Sometimes you do your freest work the moment you stop trying to be the hero.
For years the team at Nintendo R&D1 made games starring Mario, and felt boxed in. So they took the greedy rival they had invented — Wario — and handed him the whole game. He doesn't run to save anyone; he charges, grabs, and pockets coins, and the ending you reach is literally measured by how much treasure you hoarded, from a tiny birdhouse to a planet with his own face on it. It sounds petty. It plays as joy — the heavy shoulder-bash, the freedom of wanting something just for yourself. Built as the deliberate opposite of Mario's virtue, it sold five million copies and launched its own series. The thing the developers seem to have stumbled onto: the constraint was never the hardware, or the job of being good. It was the costume. Take it off, and you move differently.
About this game
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (1994) is the first Game Boy game to star Wario as protagonist — not a hero, but a greedy pirate-themed villain seeking treasure. Developed by Nintendo R&D1 (the team behind Kid Icarus and the original Game Boy hardware), it introduced treasure-based multiple endings: the total value of coins collected determines which reward Wario receives, from a tiny birdhouse to a castle to, at maximum completion, a planet emblazoned with his own face. The game sold over five million copies and launched one of Nintendo's most beloved side franchises.
Key Features
Wario moves differently from Mario: he charges into enemies with a shoulder bash, uses his hat as a projectile, and can grab and throw enemies into obstacles. His size and momentum make him feel heavy and powerful rather than nimble. Fifteen treasures are hidden across the game's five lands; collecting each requires finding a key, carrying it to the treasure room in that level, breaking open the chest, and reaching the exit with the treasure. The game's ending — and Wario's ultimate fate — is determined by the total coin count at completion, with six possible outcomes ranging from a tiny birdhouse to a planet.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Wario Land emerged from a creative tension at Nintendo R&D1: the team felt constrained developing games starring Mario and sought to build around Wario, the antagonist they had created for Super Mario Land 2. The decision aligned with Shigeru Miyamoto's instruction to take the Mario Land series in a completely different direction to avoid overlap with other Nintendo platformers in development. Nintendo R&D1 — the division under Gunpei Yokoi that created Metroid, Kid Icarus, and the original Game Boy — designed Wario as a deliberate inversion of Mario's values: greedy, self-serving, and motivated by money rather than heroism. The game's five-million-copy sales validated the gamble and secured the Wario franchise.
Tricks & Tales
Reaching the best ending requires accumulating 99,999 coins, finding all 15 treasures, and clearing all 40 courses — at which point Wario is rewarded with a planet carved in his own likeness. The worst ending gives him only a tiny birdhouse, which he finds infuriatingly inadequate. The game was directed by Hiroji Kiyotake and Takehiko Hosokawa — Kiyotake had also designed the Wario character himself for Super Mario Land 2. Despite being marketed under the Super Mario Land name (the third entry in that series), the game has no Mario in it — a clean handoff of the Game Boy platformer series from Nintendo's mascot to his rival.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Released first in Japan (January 1994), then North America (February 1994). The Japanese title is スーパーマリオランド3 ワリオランド. Game Boy cartridges have no region locking and play on any original Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance system.
Maintenance Tips
Wario Land saves data to an internal battery on the cartridge. If saves reset on power-off, the battery (typically a CR2025 or CR1616 depending on the board revision) needs replacement — a standard soldering procedure. Clean the cartridge's edge connector with isopropyl alcohol if the game fails to boot. Game Boy cartridges are physically durable but the internal save battery has a finite lifespan of typically 15–20 years.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 copies regularly.
Is this a region-free game? Will a Japanese Game Boy cartridge work on any Game Boy console?
Yes. The original Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, and Game Boy Color have no hardware region lock — a Japanese cartridge plays on any Game Boy or Game Boy Color console worldwide without modification. The game itself is in Japanese, but the hardware accepts it freely. Game Boy Advance consoles are also backward-compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges and share this region-free status.
How should I clean a Game Boy cartridge?
Apply 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol to a cotton swab and gently wipe the gold-plated edge contacts on the base of the cartridge. Never blow into the cartridge — breath moisture accelerates contact corrosion. If the shell needs to be opened for deeper cleaning, Game Boy cartridges use 3.8mm security game bit screws. The contacts are small; clean with a gentle wiping motion rather than abrasive pressure.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
A short checklist for buying a used Game Boy cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Good news — Game Boy is region-free
Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges are not region-locked, so a Japanese copy plays on any Game Boy worldwide.
Just confirm the hardware family — original GB, Color, or Advance — matches the cartridge.
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If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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