Wario: Master of Disguise

 DS
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 34 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 34
  3. Negative: 6 out of 34
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  1. ChristofferL
    Jul 28, 2009
    6
    This is the weirdest wario game ever made, and I hardly love it. Only 10 unreplayable episodes, bosses without challenge (except Sprinx wanting you to solve 3 riddles, that part was annoying) and the system of the crests is kinda pointless, but still fun. The story is not bad or good, there was only one primary goal: collect all 5 pieces of the wishstone and wish for all treasures in the This is the weirdest wario game ever made, and I hardly love it. Only 10 unreplayable episodes, bosses without challenge (except Sprinx wanting you to solve 3 riddles, that part was annoying) and the system of the crests is kinda pointless, but still fun. The story is not bad or good, there was only one primary goal: collect all 5 pieces of the wishstone and wish for all treasures in the world. Some of the disguise symbols are pretty hard for the system to regonize, like almost everytime I'm about to change my self to Cosmic Wario, the game thinks I want to become Arty Wario even if I draw the circle perfect. The game is fun and feels very well to finally solve a problem you find yourself stuck in, but after completing the whole game, theres an little bonus: gather all treasures and complete the 5 extra episodes, NO THANKS, I just wanted to complete the game.… Expand
  2. AlexS.
    May 27, 2007
    10
    I love this game it is so cool even though it can get hard in several parts. And I'm only on A Third Thief Brings Grief Level 4 but it is still awesome.
  3. TonyG.
    Mar 13, 2007
    0
    pure poop... touch controls are horrible and boring. nintendo needs to focus more on the game than gimmicky control. horrendous.
  4. dxrgamer2234
    Aug 1, 2019
    8
    its goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood game ok for real why is it hated so much
  5. spencerkid
    Aug 1, 2019
    10
    I liked it it was really gooood so yeah its good its good its good good good
  6. PurpleWind
    Apr 14, 2008
    9
    This game is fantastic. Nowhere else will you find a platformer that makes you think and solve puzzles like this one. the story might no be high-brow, but it's WARIO would you expect a classy or even classic story? It's just Wario in one of his better adventures. The Costumes add to the challenge with each change bringing abilities used to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles. This game is fantastic. Nowhere else will you find a platformer that makes you think and solve puzzles like this one. the story might no be high-brow, but it's WARIO would you expect a classy or even classic story? It's just Wario in one of his better adventures. The Costumes add to the challenge with each change bringing abilities used to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles. Master of Disguise is a great adventure that is worth a look. "The Purple wind, silent but deadly. Smell it!"… Expand
  7. ColinC
    Apr 14, 2008
    9
    Okay, my first 30 minutes with this game, I thought it was awful. Graphics seemed subpar and story seemed stupid. 30 minutes later, I was starting to enjoy myself more. 30 minutes after that, I was hooked. I've been playing games for 25 years and I've never gone from hating to loving a game like this. And having played the game through to the end, I'm amazed at some of the Okay, my first 30 minutes with this game, I thought it was awful. Graphics seemed subpar and story seemed stupid. 30 minutes later, I was starting to enjoy myself more. 30 minutes after that, I was hooked. I've been playing games for 25 years and I've never gone from hating to loving a game like this. And having played the game through to the end, I'm amazed at some of the low critic scores and reviews. It makes me think that maybe they stopped playing it in the first 30 minutes. I found the stylus controls for changing disguises worked wonderfully. Yes, some of the minigames aren't topnotch (and especially start off way too easy, but they do get harder near the end.), but the level design and story really pull you and and keep getting better and better. It was the boss fights that first hooked me, and then as I got more powers and the level design started requiring me to be more inventive about how I used them, I really started digging this game. I don't this this game has sold well (just based on the number of user votes here) and that's a crying shame. I own both a psp and a ds, and this is some of the most fun I've had on a handheld. (Other favorites include every Advanced Wars game, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, Papaton, and Zelda The Phantom Hourglass.)… Expand
  8. ExpEchoX5
    Nov 22, 2011
    6
