Virtual Boy Works finally reaches the only game anyone cares about

Yeah, it's-a Wario.

Ever since I kicked off the Virtual Boy Works project lo those many months ago (well, two months ago), the prevailing question has been the same: "When do we get to Wario Land?" The answer is, "Today."

Honestly, even before I embarked on the Virtual Boy project, I knew Virtual Boy Wario Land by its reputation as the only good Virtual Boy game—something that seemed reasonable based on the little time I had spent with it. And now that I've played the game to completion, I have to admit, it didn't disappoint. Virtual Boy isn't nearly the blighted wasteland of garbage many people would have you believe, but this is a game that Nintendo R&D1 put its heart (and a surprisingly huge allocation of staff) into. And that mean it's pretty awesome.

While it lacks the mad invention of its follow-ups for Game Boy Color and Advance, Virtual Boy Wario Land hints at the direction those games would take with its large, unique stage designs. It really is a perfect midpoint between the original Wario Land and its sequels.

And man, does it look good. Forget the 3D element; look at the size of those sprites! Wario and his foes are huge and lavishly animated. Really makes you wish the Game Boy Advance had resolution on par with the Virtual Boy.

I feel like if any game seems a likely candidate to escape the gravity of Virtual Boy in remake form, it's this one. So, uhhh... let's get on that, Nintendo