GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

60 Adventure Island: The Beginning
71 Another Code: R - A Journey Into Lost Memories
xx Big League Sports: Summer
xx Bigs 2, The
79 Bit.Trip Beat
82 Bonsai Barber
87 Boom Blox Bash Party
74 Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars - Director's Cut
78 Bubble Bobble Plus!
xx Bust-A-Move Plus!
51 Case Closed: The Mirapolis Investigation
xx Cate West: The Vanishing Files
30 CID The Dummy
59 Cocoto Platform Jumper
74 Conduit, The
xx Cradle of Rome
xx Crayola: Colorful Journey
62 Crystal Defenders R1
xx Crystal Defenders R2
xx Daisy Fuentes Pilates
xx Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Grooves
80 Dawn of Discovery
xx Deca Sports 2
xx Destiny of Zorro, The
57 Don King Boxing
xx Drill Sergeant Mindstrong
81 EA Sports Active
xx Eduardo the Samurai Toaster
59 Equilibrio
xx Escape the Museum
78 Excitebots: Trick Racing
xx Family Mini Golf
xx Family Pirate Party
xx Fantasy Aquarium World
64 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
72 Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
51 Fish'em All!
xx G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
76 Ghostbusters: The Video Game
xx Go Play Circus Star
xx Go Play Lumberjacks
57 Go! Go! Minon: Domino Rally
xx Gold's Gym Cardio Workout
71 Gradius ReBirth
78 Grand Slam Tennis
65 Grey's Anatomy
xx Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus
85 Guitar Hero: Metallica
76 Guitar Hero: Smash Hits
xx Hannah Montana: The Movie
62 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
65 Help Wanted: 50 Wacky Jobs!
xx Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
56 Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
77 Klonoa
61 Let's Catch
70 Let's Tap
87 Little King's Story
xx M&M's Beach Party
xx Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack
81 MadWorld
48 Major Minor's Majestic March
73 Marble Saga: Kororinpa
xx Marbles! Balance Challenge
69 Monsters vs. Aliens
44 Moto GP 08
71 Munchables, The
56 MySims Party
68 MySims Racing
xx NEVES Plus
78 New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
65 New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis
77 New Play Control! Pikmin
84 New Play Control! Pikmin 2
54 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
80 NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits
xx Ocean Commander
xx Offshore Tycoon
70 Overlord: Dark Legend
44 Party Fun Pirate
64 PDC World Championship Darts 2009
xx Penguins & Friends: Hey! That's My Fish!
xx Phantom Brave: We Meet Again
xx Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball
xx Pool Hall Pro
68 Pop 'Em, Drop 'Em SameGame
85 Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
86 Punch-Out!!
70 Puzzle Kingdoms
54 Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!
37 Ready 2 Rumble Revolution
xx Reel Fishing Challenge
74 Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil
xx Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock
32 Rolling Stone: Drum King
xx Roogoo Twisted Towers
80 Rune Factory: Frontier
74 Samurai Shodown Anthology
xx Science Papa
70 Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis
52 Silver Star Chess
xx Silver Star Reversi
43 Six Flags Fun Park
xx Space Camp
84 Swords & Soldiers
54 Texas Hold'em Tournament
88 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
53 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
68 Trivial Pursuit
58 Up
xx Vacation Sports
xx Vertigo
75 Virtua Tennis 2009
xx Water Warfare
xx Wii Sports Resort
53 X-Men Origins: Wolverine
xx Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Wheelie Breakers

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Wario Land: Shake It! wii Game Reviews
Wario Land: Shake It!
Critic Score
Metascore: 78 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.7 out of 10
based on 46 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 10 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

(Also known as "Wario Land: The Shake Dimension") Wario Land: Shake It!, a classic side-scroller, stars Wario, the smelly, bad-mannered alter ego of Mario. With the Wii Remote controller turned sideways like an old-school controller, veterans and newcomers alike can run, jump and smash their way through hectic side-scrolling stages. Players shake the Wii Remote to help Wario take down his enemies, empty bags of treasure or cause earthquakes. Best of all, there are numerous stages each offering multiple missions to keep players coming back again and again to unlock everything, collect more coins or just improve their best times. [Nintendo]

PUBLISHER: Nintendo
DEVELOPER: Good Feel
GENRE(S): Platform, Action
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: E (Everyone)
RELEASE DATE: September 22, 2008

