October 8th, 2008 at 1:36 pm - by Fallback

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Wario Land Shake It is a 2D platformer by Good Feel. The game is good though not great. While playing it there seems to be something missing from making it superb and its hard to put your finger on what it is. The game is hand drawn and for the most part looks pretty damn good. The game does not display in full widescreen which was a small minus for me.

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The platforming is and use of the motion controls works well. You play with the Wiimote sideways (NES style) which provides great 2D platformer nostalgia. You tilt and shake and roll the wiimote to do various moves. Wario has some great moves although it seems like hes a bit overpowered. For the most part and the game is really easy. I only died once running through 2 full stages of the game. There are only five maps and about five to six short stages in each map making this the perfect rental as you can run though the whole game in a day or two.

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What I think keeps the game from being great are the lack of other interesting characters in the game. So much work was obviously put into Wario and his moves but just about all the others that inhabit the worlds in the game seem neglected and uninspired. The other thing I noticed that took away from the game was the music. The music for the most part does not fit the game. The music is actually great and most of it reminds me of tunes that you would hear back in the days during of after a Saturday morning cartoon though it just doesn't fit the game and is not memorable int he context of the game. The bottom line is that its an above average very good 2D platformer though better played as a rental or purchased at bargain price due to its short length.


Good:
- Wario and his moves
- Decent Platforming
- Motion controlls: precise and not tacked on

Bad:
- No true widescreen
- Music
- Short game, few stages
- Stages sterilized by uninspired characters