Wario

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wario
Mario and Wario character
Wario, as seen in promotional artwork for Super Mario Party
Wario, as seen in promotional artwork for Super Mario Party
First appearanceSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992)
Designed byHiroji Kiyotake[1]
Voiced by
Various

Wario (Japanese: ワリオ, Hepburn: Wario, pronounced [waꜜɾio]; English: /ˈwɑːri, ˈwær-, ˈwɒr-/) is a character in Nintendo's Mario video game series that was designed as an arch-rival to Mario. Wario first appeared as the main antagonist and final boss in the 1992 Game Boy game Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. His name is a portmanteau of the name Mario and the Japanese word warui (悪い), meaning "bad". Hiroji Kiyotake designed Wario, and Charles Martinet voiced the character from 1993 to 2023, as well as other characters in the series, including Mario, Luigi, and Waluigi.

Wario is also the main protagonist and antihero of the Wario Land platformer series and the WarioWare party game series. In the former, he is usually portrayed as a greedy treasure hunter who routinely loses the treasure or artifacts he ultimately finds; the latter follows his exploits as the head of a video game design company who attempts to steal the profits his employees make off of their games, only to be comedically punished in various ways for doing so. Wario has also appeared in spin-off games in the Mario series, in other Nintendo properties such as the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, and in other media such as the Super Mario Adventures graphic novel. The character has received a generally positive critical reception.

Concept and creation

A white circle with a blue "W" inside it is seen over a yellow background.
The emblem on Wario's hat, which in most appearances has the letter W extend outside of the white circle.

The character Foreman Spike, a possible inspiration for Wario, first appeared in the 1985 game Wrecking Crew. Spike is a construction foreman who bears a slight resemblance to Wario.[8] Game artist Hiroji Kiyotake designed Foreman Spike,[9] whom Kiyotake imagined as "the Bluto to Mario's Popeye".[10] Wario's first named appearance occurred in the 1992 game Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. Wario's design arose from Super Mario Land's design team's distaste for making a game based around someone else's character. The creation of Wario allowed them their own character to "symbolize their situation".[8][11] Nintendo originally considered making Wario a German character before he developed into an Italian like Mario.[12]

Wario is portrayed as a caricature of Mario: he has a large head and chin; huge muscular arms; a wide, short, slightly obese body; short legs; a large, pointier, zig-zagging mustache; and a bellicose cackle. He wears a plumber outfit with a yellow-and-purple color scheme, which is a short-sleeved yellow shirt, purple overalls, and a blue W on his hat. He also wears green shoes and white gloves with blue W symbols. In his early appearances, Wario wears a yellow, long-sleeved shirt and fuchsia overalls.[13] The name "Wario" is a portmanteau of "Mario" and the Japanese adjective warui (悪い), meaning "bad", hence "bad Mario", which is also symbolized by the "W" on his hat, an upside-down "M".[14][10] Official Nintendo lore states Wario was a childhood rival to Mario and Luigi, who became jealous of their success.[15]

Wario was intended to be German at one point; German translator Thomas Spindler gave him German lines when he was brought on to voice Wario.[16] This part of Wario was eventually dropped; Charles Martinet's Wario voice did not have any German influence. During his audition for the part, Martinet was told to speak in a mean-and gruff-sounding tone; he said voicing Wario is a looser task than voicing Mario, whose speaking manner and personality are freer-flowing, rising from the ground and floating into the air, while jealousy is one of Wario's characteristics.[17]

Wario is often portrayed as a villain in video games in which he makes a cameo appearance. The development team for Wario Land: Shake It! stated he was not really a villain, and they did not consider him one during development. They focused on his behavior, which alternates between good and evil.[18][19] Etsunobu Ebisu and Takahiro Harada, producers of Shake It!, considered Wario to be a reckless character who uses his strength to overwhelm others.[20] Tadanori Tsukawaki, Shake It!'s design director, described Wario as manly and said he was "so uncool that he ends up being extremely cool." Because of this, Tsukawaki wanted Wario to act macho rather than silly and asked the art designers to emphasize his masculinity.[21] During an interview with Kikizo, video game designer Yoshio Sakamoto, who was a member of R&D1 since its early days, stated the project centered around Wario because the team "couldn't think of anyone else best for the role",[1] and he was then described as "unintelligent"[22] and "always idiotic",[1][23] which is the reason he was chosen as the star of the WarioWare series.[23] According to an early 1990s Nintendo guide, Wario was Mario's childhood friend, which Kotaku later contested in a parody article.[24] Afterward, it was stated that they were not related to each other and were considered childhood rivals.[19]

In his earliest appearances in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and Wario's Woods, Wario displays considerable magical power, using spells on the population of islands to turn them into his minions, create duplicates, and grow very large.[25] These traits were discontinued starting with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, in which he is rejuvenated by garlic in a similar manner to Mario being powered by mushrooms.[11] In the WarioWare and Super Smash Bros. games, consuming garlic transforms Wario into "Wario-Man", a superhero with powers relating to garlic-induced flatulence and bad breath. In other games, he uses farts as his special attack. Wario often uses bombs as tools and weapons, for example in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Wario Blast, and Mario Kart: Double Dash. The WarioWare series prominently uses bombs as a visual motif to represent the time limit of a microgame.[26][27]

Appearances

Wario Land series

Wario first appeared as a villain in the 1992 Game Boy video game Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, in which he captures Mario's castle.[25] Tatanga, the villain of the first Super Mario Land game, is a henchman of Wario in the second, implying Wario is responsible for the events of both games. Wario also serves as a villain in the 1993 Japan-only puzzle game Mario & Wario, in which Wario drops a bucket on the heads of Mario, Princess Peach, or Yoshi.[28] This was followed by the first game in the Wario Land series, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (1994), a platform game that marks Wario's first appearance as a protagonist and introduced his first villains, Captain Syrup and her Brown Sugar Pirates.[25][29] In his next appearance in Virtual Boy Wario Land, Wario plays similarly and has the ability to move in and out of the background.[25] A sequel to the Game Boy game Wario Land II (1998) features Captain Syrup's return as the antagonist. This game introduces Wario's invulnerability, allowing him to be burned or flattened without sustaining damage.[25]

In 2000, Wario Land 3 was released for the Game Boy Color; it is another sequel that uses the same mechanics and concepts as its predecessor.[25] The following year, the sequel Wario Land 4 debuted on the Game Boy Advance and incorporates Wario's ability to become burned or flattened and reintroduces the ability to become damaged from standard attacks.[25] In 2003, Wario World, the first console Wario platform game, was released for the GameCube. It has three-dimensional graphics and gameplay and does not incorporate major elements from previous platform games.[25] Wario: Master of Disguise (2007) for the Nintendo DS introduces touch-screen control of Wario and incorporates puzzles into the gameplay.[30] The series' most recent release, Wario Land: Shake It! (2008) for the Wii, reintroduces Captain Syrup. The game uses a hand-drawn animation style; Wario's design required more than 2,000 frames of animation.[21]

WarioWare series

An overweight character with pointy ears, a pink nose, thick eyebrows, muscular arms and a wavy moustache. He wears a navy blue shirt with a light blue jacket, pink pants with a red belt, blue shoes, and yellow biker gloves with a blue W. On his head, a yellow biker helmet with a blue W, goggles, and a red strap.
Wario has a heavily altered design in the WarioWare series, depicting him as a biker, such as in this promotional artwork for WarioWare Gold.

In 2003, the Wario franchise introduced a new series of games, the first of which was WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! for the Game Boy Advance. The game's premise involved Wario's decision to open a game development company to make money, creating short "microgames" instead of full-fledged games. The game's gameplay focused on playing a collection of microgames in quick succession. Mega Microgames! was later remade as WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games! for the GameCube; it featured the same microgames but lacked a story mode and focused more on multi-player.[25] In 2004, two sequels were released for the game. The first was the Game Boy Advance game WarioWare: Twisted!, which used the cartridge's tilt sensor to allow microgames to be controlled by tilting the handheld left and right.[31] The second was the Nintendo DS release WarioWare: Touched!, which incorporates the DS's touch screen and microphone into its gameplay.[32] One of the Wii's launch games in 2006 was WarioWare: Smooth Moves, which used the Wii Remote's motion-sensing technologies in a variety of ways.[33] The Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi have offered two new releases: 2008's WarioWare: Snapped!, which can be downloaded with the DSiWare service and uses the DSi's built-in front camera in its gameplay,[34] and 2009's WarioWare D.I.Y., which allows players to create microgames.[35] Game & Wario for the Nintendo Wii U was released on June 23, 2013.[36] Although it does not use the WarioWare name, it incorporates gameplay and characters from the WarioWare series. The game also pays tribute to the original Game & Watch games.[37] In 2018, the Nintendo 3DS game WarioWare Gold was released, featuring 316 microgames and combining elements from Twisted and Touched.[38] He also appeared in the 2021 Nintendo Switch game WarioWare: Get It Together![39] and the 2023 Nintendo Switch game WarioWare: Move It!, with 223 microgames.[40]