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

96
Gamers' Temple
If you were around for the glory days of the NES and SNES or you simply disagree with the notion that all modern games need online play and 3D graphics, then Wario is the game for you.
Read Full Review
95
Wii Brasil
Wario Land: Shake it! is a good new game (which will satisfy the new fans) based on old games (which will make the old fans happy).
Read Full Review
90
NintendoWorldReport
A compassionate and hugely entertaining throwback to a classic kind of game that isn't often released these days.
Read Full Review
90
N-Europe
A brilliant return to the roots with fantastic level design and tight gameplay.
Read Full Review
88
Official Nintendo Magazine UK
A gorgeous adventure with bags of invention. Behind "Galaxy," this is the second-best platformer on Wii. [Oct 2008, p.74]
85
Hardcore Gamer Magazine
It really hits the sweet spot that few games do: it’s forgiving enough for people who like simple, easygoing games to finish, but challenging enough for completionists to work at for days, even weeks on end.
Read Full Review
85
Armchair Empire
Unequivocally, the world would be a better place if there were more games like Wario Land Shake It!
Read Full Review
85
Worth Playing
I really enjoyed Wario Land: Shake It!, but I can't say I was blown away by it. If you go into the game with your expectations in check and a willingness to explore the levels instead of just running through them, then you'll get a lot out of the experience.
Read Full Review
84
IGN
A really fun experience thanks to excellent control and fantastic level designs, not to mention a beautiful visual presentation.
Read Full Review
84
GamingXP
Nintendo has to keep its Wii-concept alive by presenting self-invented new ideas for games: Therefore, Wario Land is very good for catching the attention of “older” gamers, who long for classic jump ‘n’ run games, as well as first explorers of the Wii.
Read Full Review
83
GameShark
The game sets out with a gorgeous anime/Saturday morning cartoon aesthetic that is as beautiful as it is fully realized.
Read Full Review
83
Game Revolution
One of the best experiences I’ve had with a Wii game since "Super Mario Galaxy."
Read Full Review
83
IGN AU
It's really solid, though never mind-blowing or even particularly genre-defining in any one area. It is, in actuality, a fairly short and straightforward adventure that you'll either love intensely for a very short time - say, over a weekend – or you'll mildly enjoy it and take your time.
Read Full Review
81
Extreme Gamer
To Shake It! or not to Shake It! that is the question, and the answer is yes. Wario Land: Shake It! isn’t the most revolutionary game on the Wii, but it is an enjoyable ride in a unibucket.
Read Full Review
80
Nintendo Power
Shake It! isn't a genre-changing masterpiece like "Super Mario Galaxy", but it stands up very well next to mere mortal platformers. [Nov 2008, p.94]
80
3DJuegos
Classics never die and the new Wario adventure for Wii is a good example of that. Due to its variety, great 2D visuals and vivid colors, the new installment of Wario Land is very suitable for gamers looking for old school direct gameplay.
Read Full Review
80
GameDaily
While not a technical marvel, it's a fun romp through five beautifully drawn continents full of peril.
Read Full Review
80
G4 TV
Everything from the stylized presentation to the tiring yet satisfying controls to the hours of playtime added by hidden treasures and bonus challenges just screams, “Love me!” And despite being relatively short and the shaking can be exhausting, there isn’t much that fans of good old-fashioned Nintendo platforming won’t like here.
Read Full Review
80
GamePro
It's fun, it's simple and it's charming, which pretty much describes most Wii games that hit big with that audience
Read Full Review
80
Gamer.nl
The Shake Dimension is an excellent platform game that despite his simple gameplay elements turns out to be a worthy installment of the Wario franchise. Although the playful graphics will not attract every gamer, it only adds up to Wario's characteristics. Every platform gamer will enjoy this game.
Read Full Review
80
games(TM)
Throw some wonderfully realised boss battles into the mix of gentle exploration and high-speed escape and you have one of the most varied yet consistently polished platform games of the generation. [Nov 2008, p.110]
80
Da Gameboyz
At the end of the day fans of 2D platform games and newbies alike should absolutely love Wario Land: Shake It!.
Read Full Review
80
PTGamers
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension is another wave from Nintendo that ripples through our minds, proving that old formulas and seemingly ancient technology can still deliver great games to the gaming community.
Read Full Review
80
Level7.nu
This latest game featuring the Nintendo anti hero Wario is a refreshing experience offering us beautiful two dimensional graphics and thoroughly enjoyable gameplay. It's a shame the game is a bit on the short side because the content offered is just pure fun and a definite recommendation for Wii owners.
