Plenty of typically interesting Wario ideas in another original and amusing platformer, but it's spoiled by a deeply uncomfortable and annoying control system. [Apr 2007, p.54]
If there’s one thing that can’t be doubted, it’s Wario’s credentials as a Master of Disguise – he’s managed to take a sub-par puzzle-platformer, and make it look like an inventive spin on a well-worn genre. Sadly, this particular disguise doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
Back in the day, this game was essentially the perfect puzzle-platformer. In typical Wario manner, the gameplay and presentation intentionally subvert expectations to express the weirdness the Wario franchise is known for, and end up making it feel fresh and original because of it. If anyone knows this hidden gem, it's probably because of its underrated rock and metal soundtrack, which stands out even among the already superb tunes of the DS library. For the console it was released on, this game also sports some impressively detailed graphics and works with the limitations of the DS' 32-bit processor, instead of around it, thus ensuring nostalgia for everyone who played portable video games during the late 2000's. Changing between a multitude of forms on the fly by drawing on the touch screen is only one of a multitude of original gameplay concepts incorporated into Wario: Master of Disguise, the ingenuity of which make it feel like a really good Indie game. Unexpectedly for a Wario game, there is a surprising amount of lore behind the events shown, fleshing out the narrative of the Metroidvania-style world it is set in.
The only things hurting this challenging and original experience are a few sudden difficulty spikes and the fact that the touch controls may not work well on emulators or heavily used DS systems, but these are not significant enough to keep me from suggesting this game to anyone having 10€ to spare on an unforgettable experience.
This game is okay, i haven't played all the way through it, so don't go by my review of the game if you want to buy it. The graphics are nice for a Nintendo DS game, I can say that as one of the best parts of the game. This game for some reason seems non linear, because I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do in one level and the shapes that you have to draw are way too complex to memorize, so constant looking at the tutorials is necessary. I can't say too much more, I haven't beat this game yet, my rating, so far after at least two chapters is 7.3/10
While I believe that this game is an interesting concept, I did not like it as much as I expected to once I started playing it. The abilities were unique and interesting, but navigating the gameâ
Wario: Master of Disguise. A very obscure DS game. Nintendo made lots of games for the DS. Many will go down in history as masterpieces like Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl and New Super Mario Bros. But, there are some virtually unknown games. Like Meteos and, you guessed it, Wario Master of Disguise. Very recently I got the chance to play this game. So here I’ll cover it. So, without a further ado, here is the most unknown DS game.
So one day Wario decided that he wanted to go into a TV, because he saw this show called the Silver Zephyr, about a thief. Wario goes in and lands on the Silver Zephyr, who upon losing his wand, turns into regular old Count Cannoli. Wario grabs his wand who is sentient and named Goodstyle. The wand lets Wario change his outfit. He wants Wario to gather the Wishstone in order to let Wario have all the treasure in the world. Story is a major focus, so no spoilers.
Wario: Master of Disguise is a CastleRoid game, or Metroidvania if you’re a weirdo. There are 10 large levels that you clear in order. You get abilities in levels that you keep, but you play them in linear order. You can also find treasure chests, and when you open them, you play a minigame. They are so bland it’s insulting. Sometimes you have to color things in. Yeah. You need to get other items as well. Imagine if in Metroid, you would have to change your suit by drawing something on the screen to use 3 of your abilities, and then change it back when you’re done. That’s the disguise mechanic. Despite this, I like the disguise mechanic, but the controls are super gimmicky. You need to draw things on the screen to do actions, change disguise, and access doors. It’s kind of uncomfortable. One action requires you to blow on the screen. I did that, and my dog got angry at me and attacked my DS. The speed of the game is a lot slower than many other 2D platformers. I played Wario Land 4 at the same time, and it was much faster. The drawing in the controls make it slower. The bosses require fast movement and it can be clunky. The bosses are good, however. There is one every level (Except level 3). Some aren’t great, but there are standouts. The gameplay gets a 4/10. Super gimmicky, and the controls are garbage.
The DS isn’t incredibly powerful. The graphics are bright and colorful, and the enemies will have you laughing. To be honest, it looks better than other DS games like New Super Mario Bros. I wish it looked like Wario Land 4, but it still looks good. But again, I wish it looked better. The music is either too hard rock or too soft. There aren’t many standouts, but the final boss theme is so amazing. It sounds like something you’d find in Undertale. 7/10 presentation. It’s very good.
Content here isn’t great. As I said before, there are 10 levels. There are 5 bonus ones that play differently. And there is a coffee book that contains minigames, enemies, and stuff like that. You can discover all of them, and play the minigames and get medals on them. The levels also have high-score based replay value. Other than that though, what you see is what you get. 2/10 content. Not good. I’m rating it a two because at least there’s something.
I found Wario: Master of Disguise to be much better than I thought. With that being said, I do NOT recommend it. If you can find it for under $30, by all means, go for it. But that’s rare. As it stands, Wario: Master of Disguise is the forgotten Wario game, that’s hidden but not a gem.
Now, you probably think I was way too hard on this game. But I’m breaking away from the standard formula. I bet you think a 7/10 is bad. A 4/10 is where what most think a 7/10 is here. Just saying this so there’s no confusion. Wario: Master of Disguise is by no means a good game. But I rated it better than you think. Maybe.
SummaryWhen Wario sees a TV series about a thieving master of disguises, he dives through the television screen, steals the theif's quick-change wand and takes over the entire show. Episode after episode, he breaks into exotic locations, such as a luxury liner, watery ruins and an Egyptian pyramid. Draw Wario's 8 disguises: By sketching a symbo...