Other appearances

In Wario's Woods (1994), Wario is the main antagonist who wants to take over the forest and is defeated by Toad.[25] The same year, Wario appeared in the video game Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!, a remake of a Bomberman game for the Game Boy that includes Wario as a playable character.[25] Wario is a playable character in the Mario Kart series, starting with Mario Kart 64.[19] Wario has also appeared in 30 Mario sports games, including Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Mario Baseball, Super Mario Strikers, and the Mario & Sonic series.[19][41][42] Wario has also appeared in all installments of the Mario Party series, except Mario Party Advance.[19][25]

Wario is a playable character in two platform games for the Nintendo DS: the remake Super Mario 64 DS (2004) and Yoshi's Island DS (2006) as an infant version of himself,[25][43] and the 2001 puzzle game Dr. Mario 64.[44] The character wears his traditional attire from the Wario Land series and Mario series, and his biker outfit from the WarioWare series. Wario also appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and its follow-ups, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[45] Wario's cameos include aiding protagonist Starfy in the video game Densetsu no Stafy 3 and his presence in the scenery of Pilotwings 64.[25][46] Wario also appears as Baby Wario in Dr. Mario World.[47] The graphic novel Super Mario Adventures, which is a collection of comics originally serialized in the video-gaming magazine Nintendo Power, features Wario in two of the stories, one of which focuses on Wario's past and explains his rivalry with Mario. In the comic, it is revealed that Wario was Mario's childhood friend and Mario was his idol. Interested in many things Mario did, Wario endured abuse to find out how to become like Mario until he became disheartened with the process and swore revenge.[48]

In other media

Wario appears in South Park: "Imaginationland Episode III" as one of the characters from the "dark side" of Imaginationland.[49] In 2010, Charles Martinet's Wario voice was used in an advertisement promoting WarioWare D.I.Y. for British supermarket chain Tesco.[50] In a May 2021 episode of Saturday Night Live, host Elon Musk starred as Wario in a sketch in which he was put on trial for murdering Mario (portrayed by Kenan Thompson) in a kart race.[51][52] In 2023, Jack Black stated his interest in a potential sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie in which Pedro Pascal, who played Mario in a Saturday Night Live sketch, would voice Wario, the film's main villain.[53] In February 2024, Homer Simpson portrayed Wario in the latest episode of The Simpsons's "Lisa Gets an F1".[54]

Reception

Since his appearance in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Wario has received a largely positive reception and has become a well-established mascot for Nintendo.[55] James Troughton of TheGamer said Wario is the best Mario character because he is an icon of fashion and villainy.[56] Computer and Video Games found the levity of Wario games "liberating" compared to big Nintendo franchises such as Mario and The Legend of Zelda. The writer could "empathise more with the hopelessly materialistic Wario than goody brown-shoes Mario. Deep down, we'd all rather chase pounds over princesses."[57] IGN editor Travis Fahs said that while Wario is not the most likeable character, his strong confidence overshadows his flaws and makes him entertaining.[58] Audrey Drake of IGN said of Wario, "[A]ll this weird dude seems to care about is amassing as many material possessions and shiny things as possible",[59] Wario was also described as one of the best video game villains.[60] KhalidEternalNigh of Destructoid praised the character, describing him as "fat, lazy, greedy, and a cheater" and said: "[D]espite all of this I can't help but love him. Wario is, in my humble opinion, the most perfect 'evil twin' in the history of video games. [...] During Wario's career he has worn many hats – a game designer, a biker, a treasure hunter, and a hat that spits fire for some reason. Yet no matter what he does, no matter how mean he is, somehow Wario manages to charm his way into our hearts while picking our pockets."[61] Ryan Gilliam of Polygon described Wario as the "ultimate Italian American" and said the character "captures so much more of the Italian personality that resonates with me." He also said, "Wario trumps Mario as my family mascot, born with a crucial, relatable need to be louder and larger than life."[62] According to Mike Sholars of Kotaku, "Wario Isn't Evil, He's Honest". Sholars concluded, "Wario was conceived out of a desire to put a twist on the familiar, but his creators tapped into a powerful, universal constant: The Unrepentant Asshole."[63] Edwin Evans of Eurogamer praised Wario for being "repulsive" and "brilliant" and said, "In general, Wario isn't the star he used to be, [...] [b]ut he remains a crucial component of the Nintendo pantheon, the counterbalancing touch of malevolence and cunning without which Mario's star wouldn't shine quite so brightly."[64] William Hughes of The A.V. Club described him as "Nintendo's stinky, cheating genius" and said the character "captures the split at the heart of Nintendo. [...] All we know if that Wario would have loved the possibilities the smash hit console presents, and that the absence of a new WarioWare game on the handheld remains a real shame to the legacy of all the things—good, bad, flatulent, weird, and more—that he means to the company",[65] while Cass Marshall of Polygon said he "was institutionalized as a teen, and Wario was my only friend", and that he "find[s] Wario kind of soothing. He's just got a friendly face."[66]