Read Full Review
80
n-Revolution Magazine UK
In terms of ideas and originality, this is everything we’d hoped for. If only it had a more difficult level of challenge.
Read Full Review
78
GameFocus
While a graphical treat, the under-utilized Wiimote and ultimately straight forward gameplay makes this a solid but unspectacular game.
Read Full Review
78
Games Master UK
Hooray for 2D revival, boo for the slightly disappointing taming of this bad boy mascot. [Nov 2008, p.74]
78
Cheat Code Central
Even with its minor faults, Wario Land: Shake It! still manages to be a great platforming experience. Shaking your controller gets old very quickly, but the tried and true platforming goodness that is Wario Land, thankfully, remains intact.
Read Full Review
75
GameZone
Nintendo fans will want to play through Wario Land: Shake It! but may not want to own it. The entertainment value is high enough to justify the thorough exploration of each stage.
Read Full Review
75
PALGN
Despite being a little on the easy side and not doing anything new for the genre, Wario Land: The Shake Dimension is a worthy addition in any platform game fan’s collection. There’s a variety of levels to play through, and the secondary challenges will keep you occupied for quite a while.
Read Full Review
75
Destructoid
I can wholeheartedly recommend the full-price purchase of Wario Land: Shake It to only three groups of people: kids between 5-10 years old, die-hard fans of hand-drawn animation, and people who love "easy but smart" 2D platformers.
Read Full Review
75
GameSpot
Wario Land doesn't shake any conventions, but it's still a fun, beautiful platformer.
Read Full Review
75
Kombo
All things considered, Wario Land: Shake It! is still an old-school treat. If you're looking for a light, fun 2D side-scroller, here you go.
Read Full Review
74
NGamer UK
A rather limp "WarioWare" is followed by a rather limp Wii Wario Land. Wazza's never looked better, but has rarely played so sensibly. Where's the attitude, you porker? [Nov 2008, p.52]
Read Full Review
70
Gameplayer
Exudes a certain endearing charm that makes it quite a playable game.
Read Full Review
70
Eurogamer
A game which is good, but not great, and certainly not up to the standard of Nintendo's best 2D platformers.
Read Full Review
70
VideoGamer
Wii owners expecting a motion controlled tour de force will be quite disappointed. For the most part you play as if the Wii Remote is a standard controller, only using its special abilities when you need to shake something, aim a throw or steer a vehicle.
Read Full Review
70
Gamervision
Sadly, after playing this year’s other solid platformers (Braid, Lost Winds, De Blob), Wario Land Shake It! just doesn’t grab me by the shirt collar and demand I play it.
Read Full Review
70
Zentendo
Provides players with an engaging and polished experience -- everything on a technical standpoint is sharp, the presentation is energetic and lively, and the level design/variety is solid...but this entry in the Wario Land series just feels lacking in some extra element inherent in the previous titles -- some spirit seems to have been lost in the translation.
Read Full Review
70
Cubed3
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension proves that 2D platform games can definitely hold their own in today’s world, even on powerful home consoles, since this outing is truly a sight to behold.
Read Full Review
70
AceGamez
Sadly, Good Feel haven't provided enough in the way of innovation to the table to make Wario's latest pillaging of treasures and tropes a truly worthwhile experience, nor are their attempts at imitation anything more than adequate.
Read Full Review
69
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Unfortunately, beneath that striking detail, Shake It! plays exactly like Wario Land 4(GBA). [Nov 2008, p.68]
68
Game Informer
If you're looking for a weekend rental, this could be an okay retro choice. [Dec 2008, p.124]
60
Giant Bomb
For as many times as I had to replay certain stages, Wario Land: Shake It! felt kind of brief, though there were aspects that managed to wear out their welcome before it was over. Still, a 2D game with this kind of detail is enough of an anomaly that it can be enjoyable for that alone, and despite some structural issues, it shakes up the usual platformer formula enough to be interesting.
Read Full Review
60
Edge Magazine
Nintendo is famed for sprinkling around mechanics other developers would build entire games on, but here the effect is quite irritating. [Oct 2008, p.97]
58
1UP
A pretty face only goes so far when there's no soul beneath the surface, and Shake It! is as hollow as they come.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Richard A. gave it an8:
Good solid platform fun. Not as good as Super Mario Galaxy, though, like last years Paper Mario, helps fill the time well until the next big Mario Game.

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: iPhone 3G | Fantasy Football | Moneywatch | Antivirus Software | Recipes | E3 2009

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use