Wario's Woods

Wario’s Wood est un puzzle-game surprenant dont on a du mal à décrocher. Il réussit là où beaucoup ont échoué, avec une simplicité presque diabolique. Les différents modes de jeu sont tous intéressants et la durée de vie du titre est pratiquement infinie. Si par malheur vous invitez un ami pour y jouer, attendez-vous à vous coucher tard et à en rêver la nuit. Petite perle oubliée, Wario’s Wood mérite largement qu'on s’y attarde même quinze ans après.

So all in all an extremely clever and original puzzle game, with lots to sink your teeth into. Not for everyone, perhaps, but great if you like this sort of thing. Also, Mario fans take note: this game has quite a lot of novelty appeal. I mean, picture it: Toad in the starring role, taking on Wario! In a game that's actually quite good.

What at first appears to be a simple puzzle game is given depth by it's challenge and it's many game modes. A human or (tough) computer opponent can be challenged with a two-player split-screen option and a Round Game lets you work your way through 100 increasingly difficult rounds. Fortunately there's a Lesson Mode to explain the complicated controls and general strategic principles needed to have a chance against Wario and his minions.

The swan song of the NES never got much attention. Gamers had already moved on to other systems, for one, and its chances of finding an audience were further crippled by the fact that a superior SNES version of the same game was released on the same day. It's curious that Nintendo has chosen to send out the 8-bit Woods to Wii gamers, when the 16-bit version is more fully featured. On top of that, this NES edition is also available to owners of Animal Crossing, where it appears as a rare playable collectible. If you're interested in this title's place in Nintendo history, give it a download and see for yourself how the NES went out. But if you're more concerned with its unique take on puzzle genre gameplay, give this one a "wait and see" – you'd be better served to spend your points on the SNES version, when and if it becomes available.

All things considered, Wario's Woods has all of the elements you'd like to see in an action puzzle game: a variety of play modes, battery backup to save fastest times and level progress, chain reactions, multiple moves requiring technique, and interesting versus mode attacks -- all topped off with colorful graphics and bouncy sound. Yet it's not as fun to play as the less complicated Tetris, Dr. Mario, Yoshi's Cookie or even Bust-A-Move. Sometimes when you add things to an already proven formula, you dilute the ingredients that made it a success.

The standard-looking graphics star cutesy animated characters and Super Mario-style Bombs and Monsters. Although the music isn't bad, it's also not memorable. WW's options give it play value, but it's familiar play style makes it a ho-hum puzzler.

Zu Anfang wirkt Wario’s Woods eventuell etwas kompliziert, nach einer Weile erklimmt, packt und arrangiert man die Item-Formationen aber mit einiger Freude.

Unlike Tetris, this game isn't easy to understand right off the bat and you might find yourself losing a lot at the easiest level for a while. While it's a lot different from Tetris, it's still kind of confusing and difficult. The graphics are cute and colorful though, and that's cool. Beautiful eye candy is a plus.