[TAS] DS Wario: Master of Disguise by IsaGoodFriend in

This is a tool-assisted speedrun. For more information, see tasvideos.org/5558M
TAS originally published on 2023-09-09
Wario: Master of DIsguise is a puzzle platformer developed by Suzak and published by Nintendo in 2007 for the DS. This time, Wario is jealous about a TV show of a thief who can wield various disguises. Therefore, he creates the Telmet, which allows him to enter the show. He steals the thief's disguise changing wand, Goodstyle, allowing him to transform into the various costumes that get unlocked along the way across 10 episodes.
IsaGoodFriend ( tasvideos.org/Users/Profile/I... ) makes swift usage of the wand, allowing for very swift transformations and completes the game in record time.
Encoder's note: There's an instance of flashing lights during the boss fight in Episode 8, which may cause epileptic seizures.

[@jruler93]

This game has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and I actually just finished a playthrough of it on the Wii U VC earlier today. So this TAS is quite a lovely coincidence for me.

[@masonhhoffman]

Been waiting for a tas of this for a long ass time

[@vashtanerada2731]

One of my favourite games, it's awesome!

[@gothycollie]

Very cool run!

[@petergriscom3431]

We have Mario Odyssey at home.

[@Mizai]

this was a great tas to watch

[@billlllllllllllll]

DAMN!

[@CorprayTheWonderfulBoy2024]

I Love It!

[@zigaudrey]

Volcano level has the most risky strat. Good thing the Dragon is immune to Lava.
42:08 DEAD 58:01 DEAD TOO

[@speedymatt1236]

Looks like it’s on purpose

[@zigaudrey]

@@speedymatt1236 Everything show in TASes are in purpose.

[@newrunrocks2656]

Wariovania

[@Austinator0630]

Wario Land 3 for the Gameboy Color was technically a metroidvania. Wario Land 3 is a continuation of the sub-genre Nintendo R&D1 started with Metroid.

[@landfillbaby]

good job isagoodfriend !

[@IsaGoodFriend]

Thank you!

[@KimeramonRocks]

Uh why is Wario the master of disguise? Is Wario even in the turtle club?

[@Austinator0630]

This game was originally called Phantom Thief: Wario the Seven in Japan. The Japanese version has lyrics in the title theme.

[@davidthecommenter]

THIS JUST IN: Local Thief suffers from Head Trauma!

[@SmoggyLambGG]

Too bad! Get the treasures!

[@Mizai]

my version had a keypad instead of a drawing letters

[@channelisreturned1194]

42:09 NOOOOOOOOO

[@wonderguardstalker]

This game always gave me a headache because the visuals and music combined with the puzzles and drawing was very obnoxious. Definitely a stand out bummer purchase for me especially after Wario Land 4 and Wario World which I played all the time.
Looked up Suzak to see they did GP Legend as well, another game I wasn’t crazy about but I loved GX too much not to try it lol

[@Austinator0630]

Suzak Inc was a shovelware company. That's why this game is unpolished.

[@RachelCritiques]

Call me crazy but I’ve always loved this game and the music and such. Maybe it was because I played it on a 3ds instead of a ds or something idk

[@SlashMissingInAction]

Live of this?

[@RADish-official]

This is the only canonical metroidvania in the entire Mario franchise, which is probably why Nintendo refuses to make a Mario metroidvania Nintendo please make a Mario metroidvania im begging you

[@Austinator0630]

Wario Land 3 for the Gameboy Color was technically a metroidvania.

[@chelvo56]

​@@Austinator0630Currently playing that one and it's really not. It's a puzzle platformer

[@Austinator0630]

​@@chelvo56Wario Land 3 was made by Nintendo R&D1, the same internal team responsible for Metroid.

[@IsaGoodFriend]

@@chelvo56 Having had played both games, I would consider Wario Land 3 more of a metroidvania than this game

[@Austinator0630]

@@IsaGoodFriend That's because Wario Land 3 was developed by Nintendo R&D1, the same internal team responsible for Metroid. Wario Land 3 essentially picked up where Super Metroid left off.

