Developer: Kaneko Publisher: Kaneko Release: 01/31/92 Genre: Action
The Sega Genesis’ popularity in the West is a bit of an anomaly. Because the platform was so successful in Europe and especially the US publishers were constantly on the lookout for titles to publish on Sega’s hot system. Hell Sega themselves were especially aggressive; if you go back and look at their release cadence it is absurd. The vast majority of the best titles in Japan would make the trip overseas but occasionally a gem would slip through the cracks. Wani Wani World could have been Bubble Bobble for Sega platforms if someone had the courage to publish the damn thing in the US. This is a cool little game and I am here to tell you why.
Wani Wani World is a loose port of the arcade game the Berlin Wall. That game did not release outside of Japan making it a curiosity in this day and age. Wani Wani World takes the gameplay but applies a different story and characters, replacing the boy with an umbrella with a hammer wielding crocodile. It is an odd choice but one that brings it in line with most games in this genre. I am surprised this one slipped through the cracks; it is an easy localization and the type of game publishers were flooding the market with during that era.
At first glance Wani Wani World looks similar to Taito’s classic platformer. You might assume it plays like it too. That is a mistake. The game has its own mechanics you must take in to account. Even though you have a hammer you do not defeat enemies by bashing them in the head. Instead the hammer can destroy parts of the floor, at which point any enemy that walks in to that blank space is trapped. Only then can you tail whip them to oblivion. But you have a limited window before they right themselves and come after you. Destroyed monsters explode in a sea of stars that can also chain and destroy nearby enemies too. Like its forebearers the goal is to destroy all enemies in a stage to move on. Unlike similar titles there is no time limit or reaper of death punishing you for taking too long.
The other big distinction is that you cannot jump without a spring. With that limitation navigating the map to set up traps becomes a key component of gameplay. Each level is a maze of ladders, floating platforms, and teleporters designed to help you around the map. All the while enemies roam around the map. Generally the level design is strong and at times downright clever. Many times the stages are almost puzzle like, with one or two enemies in trick locations you must not only reach but also figure out how to defeat. The presence of a single wall or floating platform can completely change the dynamic of a stage. It is incredibly satisfying creating a domino that eliminates all enemies in one sweep, which is possible in most stages.
Wani Wani World consists of five worlds with nine levels and a boss stage. Normally this type of setup can be repetitive like the Bomberman titles. However I feel the enemy variety and their unique behaviors as well as the strength of the power-ups alleviates that. Some can only be destroyed in particular ways, such as dropping them more than one level. Others can restore broken floors and need to be tricked. The numerous power-ups almost seem designed for players who do not want to deal with these particulars and get it over with. Bombs and cannonballs can clear the map in seconds and you can hold multiples. In fact the game is a bit generous with its power-ups which is why it is generally so easy.
In fact Wani Wani World is too easy. As I said power-ups drop frequently allowing you to clear stages in seconds. Destroying multiple enemies in one shot drops slot machines that spins the slot in the UI. When successful it drops a shower of items, including extra lives and continues. It is amazingly easy to trigger this allowing you to breeze through the game. The typical difficulty spike does not exist in this game outside of the boss battles. These are challenging because they occupy so much space on the map, making it hard to dodge their attacks. But with the plentiful resources of the game you can win the war of attrition. I would have appreciated a little more friction but it does not affect my feelings on the game as a whole.
In Closing
Wani Wani World is a cool import only arcade-style platformer. It does not break new ground, but it nails what it aims for: simple, satisfying, cartoonish chaos. I loved Snow Bros. on the Genesis and would have loved this game too. This one is an easy recommendation for fans of Bubble Bobble or Snow Bros. style gameplay. We don’t get many of these, so cherish the good ones that we have.
