Nothing says “I Love You” like a Nintendo Switch Online announcement, and this year Nintendo has your perfect suitor in mind. Too bad he's a greedy, selfish treasure hunter named Wario. That's right, Nintendo is celebrating Valentine's Day by giving their subscribers Wario Land 4 on the Game Boy Advance. That's cool news, but is this game actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Game Informer, Advance and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when this game was first released. Brace yourself for heartache, because it's time for a very romantic episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew!


Super Mario Land is one of the rare hero-driven franchises where the antagonist ends up stealing the series and making it all about himself. After two popular (though flawed) Mario Land games, Nintendo decided to shake things up and center the third game on the thieving Wario. This led to one of the best Virtual Boy games, as well as multiple Wario Land sequels on the Game Boy Color. The series performed so well under Wario's reign that in 2001 Nintendo decided to position the fourth installment as one of the first must-own titles for the fledgling Game Boy Advance. Wario Land 4 was a massive hit with the fans, but were the critics as open to welcoming the obnoxious criminal into their homes? Let's find out.

When it comes to Electronic Gaming Monthly, the critics weren't having any of Wario's crap. Jonathan gave the game a score of 7 out of 10, complaining that “even the instruction manual to Wario Land 4 admits that this is pretty much the same game as its predecessors. If you haven't sampled Warios 1 – 3 on the Game Boy, the idea is basic 2D platform gameplay with a lot of block-breaking and the occasional puzzles. The most entertaining part is utilizing the different abilities Wario gains from interacting with certain enemies to get through barriers or find new areas; it's a very cool gameplay element. Despite its patented formula, the main game gets pretty repetitive after a while, so you'll definitely want to break off and try the novel mini-games.” Chris liked it a bit more, giving it a 7.5: “Personally, I like a lil' puzzle-solving in my action game, so the Wario series is one of my faves. The fourth installment is fun, but sadly isn't much different from the last one, including some surprisingly similar-looking levels. It does have a couple new gameplay elements, like a life meter, a timer you set off to start a race back to the beginning of each level, and three new mini-games. And as dark as the GBA screen is, the graphics look bright ‘n crisp. Great fun, but doesn't stray too far from the series' tried and true formula.” Electronic Gaming Monthly gave Wario Land 4 an average score of 7.5 out of 10.

Believe it or not, this score from EGM is actually the lowest of any English-language magazine. The next highest score comes from Nintendo Power, who settled on a straight 4 out of 5 rating. Game Informer went a bit higher, giving this early-generation Game Boy Advance game a solid score of 8.25 out of 10. Andy complained that “it's nothing new to the Wario Land enthusiast, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. If you want platforming on the go, you just can't go wrong with Wario Land 4.” The magazine's second opinion review came from Reiner, who argued that “the name of the game says it all. This is the fourth Wario Land adventure, and little has changed since the first entry in the series. Honestly, though, I wouldn't want it any other way. The platforming challenges scream Super Mario World, and a wealth of secrets reside in each stage. Side-scrolling platformers are a rare commodity these days, but Wario Land 4 fills this void nicely.”

Moving up the scale, we see Advance magazine giving the sequel a 90% in their very first issue. This is in line with the 4.5 out of 5 score we got from GamePro, who gushed about the stage designs: “Each level is imaginatively designed and packed with a variety of traps, enemies, secret passages and deadly obstacles that will keep your thumbs and your brain reeling. A rich and varied musical score (complete with real vocals!) and fun mini-games will delight those who thought they'd have to wait until next year's Super Mario Advance 2 for a phenomenal 2D platform adventure on the GBA.”

While the critics were quick to point out the game's many problems, the general consensus was positive. The overall average is 84%, which is lower than many of Mario's adventures, but also well within the acceptable range for a 2D platformer. You should definitely give this one a play, as the first Game Boy Advance game of 2025 is a real winner.