Wario: Master of Disguise

Wario: Master of Disguise builds its gameplay around an unusual idea - thanks to a magic paintbrush and his own television show, Wario gains the ability to change into various costumes, each granting him a different ability needed to progress through the level. One mask lets him fly, another lets him fight with a sword like a pirate, another lets him crawl through narrow spaces or turn invisible, and the game thus functions as a platformer built on solving puzzles by choosing the right outfit for the given situation and environment Wario is passing through. The story is told through episodes filmed for a fictional TV station, which gives each chapter its own theme and visual flair and allows for the introduction of ever new types of puzzles and environments.

The visual style is comic-book exaggerated and colorful, in keeping with the Wario brand's tradition, full of exaggerated grimaces, gestures, and humorous animations accompanying every transformation. The music accompanies the action with a light, comedic tone typical of the series, with brisk melodies underscoring the grotesqueness of each costume. The controls partly use the touchscreen, especially for switching costumes and activating special abilities, while basic movement stays on the buttons - a combination that reviews judged as at times clunky and not entirely intuitive.

At release the game received rather mixed reactions - the original idea of disguises and the series' distinctive humor were praised, while the not-always-precise controls and the uneven pacing that fluctuated between chapters were criticized. Today the title is seen as a curious but memorable experiment in Wario's varied filmography, interesting mainly for fans of the brand rather than as a universally recommended platformer for a broader audience that would be looking for flawlessly tuned controls rather than distinctive humor and a fresh idea.