[@nathanielbilirancocoba4037]

Lucky Gameplay.

[@DegaGray]

its a tas, there is no luck

[@elpignouf4760]

​@@DegaGrayDamn, someone should have made a joke about it...

[@PrettzL]

This game does not look entertaining at all lmfao

[@Austinator0630]

That's because this game was made by a shovelware company.

[@RachelCritiques]

I played it and thought it was pretty good but that’s just me

[@Mizai]

the game is fine

[@Austinator0630]

@@Mizai This game was made by a shovelware company, hence why it is unpolished.

[@starman2517]

this game is carried entirely by its music and writing
holy shit this game sucks lol

[@Austinator0630]

That's because this game was made by a shovelware company.

[@iDarthDub]

Yooo, it's starman.

[@RachelCritiques]

I disagree but that’s just me

[@Austinator0630]

@@RachelCritiques This game has the misfortune of being made by a shovelware company, hence why it's unpolished.

[@Mizai]

​@@Austinator0630remember its the ds

[@XanthinZarda]

So I think I see a few issues with this game.
A) What? You want the classic Wario powers that have been around since Wario Land 2? Too bad, here's a bunch of clumsy costumes instead.
B) Each costume is unlocked via an asinine minigame.
C) Enforced stylus use.
D) Nobody could be bothered with something as simple as an event flag or a ? button to make sure instructions don't repeat without need.
E) The checkpoint mechanic could have been so much better, letting you select them as you see them.
F) The fastest way though the game is by ignoring most of it.
G) You can lose your disguises in stupid ways.
H) Nothing about this feels very Wario. Maybe Crygor could have gotten a gaiden game.

[@Austinator0630]

This game was made by a shovelware company, hence why it's unpolished.

[@ssg-eggunner]

I agree with most of those, as for A, I think the disguises idea is fine and as for H, I think it still feels like Wario (in the presentation and wackyness department that is)

[@klaymodopostoffice9885]

@@Austinator0630 Gee whizz, Austinator... Feels like you've been trashing this game for years.
As an old pixel artist, I'm gonna tell you right now, Wario: Master of Disguise may be unpolished, but it is NOT shovelware, my friend.
Suzak was a tiny, humble studio and they slaved a ton of work into this project. It just needed more time, support, and proper art direction from Nintendo.
If you need proof, look at all the different art assets in the game.
Just wandering through the museum area (Episode 3) shows you how much effort they made with all the different backdrops, environmental details, textures and tiny animations (like reflective surfaces).
Then there's the impressive scope of enemies and bosses with their smooth animations and wild designs. The art direction is messy, but there's some real imagination in some of those baddies, not to mention high-quality pixel work (these were the dying days of traditional pixel art, before Nintendo retired from it and started using cheap, easy, sterile polygons for almost every game).
Finally, there's the huge body of writing and humour in the game, from the game's narrative, to all those terrific, jokey descriptions for all the different treasures, enemies, bosses, etc. (in the Coffee Table Book).
Compared to actual shovelware, this game is overflowing with real heart and effort, even if a lot of it is misguided or unrefined.

[@Austinator0630]

@@klaymodopostoffice9885 Nintendo has a long and terrible history of throwing there IPs to questionable companies. In a way, 2007's Wario: Master of Disguise exemplifies a weakness that will ultimately lead to Nintendo's undoing.

[@klaymodopostoffice9885]

@@Austinator0630 I know what you mean.
Even when Nintendo takes a chance on a highly respected studio (like Treasure Corp. who did Wario World for them), the results are always mixed, for one reason or another.
I don't think it will be their undoing, but I find it baffling that they've done precious little in-house since the early 2000's. You have to wonder how often they employ new blood into the company when they're relying on outsiders 70-80% of the time.