Does Nintendo still care about hardcore gamers? This title could be used as evidence for the defence; it's a 2D platformer, with hard bits and boss battles and rewards for extra effort. But, as the prosecution might point out, even here there are indications of an attempt to appeal to a wider market. The result is a game which is good, but not great, and certainly not up to the standard of Nintendo's best 2D platformers. They don't make 'em like they used to, that's for sure. Still - at least they make 'em.
For me Wario has always been more of a favourite than Mario, scandalous I know! However, his greedy lust for treasure, stitch-inducing humour combined with his zany mustache and general bad-boy attitude set him apart from good ol' Mario. Wario has mostly been relegated to mini-games in his past appearances in the videogame world, and while these crazy mini-games are fun, mostly because of their downright silly and sometimes even completely absurd nature, it's nice to see him taking the spotlight in The Shake Dimension.
"Ignoring the Wii ware title Lost Winds, and the plethora of golden oldies available on the virtual console, this is the best 2D platform game available on the Wii. And if it's successful enough (and sales certainly haven't been disastrous so far) it may hopefully pave the way for similar franchises to receive brand new 2D adventures (Yoshi and Donkey Kong, we're looking at you)."
SG: "Wario is one of Nintendo's B-list characters. Initially conceived as another nemesis for Mario, he has evolved into a lazy character that's always on the search for treasure. Hell, it took three Smash Bros. games before he made an appearance. His platforming solo career has been largely based in the handheld sphere, with the exception being Wario World for Gamecube, a terrible brawler by Treasure that really doesn't deserve being mentioned. His second console platformer has also been handed off to another team, with developer Good-Feel at the helm. Does a return to Wario's 2D roots make for a better game?"
"It’s a B grade game"
If it's a B grade game, then why didn't it get a B grade?
