Wario Land 3 on GBC is the best of the portable Wario series. Explore a musical world with powers gained from chests. Non-linear structure, humorous tone and abundant secrets. A GBC masterpiece.
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Platformer1 player3+
Description
Wario is sucked into a music box and must find hidden objects in open stages visited multiple times. Published by Nintendo, released in the United States in September 2000. Invincible Wario, treasures to locate in semi-open stages, unlockable recurring bosses, fully interconnected world. US edition.
First Wario natively built for the GBC, designed by R&D1 to make full use of the extended palette and a non-linear progression structure anchored on a central hub. Widely regarded as a peak of portable 2D platforming, it remains relatively affordable thanks to a broad North American print run, but copies retaining the Nintendo Power secret-code insert and a matte sleeve unaffected by yellowing become genuinely scarce and pull pricing upwards.
Is Wario Land 3 still worth playing in 2026?
Wario Land 3 pushes the previous chapter's logic further by adding a non linear structure centered on chests unlocked over the course of time. Each level is replayed several times as new powers come online, turning the adventure into a metroidvania ahead of its time. The transformations are more varied, the writing keeps its dry humor and the art direction holds up remarkably well. A peak of Nintendo R&D1 work on Game Boy Color, well deserving of the top spot for anyone starting to dig into portable Wario.