    While I believe that this game is an interesting concept, I did not like it as much as I expected to once I started playing it. The abilities were unique and interesting, but navigating the gameâ
  9. RyanA
    Dec 7, 2012
    7
    This game is okay, i haven't played all the way through it, so don't go by my review of the game if you want to buy it. The graphics are nice for a Nintendo DS game, I can say that as one of the best parts of the game. This game for some reason seems non linear, because I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do in one level and the shapes that you have to draw are way too complex toThis game is okay, i haven't played all the way through it, so don't go by my review of the game if you want to buy it. The graphics are nice for a Nintendo DS game, I can say that as one of the best parts of the game. This game for some reason seems non linear, because I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do in one level and the shapes that you have to draw are way too complex to memorize, so constant looking at the tutorials is necessary. I can't say too much more, I haven't beat this game yet, my rating, so far after at least two chapters is 7.3/10… Expand
  10. flyingbeaver
    Apr 20, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very interesting game, atmosphere’s great in this game. The mechanics are very futuristic using drawing to give Wario a suit. It’s nice to see Wario in the light of a hero... or villain, i’m not sure. This game was very challenging, starting with level 1. There was not a nice build-up of difficulty. It started hard and it ended hard. There was not an option to simplify the process, unlike other nintendo games. But overall the difficulty could make you enjoy the game more. If you’ve finished the last level, you could enjoy a selection of mini-games you already know. It is one of the best game of the Wario franchize and needs way more appreciation.… Expand
  11. RayanSchwarz
    Mar 19, 2021
    9
    Back in the day, this game was essentially the perfect puzzle-platformer. In typical Wario manner, the gameplay and presentation intentionally subvert expectations to express the weirdness the Wario franchise is known for, and end up making it feel fresh and original because of it. If anyone knows this hidden gem, it's probably because of its underrated rock and metal soundtrack, whichBack in the day, this game was essentially the perfect puzzle-platformer. In typical Wario manner, the gameplay and presentation intentionally subvert expectations to express the weirdness the Wario franchise is known for, and end up making it feel fresh and original because of it. If anyone knows this hidden gem, it's probably because of its underrated rock and metal soundtrack, which stands out even among the already superb tunes of the DS library. For the console it was released on, this game also sports some impressively detailed graphics and works with the limitations of the DS' 32-bit processor, instead of around it, thus ensuring nostalgia for everyone who played portable video games during the late 2000's. Changing between a multitude of forms on the fly by drawing on the touch screen is only one of a multitude of original gameplay concepts incorporated into Wario: Master of Disguise, the ingenuity of which make it feel like a really good Indie game. Unexpectedly for a Wario game, there is a surprising amount of lore behind the events shown, fleshing out the narrative of the Metroidvania-style world it is set in.
    The only things hurting this challenging and original experience are a few sudden difficulty spikes and the fact that the touch controls may not work well on emulators or heavily used DS systems, but these are not significant enough to keep me from suggesting this game to anyone having 10€ to spare on an unforgettable experience.    … Expand
  12. Huey762
    Jun 28, 2022
    10
    Never played but I remember knowing a guy in elementary school who owned a promotional bookmark for this game. 10/10 would recommend.
  13. Derpcat
    Jan 21, 2023
    4
    Wario: Master of Disguise. A very obscure DS game. Nintendo made lots of games for the DS. Many will go down in history as masterpieces like Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl and New Super Mario Bros. But, there are some virtually unknown games. Like Meteos and, you guessed it, Wario Master of Disguise. Very recently I got the chance to play this game. So here I’ll cover it. So, without a furtherWario: Master of Disguise. A very obscure DS game. Nintendo made lots of games for the DS. Many will go down in history as masterpieces like Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl and New Super Mario Bros. But, there are some virtually unknown games. Like Meteos and, you guessed it, Wario Master of Disguise. Very recently I got the chance to play this game. So here I’ll cover it. So, without a further ado, here is the most unknown DS game.

