Wario Land 4

Wario, obviously the master of philanthropy, hears about a special Pyramid of Gold that contains a wealth of treasure ripe for the picking. On entering though, he discovers that things may not be as simple as he first imagined. Wario must be guided through twenty different themed levels, partake in various mini-games, and overcome some decidedly difficult temple guardians in order to reach his goal. And so the adventure begins...

 

Despite being released at such an early stage in the GBA's existence, you wouldn't guess that this was a first generation game. Anyone who has played Yoshi's Island on either the SNES (or now the GBA) will appreciate just how gorgeous the graphics are in this game as they are in the same mould as said title. 'Deceptively childish' is probably the best way to describe them - bright and colourful characters and backgrounds, playful and humorous animations, yet all the while totally absorbing. Compare this with some of the first third-party GBA offerings and you will understand why I say they should hang their heads in shame

 

"But it looks just like a Mario game!" I hear you holler. That, my friend, is where I tell you that you are wrong and start laughing maniacally...*Mwah-hahahah!!* Okay, I've been playing this game far too much! Admittedly yes, maybe it does seem like a Mario title. You start the game in what is basically a very intuitive training level

 

Innovation is the key word throughout the game and it shows that despite what some people would say, Miyamoto-san is not the only talented person to be found at Nintendo.

Twenty tasking levels, numerous mini-games, difficult bosses and hidden secrets all culminate to make this a package one that will keep you going for a fair old while. Not the longest game you'll ever come across, but hey, that didn't stop Metroid Fusion from being many people's game of 2002 now, did it?