Last time we saw Wario on an adventure it was the disappointing Wario: Master of Disguise on the DS. However, when the first screenshots of Wario Land: Shake It! were revealed, there was hope that this game would restore Wario to his platforming glory of days past. Thankfully, Shake It! delivers on that promise, in no small part because it goes back to the basics that made Wario so great while adding in a few new twists.

Shake It!'s story starts out with the Shake Dimension coming under attack by the merciless Shake King, who imprisons Queen Merelda and her subjects, the Merfles. The reason for this is that she holds the Shake Kingdom's greatest treasure, the Bottomless Coin Sack. Meanwhile, in our world, Captain Syrup has been observing the entire situation, making special note of that Bottomless Coin Sack. Sensing an opportunity to grab it and knowing the right person to do the dirty work for her, Syrup ships the globe and telescope over to Wario. All Wario has to hear is about the Bottomless Coin Sack and he's on board, solely for the purpose of taking the coin bag for himself.

And so begins what turns out to be a pretty whimsical and fun adventure. Nintendo has pieced together a pretty good storyline and even better dialogue. For example, and I won't ruin it too much, just wait until Wario rescues the queen. What unfolds is certainly one of the more humorous scenes from the gaming world in 2008. But this humor also has a second benefit - it brings Wario back to his roots as the greedy, fat slob we all grew up with.

Another high point of Shake It! are the graphics. The entire game is in 2-D with beautifully hand-drawn, cel-shaded characters, and backgrounds. Wario's animations are fluid and reflect the same cel-shaded art-style, while the opening and ending are beautifully animated by Japanese studio Production I.G. of Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, and Professor Layton and the Curious Village fame. These visual aspects are joined by a fantastic audio experience. The soundtrack is well composed and fits each area well, though it's not exactly front and center because of the gorgeous graphics. The game's sound effects and voice acting, led by Charles Martinet returning once again to voice Wario, are of top quality, though they, too, get pushed aside by how good the game looks. More so than Mega Man 9, Wario Land: Shake It! proves that 2-D gaming has a place in today's world of super-powered consoles.