In the book A Parent's Guide to Nintendo Games: A Comprehensive Look at the Systems and the Games, Craig Wessel described Wario as a "sinister twist" on Mario.[67] In Icons of Horror and the Supernatural: An Encyclopedia of Our Worst Nightmares, Volume 1, S. T. Joshi cites Waluigi and Wario as archetypal examples of alter egos.[68] Wario was used by Todd Harper as an example of the cultural signifiers of fatness that were specifically being created as traits typical of fat characters in fighting games as a whole in a paper for the Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports. They mentioned that Wario possesses a unique move in which he uses his teeth to efficiently chomp through anything, including other fighters, explosives, and even his own motorcycle. He was also being described as a "slob" archetype.[69]

Magazines have also praised Wario's outfit, particularly in Mario Golf: Super Rush.[70][71][72] In September 2021, Peter Nguyen, a professional stylist for "The Essential Man", commented on a Hiking Wario outfit in Mario Kart Tour, calling it "stylish" and saying, "I think this is the most wearable and strongest appearance for Wario".[73] He was also described as a "fashion icon".[74] A screenshot of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 showing Wario in swimwear appeared to depict him without nipples, leading fans and video game website Polygon to speculate about his lack of anatomical features.[75]

Wario has also been received positively in the Super Smash Bros. series. Den of Geek noted: "It would have been so easy to make Wario just another Mario knockoff in Smash. But Nintendo didn't do that. Instead, he's much wilder in the fighting series, a gross psychopath who runs over people with motorcycles and chomps down on people."[76] Jeremy Parish of Polygon lauded the character and stated, "Wario's great because his maniacal lust for gold has led him to become Nintendo's greatest and most creative entrepreneur."[77] Ian Walker of Kotaku also said Wario is one of the "decent" characters to play in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[27]

Merchandise

Outside of video games, Wario has been featured in a large variety of merchandise, including plush toys, clothing, and action figures.[78][79] Wario has also received several of his own Amiibo, which can be used in a wide array of games, including his own.[80]

Further reading

  • Kirk Hamilton (January 12, 2017). "OK, Bear With Me: What If Mario And Wario Are The Same Guy?". Kotaku.
  • Ryan Gilliam (September 2, 2021). "Everything you need to know about Wario". Polygon.
  • Chris Plante (September 21, 2021). "Wario is what would happen if Mario had a personality". Polygon.