    So one day Wario decided that he wanted to go into a TV, because he saw this show called the Silver Zephyr, about a thief. Wario goes in and lands on the Silver Zephyr, who upon losing his wand, turns into regular old Count Cannoli. Wario grabs his wand who is sentient and named Goodstyle. The wand lets Wario change his outfit. He wants Wario to gather the Wishstone in order to let Wario have all the treasure in the world. Story is a major focus, so no spoilers.

    Wario: Master of Disguise is a CastleRoid game, or Metroidvania if you’re a weirdo. There are 10 large levels that you clear in order. You get abilities in levels that you keep, but you play them in linear order. You can also find treasure chests, and when you open them, you play a minigame. They are so bland it’s insulting. Sometimes you have to color things in. Yeah. You need to get other items as well. Imagine if in Metroid, you would have to change your suit by drawing something on the screen to use 3 of your abilities, and then change it back when you’re done. That’s the disguise mechanic. Despite this, I like the disguise mechanic, but the controls are super gimmicky. You need to draw things on the screen to do actions, change disguise, and access doors. It’s kind of uncomfortable. One action requires you to blow on the screen. I did that, and my dog got angry at me and attacked my DS. The speed of the game is a lot slower than many other 2D platformers. I played Wario Land 4 at the same time, and it was much faster. The drawing in the controls make it slower. The bosses require fast movement and it can be clunky. The bosses are good, however. There is one every level (Except level 3). Some aren’t great, but there are standouts. The gameplay gets a 4/10. Super gimmicky, and the controls are garbage.

    The DS isn’t incredibly powerful. The graphics are bright and colorful, and the enemies will have you laughing. To be honest, it looks better than other DS games like New Super Mario Bros. I wish it looked like Wario Land 4, but it still looks good. But again, I wish it looked better. The music is either too hard rock or too soft. There aren’t many standouts, but the final boss theme is so amazing. It sounds like something you’d find in Undertale. 7/10 presentation. It’s very good.

    Content here isn’t great. As I said before, there are 10 levels. There are 5 bonus ones that play differently. And there is a coffee book that contains minigames, enemies, and stuff like that. You can discover all of them, and play the minigames and get medals on them. The levels also have high-score based replay value. Other than that though, what you see is what you get. 2/10 content. Not good. I’m rating it a two because at least there’s something.

    I found Wario: Master of Disguise to be much better than I thought. With that being said, I do NOT recommend it. If you can find it for under $30, by all means, go for it. But that’s rare. As it stands, Wario: Master of Disguise is the forgotten Wario game, that’s hidden but not a gem.

    Now, you probably think I was way too hard on this game. But I’m breaking away from the standard formula. I bet you think a 7/10 is bad. A 4/10 is where what most think a 7/10 is here. Just saying this so there’s no confusion. Wario: Master of Disguise is by no means a good game. But I rated it better than you think. Maybe.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Most Discussed DS Game of 2007
12
#12 Most Shared DS Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 35
  3. Negative: 7 out of 35
  1. GameBrink
    80
    Due to a few gameplay hiccups here and there and some rather boring gameplay in other spots Wario doesn’t quite approach greatness. It’s a good fun diversion for those who like the platformer/puzzle/Metroid hybrid but all others can probably skip it. [JPN Import]
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  2. Edge Magazine
    40
    There’s a desperate lack of innovation on display here; nondescript levels based around ice caves, pyramids and inevitable Mayan temples. The boring locations exacerbate the sneaking feeling that the levels, which can easily take an hour or longer to finish, are simply too large. [JPN Import; Mar 2007, p.81]
  3. Nintendo Power
    65
    Despite its shortcomings, Master of Disguise managers to deliver a moderately enjoyable platforming romp. [Apr 2007, p.86]
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