Everyone has their favorite developers out there. I generally consider Treasure to be my top pick out of everyone out. Over the years they continue to buck trends and blend genres better than anyone out there I can think of. Treasure made my favorite game of all time with Gunstar Heroes on the Sega Genesis, as well as other classics such as Radiant Silvergun, Guardian Heroes, Bangai-O and more recently the fan favorite, Ikaruga. Needless to say, I was really looking forward to Wario World for a lot of reasons. I have really enjoyed the previous incarnations of Wario, such as Warioland 4 and I was really hoping that a full console version would not disappoint.

I will just get this off of my chest before I even continue: While I really enjoyed this game, I wasn't blown away either. This is a solid effort from Treasure and a really enjoyable game, but people who are expecting the next Gunstar Heroes are probably going to be walking away disappointed. This game is not a dissapointment... however I feel a lot of people will be overly harsh in their assessment of this title.

Starting with the basics, the graphics in the game are nice, crisp and colorful. The game looks like Wario should on the Cube and I cannot really complain about too much. The geometry in the levels is not overly complex, and there are definitely Gamecube games that look better than Wario World, but it is solid effort. There isn't really any graphical glitching or bad effects which makes the game seem polished and not rushed. We are also treated to diverse locations which we are accustomed to in games such as this, and the lava, ice, and haunted grave yards are all there. The important thing is that Treasure made this look like a Nintendo game should.

The game is locked in a pseudo 3D world but plays pretty much like a 2D game. You can freely move around the levels in all directions, but the camera is locked into a behind the tv screen view, with no real control over the camera. You have more control over the camera in the numerous bonus levels, but even in those the camera locks into a set position. It works for the way they set the game up, but some people might complain about it's simplicity when compared to fully 3D games that dominate the marketplace.

The sound is ok overall. Wario's voice makes a lot of appearances and starts repeating not too far into the game. They are short little clips played during the action, so it isn't as obvious, and that is a good thing. Nothing is more annoying that an overused quote that grates on your nerves. Speaking of grating on your nerves, how about that pause music. Holy shit that can drive you up a wall if you leave it paused for more than 5 seconds. It's basically a bunch of elves singing, "Nyahhh nyah nyah nyah nyahhhhhhhh" over and over and over and over again. The rest of the music and sound effects are pretty standard. There wasn't anything that really stood out other than Wario's trademark voice and I'm not rushing out to look for the soundtrack.

The game really starts to shine in the control department. Wario's gameplay is a mix of styles, mostly rooting in platforming and brawling. You have spot on control of all of Wario's moves which include standard punching, jumping and butt stomps as well as his trademark dash attack and all new spinning throws and jumping spinning pile drivers. Treasure weaved in some complicated moves which you need to pull off in a room full of enemies and it works flawlessly. Making 360 degree controller motions doesn't always feel natural when playing a platformer, but it works. I didn't think it would work as well as it did to be honest. Steady control in any game involving a lot of platforming is essential and gamers should have no worries here. I've seen too many games in the past year with lousy controls so the good ones deserve to get complimented for having a good setup. Control is one of those little things a lot of people take for granted. Thankfully, Treasure does have a lot of experience in this area.

The gameplay itself is part brawler, part platformer and even part puzzle game. Throughout the game, you will have plenty of bad guys to pummel and it plays a big part in the game, especially when you are going for the highest bonuses and scores. The platformer aspects of game generally won't tax a seasoned gamer, however the Super Mario Sunshine-like bonus levels will be good for a few challenges later on in the game. In the bonus levels, you need to either navigate an obstacle course or solve a puzzle which will allow you access to the multiple red crystals which you will need to unlock the end level bosses.

Which brings me to the boss fights, which are some of the most fun and brilliant boss fights found in platforming game in a long while. Every single one of them were fun, interesting, inventive and just well designed. The boss fights are easily the highlights of the game, and you will end up wishing that there were more levels just to have more boss fights.

Wario World also features GBA connectivity in the form of unlockable micro games. If you find all of the treasures in any given level, you can hook your GBA up and download a sample game from Wario Ware. Now, this feature is pretty cool if you don't own Wario Ware, but if you already have the cart and have played it to death like I have, you will have no desire to really bust you ass looking for all of the treasures. It does seem like the microgames at least have some slight differences from their full GBA cart versions, but it still won't give people that extra push to get them all. It just felt like a thrown in feature or even a clever commercial on Nintendo's part.

Now we can get to the complaints. First, the game is short. While I certainly didn't feel ripped off by the game, there are a lot of gamers out there who solely judge a game based upon how many hours it takes for them to beat and complain about it online. If you are one of those gamers, just rent it, because it's not going to satisfy you. Second, and this one irked me, most of the enemies where just pallet swaps of the enemies you fought in the first level. I'm all about cutting corners when it makes sense and everything, and I suppose it could have been the same exact enemies throughout the whole game, but you rarely see anything that behaves any differently from the beginning baddies. As I said, it could have been way worse, but it's certainly noticeable. The last point I won't list as a complaint, but many people would consider it one: This game will not challenge you if you are a grizzled gaming guru. No one will use beating this game as a badge of hardcore gaming honor. To me, as long as the gameplay is designed well and I'm having fun, I could care less about the length and difficulty, but these are things that need to be factored into your purchasing decisions.

Bottom line, Treasure fans should be happy with it. Gameplay is tight, Wario is cool and the game is fun. "Hardcore" gamers will balk at it's length and difficulty, however the game features a lot of classic action with a few twists with that 'Treasure' flair. While I won't consider this the best game from Treasure, it's pretty far from being horrible. The game is worth playing just for the boss battles alone. Hopefully, we'll get to see more ambitious titles from Treasure in the near future, maybe even another with a Nintendo license which I certainly would not complain about.