What can I do to make Wario Land X a better game?, Suggestions

For those of you who played the somewhat glitchy and frustrating demo of my fangame, Wario Land X, you know what the basic gameplay was about: shoulder-bashing your way through hoardes of enemies, collecting treasure, and fighting bosses. Months later, that is still what the gameplay is all about. I noticed a while ago that it needs some more basic gameplay elements added to it, so it's not just a totally mindless sidescrolling romp.

One thing the game needs is something to spend your money on besides reviving yourself; another is a way to make the platforming less 100% focused on beat-em up action. I will still keep the basic gameplay in there, but would like to expand on it.

Here are the things I am already considering:
-A better hub
-Power-Ups and/or helpers(including Mini Warios)
-Cutscenes w/dialogue boxes
-Actual treasure collecting
-Puzzles
-Some sort of shop?

Does anyone have any further suggestions? Even small ones would be appreciated. Thanks!

Add Waluigi!

Adding an andless amount of features won't save a bad game (<- not directed at your game)

If anything, I'd say make the combat interesting. If you pull that off, then it'll be a success. Make enemies something else but just annoying obstancles; a fun challenge.

I'd change the graphics personally. In the demo you could tell it was an edit of Ultramario's Wario engine, the graphics also clashed a fair bit too. As well as adding the features you suggested, just spruce up the graphics a bit.

Just try making you own engine, and adding in stuff that wasn't in Ultramario's one.

That's entirely possible, but I don't know how far I could go with it, knowing that my GM skills are still somewhat amateur.

That's a good idea; it'd require some level redesigning on my part, but it would work.

I've already changed some things, like Wario's sprites and some of the clashing terrain; I could easily change other things.

I totally see the logic in that, but of course it might mean having to redo the work I've put into it so far. I'll still think about it, though.


You know, one thing I once thought about was making the game entirely focused on boss battles, since the bosses were the area of the game where I was really putting my attention. But it would be a selfish decision to do that now, since it would waste most of the good work the spriters(Knight Nappse, Meta Koopa, and Kiage Team) have done so far.

Hey Blackcat12, remember me (Buggo from Kiage team)?
I think it would be cool if that Dragon Hat was a power-up, and a gigantic Wario like the giant 8-bit Mario from Paper Mario (which I have, but isn't 8-bit).
I also think I could re-do some of the sprites a LOT better then I originally did them. It would be okay with me if we used a different style, but you might want to ask Knight Nappse and Meta Koopa.

This post has been edited by Buggo on Mar 15 2009, 10:51 AM

Static powerups, you know, like touching fire will make Fire Wario.

I was planning on adding powerups anyway, so I could probably add in those or similar ones with a little work.

Don't expect TOO much out of this game, though...