Wardner no Mori [Model TFD-WAD]

ワリオの森 © 1988 Taito Corp.
(Wardner no Mori)

Wardner no Mori is a side scrolling platform game by Toaplan and published by Taito. This is a port of an arcade game originally released in 1987. The evil Mr. Wardner's minions have turned the prince's girlfriend into a crystal ball and the poor young man embarks on a perilous journey to save her. Wardner no Mori features five long stages and before each level begins, a map is displayed on screen showing the player what's around the corner. Our chubby hero has a lot more stamina than it looks and the incredibly ability to shoot fireballs directly in front of him. He starts his journey with only one fireball but yellow orbs scattered throughout the game help him increase his powers and he will soon be able to fire a bunch of them at once. He also collects money along the way to purchase special items from local shops located at the end of each stage. Among the various items (time clock, bombs and health potions), shops also provide new attack powers - they come in three flavors (Star, Moon and Sun) and allow our hero to change his fireball's attack pattern, from zig-zag to loop or straight line. Other important items are the golden statues that bring him fairies as companions - they are indestructible and damage enemies upon contact. The young prince must complete each stage within a time limit and only magic clocks can slow it down...