Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
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Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 is a video game made for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1993. It was the first game to feature Wario as the main character. It also features the first appearance of Captain Syrup and her Brown Sugar Pirates. Despite what the title says, Mario only appears for a short time at the end.
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Spin-off, not a Sequel
Despite being billed as Super Mario Land 3, Wario Land bears little resemblance to it's predecessors. Not only is Mario almost entirely absent, but gameplay is very different; Wario Land favours more action-based gameplay than the precision platforming of Super Mario Land 1&2. The game is also harder and more complex, to reflect the advance in technology in the Game Boy. The subtitle is most likely a marketing ploy, as the rest of the games in the Wario Land series were not connected to the Super Mario Land series.
Gameplay
Wario Land borrowed the system of themed Worlds from Super Mario Land 2, but arranged them in a linear route; this allowed the game to feature a difficulty curve absent in it's non-linear and noticeably easy predecessor. Wario's jumping was less subtle than Mario's, with a greater emphasis on beating enemies than precise jumping. Wario was given basic moves, including a body slam, which Mario never had. There were also various caps for Wario to collect, a Jet Cap to allow him to fly, a Dragon Cap to allow him to breath fire and a Bull Cap for greater strength. The game increased replay value by including hidden treasure in most levels, which as well as offering a collectible goal, also contributed to the player's coin total.
Ending
After beating the final boss, Wario finally receives the statue he has sought after in the game's storyline, only to have it stolen by Mario in a cameo appearance. To make up for this, Wario is given a house based on how many coins the player has collected overall. A small total gives a poor house, such as a Bird House, or Tree House. A medium total yields a castle, and the maximum 9999 total gives a Planet in Wario's name. Wario Land enthusiasts consider the game completed only after achieving 9999 coins, and collecting all of the treasures.
Success and Sequels
Wario Land was an attempt to expand the cameo appearance of Wario in Super Mario Land 2 to a starring role, and was successful. Wario Land spawned 3 sequels, each being known as one of the best games on their respective Game Boy system. Indeed, their popularity elminated the need for any 2-D Mario platformers on the Game Boy; to date, Mario has not starred in a platform game on the game Boy since Super Mario Land 2.The popularity of Wario as a starring character stopped him from replacing Bowser as Mario's chief enemy, though he appeared in various Mario titles as a playable character, most notably Mario Party. In 2003 Nintendo created Wario Ware Inc., a new series of games for Wario that featured astoundingly original gameplay. The games surprisingly caught on, and their success means that it is highly unlikely that there will be another Wario Land game. Wario Land is considered by hardcore Nintendo fans as one of the best platformers of it's time, and a showcase of how expansive, interesting and challenging a Game Boy game could be.