References

  1. ^ a b c Mirachian, Darron (September 29, 2021). "Three decades of Wario all started with a name". Polygon. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  3. ^ Martinet, Charles (August 10, 2002). "Interview with the Voice of Mario" (Interview). GameSpy. Archived from the original on December 14, 2004. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  4. ^ McWhertor, Michael (November 3, 2023). "The new voice of Mario is also the new voice of Wario". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Super Mario Wiki on Twitter: "LRT: We've got a name for the voice of that E3 Wario puppet: Dale Johannes"". Twitter. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  6. ^ "『メイド イン ワリオ ゴージャス』のキャラクターPVがぞくぞくと公開中。ワリオ社長がみずから宣伝!極秘情報もポロリ?". Nintendo. December 21, 2018. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  7. ^ "近藤浩徳・武藤真子・青木瑠璃子・山口和也・松井謙典・木村昴/「おすそわける メイド イン ワリオ」出演情報". Atomic Monkey. September 22, 2021. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Oxford, David (February 1, 2008). "The History of Wario: Part 1". Kombo. Archived from the original on June 3, 2008. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  9. ^ Fahs, Travis (July 27, 2009). "IGN Presents the History of Game Boy". IGN. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
  10. ^ a b Kiyotake, Hiroji; Harada, Takahiro; Totaka, Kazumi; Hosokawa, Takehiko. "Super Mario Land 2 – 1992 Developer Interview". Shmuplations (Interview). Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Kohler, Chris (May 3, 2017). "Nintendo's Line Of Wario Platformers Ended Far Too Long Ago". Kotaku. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  12. ^ "Voice Actor Says Wario Was Originally Intended To Be A German Character". Siliconera. December 15, 2016. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  13. ^ "E3 2002: Hands on Wario World". IGN. May 23, 2002. Archived from the original on June 5, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  14. ^ "IGN: Wario Biography". IGN. March 29, 2010. Archived from the original on July 12, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  15. ^ "Cart Queries" (PDF). GamePro. No. 68. IDG. March 1995. p. 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 13, 2020.
  16. ^ Craddock, Ryan (November 6, 2020). "Random: Charles Martinet Adds To Decades-Old Confusion Over Wario 'D'oh, I Missed' Dialogue". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  17. ^ Martinet, Charles (September 15, 2008). "Charles Martinet Celebrates 15 Years of Wario with Kombo" (Interview). Kombo. Archived from the original on May 9, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  18. ^ "Wario Land Interview". IGN. September 30, 2008. Archived from the original on November 18, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  19. ^ a b c d e Gilliam, Ryan (September 2, 2021). "Everything you need to know about Wario". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  20. ^ Harada, Takahiro; Ebisu, Etsunobu; Yamauchi, Madoka (September 18, 2008). "Meet the brains behind Wario Land" (Interview). Nintendo UK. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  21. ^ a b Ebisu, Etsunobu; Harada, Takahiro; Tsukawaki, Tadanori; Yagi, Koichi; Sei, Kentaro; Yamauchi, Madoka; Tomita, Tomoya (September 18, 2008). "Drawing Wario: The animation of Wario Land" (Interview). Nintendo UK. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  22. ^ "Character-Specific Moves". Super Mario 64 DS (PDF) (Instruction booklet). Nintendo. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2023. Though [Wario]'s lacking in the speed and agility departments (not to mention intelligence)[...]
  23. ^ a b Sakamoto, Yoshio; Abe, Goro; Takeuchi, Ko; Nakada, Ryuichi; Sugioka, Taku; Mori, Naoko (April 7, 2006). "Nintendo R&D1 Interview with the WarioWare team" (Interview). Kikizo. p. 2. Archived from the original on December 26, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  24. ^ LeJacq, Yannick (December 31, 2014). "Old Nintendo Manual Says Wario Is Mario's Childhood Friend, Which Is BS". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "The Chronicles of Wario: A Retrospect". GameZone. February 15, 2005. Archived from the original on February 11, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  26. ^ "WarioWare Gold: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. August 2, 2018. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  27. ^ a b "Never Count Out A Wario Full Of Farts". Kotaku Australia. April 21, 2021. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  28. ^ "Mario and Wario for SNES". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 22, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  29. ^ Dillard, Corbie (February 17, 2012). "Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  30. ^ Harris, Craig (March 2, 2007). "Wario: Master of Disguise Review". IGN. Archived from the original on April 17, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  31. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (May 13, 2005). "WarioWare: Twisted! Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  32. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (February 11, 2005). "Warioware: Touched! Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  33. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (January 12, 2007). "Warioware: Smooth Moves Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  34. ^ Ramsay, Randolph (April 3, 2009). "WarioWare: Snapped! Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  35. ^ Harris, Craig (March 25, 2010). "WarioWare D.I.Y. Review – IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on April 30, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  36. ^ Ashcraft, Brain (December 5, 2012). "Game & Wario Is Nintendo's Newest Party Game". Kotaku. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  37. ^ Fletcher, JC (June 6, 2012). "Wii U's Game and Wario makes me Wario-wary". Joystiq. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  38. ^ Robinson, Martin (March 8, 2018). "The 3DS is getting a WarioWare game". EuroGamer. Archived from the original on May 22, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  39. