System: Nintendo Game Boy
Release date: 1998

Wario Land II on the Nintendo Game Boy is an absolute belter and easily one of the best platformers on the system. This Wario Land II Game Boy title lets everyone’s favourite greedy anti-hero loose in a world of coins, transformations and chaotic fun. The colourful Wario Land II Nintendo Game Boy adventure ditched the strict time limits of the first game and gave Wario a load of daft new abilities. It turned him into a bouncing, rolling, smashing machine.

In 2025, does this chunky chancer still rake in the laughs and coins, or has time finally emptied his pockets?

Gameplay: Smash, Roll, and Grab the Loot

Wario Land II on the Nintendo Game Boy is a big, bouncy platformer where you guide the big-nosed bandit through 40+ levels packed with secrets, enemies and ridiculous transformations. Wario can turn into a snowball, a flat pancake, a zombie, a puffed-up balloon and more. Each form completely changes how you tackle the stage in this Wario Land II handheld platformer.

The levels are packed with personality. You’ll smash through walls, roll down hills, swim through water and cause absolute havoc. Coins are everywhere, and collecting them along with finding all the treasure is the main draw. There’s no lives system, so you can keep going even if you take a beating. This makes it much more approachable than the first game.

Boss fights are big, silly and memorable. They often require you to use Wario’s new forms in clever ways.

The coin curse? Some transformations and sections can feel a bit fiddly. A few levels drag on longer than they need to. The lack of a map or clear direction means you can sometimes wander around lost. Hunting for every last coin and treasure can become a right chore if you’re a completionist in this Wario Land II 1998 Game Boy title. It’s still brilliant fun, but it can occasionally test your patience.

Still, when you’re flying around as a balloon or smashing everything as a snowball, it feels brilliant.

Graphics: Colourful Greed with Charm

Wario looks brilliant on the Game Boy Color and works fine on the original too. His animations are full of character. That smug strut, the way he rolls and bounces, and his angry expressions when he takes damage are all spot on.

The levels are bright, detailed and full of little visual gags. It’s colourful, cartoony and packed with personality that still holds up nicely today in this Wario Land II Nintendo Game Boy release. The visuals do a great job of bringing Wario’s greedy world to life on the small screen.

Sound: Catchy Tunes and Greedy Grunts

The music is excellent. Bouncy, upbeat tracks perfectly match Wario’s greedy, chaotic energy. Each world has its own strong theme. The sound effects are spot on, especially Wario’s grunts, coin clinks and smashing noises.

It’s cheerful, memorable and adds loads to the fun in this Wario Land II Game Boy handheld platformer. The audio package really helps sell the silly, light-hearted vibe.

Replayability: A Treasure Hunt Worth Repeating

There’s loads of reason to keep coming back to this Wario Land II Nintendo Game Boy title. Hunting for every treasure, trying different routes, mastering the transformations and just messing around with Wario’s silly moves keeps it fresh.

It’s great for short sessions or longer playthroughs when you fancy causing some mischief. The mix of platforming, exploration and transformation-based puzzles gives this Wario Land II 1998 Game Boy release plenty of lasting appeal.

The Retro Looney Verdict

Wario Land II on the Nintendo Game Boy is an absolute belter and easily one of the best platformers on the system. It’s colourful, chaotic, packed with personality and genuinely funny in places. Yeah, some bits can drag a little and hunting every coin can become a grind, but none of that stops it being a massive barrel of fun.

A proper handheld classic that still feels fresh and silly today. If you’ve never played it, sort it out – Wario deserves your time. The game captures that greedy, mischievous spirit perfectly and offers a really enjoyable experience even decades later. From the inventive transformations to the clever level design, this Wario Land II Nintendo Game Boy title stands out as one of the more memorable handheld adventures from the late 90s.

It’s light-hearted, full of personality and a joy to revisit whenever you fancy some chaotic platforming. Definitely one for any Game Boy collection. Wario might be greedy, but this game is pure gold.

Don’t forget to check out my other Game Boy Reviews!