This review was originally published in May 2014. We’re updating and republishing it to mark the game’s arrival in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack GBA library.

Although Wario’s core platforming series has been overshadowed for years by the surrealist microgames of WarioWare, his excellent platformers have the sort of devoted following that inspires 600-page eBooks. It’s easy to see why: Wario Land 4 takes the basic 2D platforming concepts of Mario and turns them on their head in an irreverent, boisterous adventure unafraid to take risks.

It’s hard not to compare Wario Land 4 to the first game in the WarioWare series, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!. Both were created by Nintendo R&D1 with largely the same development team; Wario Land 4 launched shortly after the Game Boy Advance hit stores in 2001, while WarioWare followed two years later. Aesthetically they’re two peas in a pod, with much of WarioWare’s trippy visual approach and outlandish musical style first pioneere..

Hello! I’m Oli, the game director at Kaizen Game Works, the creators of Paradise Killer. I’m thrilled to announce that the playable demo for our new open world mascot management crime drama, Promise Mascot Agency, is out today on PS5!

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We’ve spent a long time working on this game, and the whole team is excited for PlayStation players to get their hands on it. Let me kick it to you straight; the PS5 rules. All of us at Kaizen primarily play on PlayStation, and we all grew up with the original PlayStation, PS2, PS3 and PS4. I collect PlayStation and PS2 games, and that era directly influenced the design of Promise Mascot Agency.

I love PS2 games where you Hangout And Do Stuff. Have you ever played Way of the Samurai, Raw Danger, Boku No Natsuyasumi and Steambot Chronicles? You should! You can really chill in those games, meet interesting characters, make important choices and explore at your leisure. That’s the kind of game we wanted to make; a fun w..

Inverse Recommends44 Years Later, Pac-Man Proves Simplicity Can Still Be DelightfulThe legacy continues.
by Shannon Liao19 hours agoPac-Man World Re-PacInverse RecommendsBack in the ‘80s and ‘90s, crowds lined up around arcade machines to see a large yellow orb chomp down on pellets and sometimes even ghosts. The orb resembled a pizza pie, with one slice missing. He would go on to be a global sensation, spawning tons of spin-offs, future sequels, and versions reimagined. There was even Ms. Pac-Man, whose distinctive design included a set of perky eyelashes and a little bow on her head.
Forty-four years later, the charm of Pac-Man is still here. The proof: PlayStation Plus just added one of these reimagined classics, Pac-Man World Re-Pac, giving us all a chance to revisit the nostalgia without leaving home. It’s a remake of a game that originally came out in 1999 on the first PlayStation console, landing on modern consoles in 2022. Pac-Man is three-dimensional this time, has got hands ..

RetrospectiveA Sci-Fi Sleeper Hit Made Vin Diesel Into a StarBefore he was Fast & Furious, Diesel was Richard B. Riddick.
by Ryan Britt19 hours agoSean Barnes/Gramercy/Kobal/ShutterstockInverse RecommendsThere’s a scene early in the 2000 film Pitch Black that is laugh-out-loud hilarious. After one of the ill-fated crew of the spaceship Hunter-Gratzner thinks escaped convict Richard B. Riddick (Vin Diesel) is on the loose murdering people, the camera does a quick zoom to show ups that Riddick is not trying to murder anybody, but instead, sitting under an umbrella, sipping some water. And, in this one moment, the ethos of Pitch Black, and the appeal of Vin Diesel, can be fully understood.
Twenty-five years ago, hardcore film critics and even sci-fi aficionados were content to write off David Twohy’s Pitch Black as derivative shlock, more suited for a Sci-Fi Channel original movie than a theatrical experience. But Diesel is simultaneously badass and also f*cking hilarious in Pitch Black. ..

It probably doesn’t get shouted about enough, but there’s no denying that Songs of Conquest is one of the best new strategy games of the last couple of years. Scaling up the kind of action you’d find in games like Heroes of Might and Magic, it has attracted a surprisingly large and loyal following – publisher Coffee Stain says over 600,000 units have been shifted now, which is mighty impressive. Songs of Conquest is keen to keep capitalizing on the interest and delivering new content to players,..

Category: Next Week on Xbox Next Week on Xbox: New Games for February 17 to 21

Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire EditorPublishedFebruary 14, 2025Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, the Xbox App on Windows PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
Avowed Standard EditionXbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆
90

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-orderAvowed – February 18
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment. Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members can purchase the Avowed Premium Upgrad..

SummaryX-Out Resurfaced comes out February 20, 2025.Digital pre-orders are currently available.Remake of the classic C64 shoot’em up.Some people say old legends never die. We fully agree with them, as we’re willing to give a helping hand to those that wish to rise again.
X-Out Resurfaced is a full-blown, high-definition remake of the old Commodore 64 classic X-Out. Featuring gorgeous visuals and a reworked control scheme, this new version is the perfect way to experience this incredible shoot’em up in all its glory.
The game starts with a unique loadout screen, revolutionary for its time, allowing you to choose your craft, weaponry and option types, before submersing yourself in frantic, underwater shmup action.
The challenge will be tough and the enemies numerous, but Captain Granger and his faithful craft Trilobite are definitely up to the task. He is after all the last line of defense against the alien horrors that are trying to invade Earth through the ocean depths.
The..

Category: GamesFebruary 14, 2025 Fahmi’s Swan Song: Afterlove EP – Life, Love, and Music in Jakarta

Sasha Ariana, Lead Narrative DesignerSummaryAfterlove EP is a new slice-of-life adventure from the creator of Coffee Talk and What Comes After.Pikselnesia shares how the team navigated its own grief alongside the game’s emotional beats after its founder unexpectedly passed away.Afterlove EP is out today on Xbox Series X|S.When we, Pikselnesia, first heard the pitch for Afterlove EP from one of Indonesia’s greatest narrative minds, Fahmi Hasni, we knew it would be something special. But we never expected everything to unfold the way it did.
I first met Fahmi, funnily enough, through a dating app. After a very brief entangling, it quickly became clear that we were meant to create something far greater than just a fleeting companionship. Even before What Comes After took shape, he was already dreaming about what at that time was called Project Heartbreak. Back then, he..