Wario Land II

II introduces an immortality game mechanic in which enemies cannot inflict damage, but instead cause Wario to lose coins or transform into forms with abilities that allow players to access new areas. The original version was released for the Game Boy in North America and Europe in March 1998. A colorized version, sometimes called Wario Land II DX, was released in Japan in October 1998 as a launch game for the Game Boy Color, and later in other regions. It received positive reviews. The Game Boy Color version was rereleased as a Virtual Console game for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012.

• Title — Wario Land II • Developer — Nintendo R&D1 • Publisher — Nintendo • Director — Takehiko Hosokawa • Producer — Takehiro Izushi • Designer — Masani Ueda • Programmer — Masaru Yamanaka Katsuya Yamano Nobuhiro Ozaki • Artist — Hiroji Kiyotake • Composer — Kozue Ishikawa • Series — Wario Land • Platforms — Game Boy, Game Boy Color • Released — Game Boy Game Boy Color • Genre — Platform • Modes — Single-player

• Illustration — Wario dashes through a thin wall to find a secret room full of coins. Wario Land II differs from many platformers of its era by emphasizing exploration and puzzle-solving over traditional mechanics like timers, health points, or limited lives. The game's challenge lies in navigating obstacles, solving environmental puzzles, and unlocking paths blocked by coins or treasure locks. Some levels feature hidden exits that can alter the storyline, unlock additional stages, and lead to different endings. A total of five alternate endings can be unlocked by collecting all treasures, in addition to the "Really Final Chapter". Unlike most platformers, Wario is invincible, he cannot die. Instead, enemy attacks cause him to lose coins or undergo transformations. Certain transformations grant him new abilities that allow access to previously unreachable areas. For example, touching fire turns him into Hot Wario, enabling him to defeat enemies on contact and burn through obstacles. The game also features a minigame based on the Game & Watch game Flagman, which becomes available after collecting all picture tiles. Unlike its predecessor, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Wario Land II imposes no time limits, allowing players to explore levels at their own pace, a feature retained in later entries of the series.

Following the events of the second-best ending in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Captain Syrup and her minions, the Black Sugar Gang, infiltrate Wario's castle early one morning while he is still asleep. They steal his treasure and sabotage the castle by setting off his giant alarm clock and by leaving the tap running, flooding parts of the castle. After waking up and discovering the chaos, Wario quickly puts things in order and sets off in pursuit across the surrounding lands to reclaim his stolen treasure. After many close encounters, he eventually reaches their base, Syrup Castle, defeats Captain Syrup and reclaims his treasure. Depending on the player's progress and choices, the game can conclude with one of several endings but they generally conclude with Wario safely back at his castle and his treasures returned. Eventually in the true final chapter, Wario returns to Syrup Castle and proceeds to a mountain range somewhere near the building. There he discovers a secret cave in which the pirates store their treasures. In a final raid, Wario overcomes the difficulties in the pirate cave and plunders Syrup's riches.