set your Wii to 4:3 mode and let the TV stretch the image, which works fine, but it's a bothersome solution, if it can even be called that. Accompanying the colourful graphics is a soundtrack that matches the game perfectly, with no pretensions, just very hummable tunes as expected from the genre, with catchy jazzy tracks always exuding lightheartedness and fun. The sound effects are of course about being silly and funny, like Wario's grunts or the Tom and Jerry like sounds that occur when he's sliding on his huge belly.

Fear not though, these aren't the games only strong points - with the gameplay rising to the occasion and living up to the series' name. The game structure is a little more in line with the Wario Land titles, more inclined to platforming than puzzling, focusing less on transformations and props and more on the thrills of jumping. The premise is a simple and common one, five worlds with five levels each, you reach the end of a level, free a critter called a Merfle and run back to the beginning. After finishing all levels in a world, you face a boss, finish him off, buy a map with the money you collected and go to another world. Wario keeps the heart life gauge he gained in Wario Land 4, but he's still pretty much invincible, the classic in Wario Land games, with most enemies bouncing off him and losing becoming only more probable on some bosses.

Isn't he more likely to lose a bunch of coins shaking the bag like that?

So, reading this description, it seems like a run of the mill platformer and while for all intents and purposes it is, it simply excels at what it does. Despite the fact that you're hard pressed to lose and the end of most levels can be reached easily, those who want a challenge can certainly find it in this game, with several hidden paths leading to money or treasure requiring skill, experimentation, good reflexes and knowledge of the levels. The game encourages players to go the extra mile, not only because all the levels have three hidden treasure chests in it, but because they also have different objectives that can be achieved. These objectives are varied: finishing the level in record time, getting at least a certain amount of coins, defeating a hidden rare enemy and even some odd ones, like avoiding water at all costs (sounds typical of Wario) and so on. Having to go back to the beginning of a level once you reach its end sounds like boring backtracking, but thankfully it isn't due to the looming countdown, the inaccessible old paths, the newly opened ones and the treasures and objectives that can only be reached on the way back.

If that isn't enough, maps to secret levels are also hidden in some stages and music tracks as well as heart upgrades can be bought. So, even if the main game can be finished in a short time, whether you're trying to figure out how to catch that seemingly unattainable treasure or trying to complete level challenges, Wario Land makes sure you keep coming back for more, making the game worth your money.

Goodness gracious, great balls of Fire!

Controlling Wario with the Wii remote on its side, classic moves like the shoulder tackle and the butt stomp make their expected appearance alongside with a few new tricks: by flicking the remote up or down, the greedy brute punches the ground with all his strength, shaking the whole screen to stun enemies or make certain items bounce, among other things. Throwing picked up items is also handled by tilting the remote to point to the desired direction, not unlike the Yoshi Island games. Still, the game isn't just jumping and tackling, the classic, yet original Wario Land stunts are still there: a car with a boxing glove, flying vehicles controlled by tilt, a gadget that makes Wario run really fast allowing him to break certain obstacles and the usual masochist requirements, like catching on fire to burn down an obstacle. Wario Land: The Shake Dimension may not bring anything revolutionary to the table, but it plays wonderfully.

So, in the end, what makes this game such good clean fun, asides from the humour, the beautifully colourful graphics, the catchy tunes and the great gameplay? It's that none of its special and unique traits are overused, conserving their said uniqueness. Vehicles don't appear again and again, while the tilt and shake functions are tastefully and sporadically used, feeling natural and fluid instead of intrusive. All the other little quirks never overshadow the core of the game, making Wario Land: The Shake Dimension exactly what it should be; a game that throws you back to the days where you immediately had fun and enjoyed yourself playing videogames.
Revolutionary? Hardly. Great? Definitely.