Wario's Woods
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| Wario's Woods | |
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| Developer(s) | Nintendo Co. Ltd. |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo of America, Inc. |
| Designer(s) | Naotaka Ohnishi, Ryota Kawade |
| Release date(s) | NES JPN February 19, 1994 NA December 10, 1994 SNES NA December 10, 1994 Satellaview JPN 1997 Virtual Console NA November 19, 2006 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle game |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: K-A (NES/SNES), E (Virtual Console) |
| Platform(s) | SNES, NES, BS-X, Virtual Console |
| Media | 8-megabit SNES cartridge, 4-megabit NES cartridge |
Wario's Woods (ワリオの森 Wario no Mori) is a puzzle game made by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super NES in 1994, and then later released on the Satellaview BS-X in 1997. The NES version was later rereleased for Wii's Virtual Console in 2006, and in Animal Crossing in 2002. Wario's Woods is a Tetris-derived falling block game, although in this case the blocks are actually forest-dwelling creatures and bombs. Due to the increasing popularity of the Super NES, Wario's Woods was the last licensed game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America.[1] It was not the last game for the Famicom, this distinction going to Takahashi Meijin no Bouken Shima IV (Adventure Island IV). This game is the only game where Toad has the starring role, although he has been available as a playable character in various games since Super Mario Bros. 2.
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[edit] Versions
[edit] NES
The version of Wario's Woods for the Nintendo Entertainment System had fewer features than its SNES and Satellaview counterparts. For one thing, it has an entirely different soundtrack. Besides the obvious graphical disparity, the game has no "vs. Com" similar to the Super NES version. The only computer AI mode is a game in which every ten rounds the player has to fight a boss. The boss has a certain amount of hearts that can only be reduced by clearing lines in which the boss is inline with. Once all of the boss's hearts are gone the player can continue onto the next round. These boss fights culminate in a fight against Wario himself, picture on the left.
Other features are also missing from this version. Using one bomb to destroy creatures in more than one direction, called a "breakfast" in the SNES version, is missing here. A few other small changes are present also; crystals cannot be lifted or moved by Toad in any way unlike the SNES version where they can be lifted, dropped, or kicked. The familiar Thwomp from many Mario games is changed to a simpler yellow brick with a cartoon face on it. The NES version of Wario's Woods appeared as an extremely rare furniture item in the 2002 GameCube version of Animal Crossing. It was also one of the earliest titles available for download from the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console. As a curious note, the NES version is the only one in the system's library that has an ESRB rating.[2] At the time of its release, the game received the rating K-A (Kids to Adults), which has since fallen out of use. Upon its release on the Virtual Console, the game's rating was updated accordingly and is now listed as "E" (Everyone).
[edit] SNES
The SNES version was released in Europe and the US in 1994 with much improved graphics and some new gameplay features. An improved "vs. Com" features a best three out of five matchup against increasingly difficult computers culminating in a challenging match against Wario himself. The game rewards the more advanced Wario's Woods players who have beaten Wario with an extra set of difficulties. This mode is enabled by highlighting the "vs. Com" mode, holding Left and pressing Start on the controller. Other various features include are an expanded 2-player mode with the ability to store four different heads-up records on game memory.
[edit] Satellaview
Two versions of Wario's Woods were released for the BS-X system. The first version was broadcast sometime from 1995 to 1996. It features personalities from what appears to be a Japanese radio show, Burst of Laughter[3]. The game was released under the name ワリオの森 爆笑バージョン which means, Wario's Woods: Burst of Laughter Version. It appears to be like the N. American SNES release except with the faces of the broadcasters' inserted in some places.
The second BS-X version of Wario's Woods was most likely initially broadcast on April 26, 1997[4]. The title screen reads, Wario no mori: futatabi (ワリオの森 再び) which translates to Wario's Woods: Again. It is difficult to pin down an exact release date for this due to the nature of the BS-X system. The game was most likely also rebroadcast in October 1997[5]. This version is also very similar to the SNES release except for a few minor differences. For instance, the game does not have a round-game style single-player mode.
[edit] Gamecube
Telling a code in Animal Crossing to Tom Nook can earn you this minigame.
[edit] Wii
The NES version of Wario's Woods was among the first titles available for the Wii Virtual Console service at the service's launch in North America at a cost of 500 Wii points. The game is a straight emulation without any additions or enhancements.
[edit] Gameplay
Toad, the player's avatar in the game, has to arrange monsters and bombs to stop Wario from taking control of the forest. The player controls a character who moves the already fallen objects. Toad can pick up individual objects or entire columns of objects and move them elsewhere. The object of the game is to clear the player's screen of objects, the objects of this game being the monsters. This is accomplished by arranging monsters and bombs of the same color in horizontal, diagonal or vertical rows of three or more blocks. Clearing four objects at once lowers your opponent's screen by one row in Vs. mode, or gives you more time in single-player mode.
[edit] Combos
A combo is defined by the game as when the destruction of one row results in another row being destroyed. When this occurs the opponent receive a column of same-color creatures extending to his ceiling in Vs. mode. For each consecutive row that is cleared because of previous rows clearing, your opponent receives a full column of critters for each combo you achieve. These full columns can often be easily cleared with a single bomb, and usually lead to diamonds for your opponent (see above). When playing with creatures that can only be destroyed diagonally, this move becomes very powerful. Making a combo in single-player mode gives you more time, more than clearing multiple monsters with one bomb would.
[edit] Types of Creatures
- Straight (Fuzz, Spud, Squeak) - These creatures can be cleared either as a column, row or a diagonal.
- Diagonal (Beaker, Scram) - These creatures can only be cleared as a diagonal.
- Color-change (Dovo) - These act like Straight creatures except that when bombed for the first time, they will change colors. The second time they are bombed, they will be cleared. Listed below are the possible color changes.
- White to Green
- Lt. Blue to Yellow
- Grey to Blue
- Pink to Red
- Double-bomb (Spook) - These creatures must be bombed twice. When they are first bombed they will flash for about five seconds. While they are flashing they must be bombed again to be cleared.
[edit] External links
- Wario's Woods at MobyGames
- Wario's Woods (NES) at GameFAQs
- Wario's Woods (SNES) at GameFAQs
- Wario's Woods wiki guide at StrategyWiki (previously hosted by Wikibooks)
- N-sider full game credits (SNES)
- Burst of Laughter Wario's Woods pictures