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  40. ^ "WarioWare Finally Returns with Get It Together". Kotaku. June 15, 2021. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  41. ^ Casamassina, Matt (August 25, 2005). "Mario Superstar Baseball Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  42. ^ Thomas, Aaron (January 30, 2008). "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  43. ^ Harris, Craig (November 6, 2006). "Yoshi's Island DS Review". IGN. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  44. ^ "Every Game Coming to Nintendo Switch N64 Online". CBR. September 24, 2021. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  45. ^ "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Character Profiles: Wario". Shacknews. January 9, 2019. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  46. ^ Dillard, Corbie (May 19, 2009). "Feature: Legendary Starfy 101". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  47. ^ Jordan Gerblick (June 25, 2020). "Baby Wario is back, and now he's a doctor in Dr. Mario World". gamesradar. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  48. ^ Takekuma, Kentaro; Nozawa, Charlie (January 1993). "Mario VS Wario". Nintendo Power. Nintendo Power. 44: 52.
  49. ^ "10 Weirdest Episodes Of South Park (That Test The Limits)". ScreenRant. October 12, 2019. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  50. ^ Plunkett, Luke (May 4, 2022). "Wario's Big Speaking Role For...A British Supermarket". Kotaku. Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  51. ^ Kreps, Daniel (May 9, 2021). "See Grimes as Princess Peach, Elon Musk as Wario in 'SNL' Mario Murder Trial Sketch". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  52. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (May 9, 2021). "Elon Musk Hosts a Mother's Day Episode of 'Saturday Night Live'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  53. ^ Sharf, Zack (April 10, 2023). "Jack Black Pitches Pedro Pascal to Voice Wario in 'Super Mario Bros.' Sequel, Says 'It's Not a Given Bowser Returns'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  54. ^ Zwiezen, Zack (February 27, 2024). "Mario Kart Spoof In New Simpsons Episode Features Yoshi Milhouse, Wario Homer". Kotaku. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  55. ^ Thomas, Lucas M. (August 17, 2009). "The DSi Virtual Console Wishlist – DS Feature at IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  56. ^ "Wario Is The Best Mario Character And It's Not Even Close". TheGamer. July 31, 2021. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  57. ^ "Time Machine: Wario". Computer and Video Games. December 31, 2010. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  58. ^ Fahs, Travis (July 25, 2008). "Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 Retro Review – Game Boy Review at IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  59. ^ "Weirdest Mario Characters". IGN. October 11, 2011. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  60. ^ "Wario is number 31". IGN. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  61. ^ KhalidEternalNigh (October 23, 2017). "Wario: How he stole our coins & our hearts. Exploring evil doppelgangers". Destructoid. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  62. ^ "Wario is the ultimate Italian American". Polygon. September 29, 2021. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  63. ^ "Wario Isn't Evil, He's Honest". Kotaku. January 19, 2021. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  64. ^ Edwin Evans-Thirlwell (July 29, 2017). "All hail Wario". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  65. ^ William Hughes (March 27, 2020). "The fartman cometh: Celebrating the many careers of Wario, Nintendo's stinky, cheating genius". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  66. ^ Marshall, Cass (September 7, 2021). "I was institutionalized as a teen, and Wario was my only friend". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  67. ^ Wessel, Craig (2001). A Parent's Guide to Nintendo Games: A Comprehensive Look at the Systems and the Games. Mars Publications. ISBN 978-1-931199-06-3. Archived from the original on June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  68. ^ Joshi, S. T. (2007). Icons of Horror and the Supernatural: An Encyclopedia of Our Worst Nightmares, Volume 1. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-33781-9. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  69. ^ Harper, Todd (2023). "Fighting/Fat: Fighting Game Characters and the Emptiness of Video Game Fatness". Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports. 1 (1): 1–9. doi:10.1123/jege.2022-0043.
  70. ^ Hernandez, Patricia (February 17, 2021). "Wario just stunted on everyone in Mario Golf". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  71. ^ "Thank God For Wario". Kotaku. February 18, 2021. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  72. ^ "Mario Golf Super Rush: Nintendo Spotlights Wario's Fashion". comicbook.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  73. ^ "Is Wario a fashion icon? We asked an expert". Polygon. September 23, 2021. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  74. ^ "Wario's shoes are the window to his soul". Polygon. September 28, 2021. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  75. ^ Diaz, Ana (August 22, 2019). "We have some questions after seeing Wario shirtless". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  76. ^ "Super Smash Bros. Characters Ranked". Den of Geek. March 7, 2019. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019.
  77. ^ Parish, Jeremy (December 3, 2018). "We rank the Smash Bros. (and friends)". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  78. ^ "Q-Steer Mario Kart at ToyRC.com Model Shop, Remote Controlled Helicopters, Airplanes and Cars with full Spare Part and Accessory support". ToyRC.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  79. ^ "Choro Q Mario Kart at ToyRC.com Model Shop, Remote Controlled Helicopters, Airplanes and Cars with full Spare Part and Accessory support". Toyrc.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  80. ^ Ramos, Jeff (July 26, 2018). "WarioWare Gold makes the best use of your amiibo collection". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.