Parents' Guide to

Wario Land: Shake It!

By Erin Bell, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Wario's juvenile antics create fun platformer.

Game Nintendo Wii 2008
Wario Land: Shake It! Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

See all
age 6+

Based on 3 parent reviews

I am a child e e e e e e e e
I am a child e e e e e e e e Adult
April 1, 2023
age 2+

expose our children to wario

expose the children to wario
fourringa
fourringa Parent of 8-year-old
November 27, 2010
age 5+

Fun platformer for 7+

My 5 yr. old really enjoys this game, however, he does need some help to get through some of the earliest sections. The game does do a great job at incorporating the Wii remote motions into specific moves for Wario which add to the fun.
See all 3 parent reviews

What’s It About?

After the mediocre showing in Wario: Master of Disguise, Nintendo's greedy anti-hero Wario has redeemed himself with WARIO LAND: SHAKE IT!. Wario travels to the Shake Dimension to rescue the queen from a pirate who calls himself the Shake King. While it sounds heroic, Wario is actually after the Shake King's treasure -- a magical Bottomless Coin Sack that could make him rich.

To find the Shake King, Wario must collect the five Boss Emblems by traveling through five different regions and rescuing the queen's subjects along the way. Wario must make it to the end of each level, free the subject, then race back to the beginning of the level before the timer runs down. Along the way he can complete optional bonus challenges like finding secret treasure chests, collecting a certain number of coins, or pass the level without taking damage.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (2 ):

Wario Land: Shake It! is simply one of those platformers where everything clicks. (Well, everything except the inane elevator music soundtrack). The game features spectacular hand-drawn graphics and plenty of ingenious platforming gimmicks like Wario's ability to transform into fire and a snowball to break special barriers, swing from bars like a gymnast, ride a mechanical unicycle along a tight rope, and pick up and throw bouncing balls and bombs. The Wii remote is held sideways, and cleverly incorporates various shake functions into the gameplay, including rapidly bringing the controller downloads to execute a bodyslam, and shaking it to swing on bars or rattle enemies and make them drop useful items. Wario Land: Shake It's length is on the short side, and it doesn't push the boundaries of platform gaming like Super Mario Galaxy does, but if players are looking for a solid example of old-school, two-dimensional platforming then they'd be hard-pressed to find anything better.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Nintendo created a character that is so crude. Were you grossed out by Wario's crude behavior or did you think it was funny? Why is it not appropriate to do some of the things Wario does in real life? What are the major differences between Wario and Mario in terms of actions and motivations?

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo Wii
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Release date: September 22, 2008
  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating: E for Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate