Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3/Rice Beach

Wario's one-man invasion of Kitchen Island begins here! Rice Beach is the Brown Sugar Pirates' dock. Their best treasure is mostly hidden elsewhere on the island, but there is still plenty of coins to collect. The lack of buildings or heavy forests make Rice Beach a wide open area, but going deeper into the island means exploring tight booby-trapped tunnels.

Course No. 1 - Barrels on the beach
''A beautiful beach stretches across the background as you begin your assault on the Brown Sugar Pirates. Barrels and blocks form obstacles in this otherwise flat area, while basic pirate henchmen patrol the area.''

As you begin your adventure east, the first enemy you'll encounter are the Wanderin' Gooms. These defenseless creatures are the Brown Sugar Pirates' cannon fodder. They are vulnerable to any kind of attack and can't hurt you at all! The pirates store some of their gold in blocks with faces. Knock them from below or with a shoulder tackle to make them expel their contents. The block on the ground contains a Heart, which gives you 10 Heart Points. Get 100 to earn an extra life!

On the barrel, you will encounter your next enemy, the Pirate Goom. These Gooms are armed with a spear, so you cannot attack them from the front. The blocks to the right of the Pirate Goom can be destroyed with shoulder tackles. Past the barrels are two rows of blocks, with several Gooms around it. One of the center blocks of the lower row contains a Garlic Pot. It will return you to normal size if you were previously hit, or give you the Bull power if you're already big. Bull Wario's tackles are much stronger, and he also gains a ground pound attack in midair.

Soon, you will see a ladder leading downward between two barrels. Taking the ladder leads you into an underground cavern, where you can knock on the blocks for coins and a Heart. The right ladder takes you a bit further into the stage. Get on the barrels to test out your ground pound ability as Bull Wario. Jump up, then hold to break the blocks below you, dropping into a cache of coins and a block with a Heart. The ladder lets you fall back into the cave from before.

Munchers line the ground between wooden poles stuck in the sand. You should obviously avoid falling in, as they can't be defeated. The face block after the poles contain another Garlic Pot. Jump to the left of the top row of barrels to hit a hidden block with a Heart. After jumping across another Muncher gap, you may notice a ladder in the ground. Climbing down leads to an uncrossable pit filled with Munchers, so you'll just have to ignore it for now. After another stretch of sand, you'll arrive at a door below a cliff.

There is nothing of interest in this short cave as you move to the right. At the end, you can spot a Guragura opening a door with some coins. If you ever see doors like this in the future, you'll need to give up 10 of your own coins to advance. Don't have enough? You'll just have to return to the stage and collect some more. The door is open for you here, but you'll have to pay up on any return visits. The Guragura will also be waiting to fight you instead after your first playthrough of the level.

Revisit at high tide
After you've beaten the Spiked Koopa Troopa guarding the exit of Rice Beach, the tide will rise and partially flood this stage. There will be pools of water of varying depths, which prevents you from using shoulder bashes on the enemies and blocks near the ground. However, the most significant change is in the underground room with the Muncher pit. Previously, you had no way of getting across without getting hurt, but with the cave flooded, you can now swim over the Munchers to enter a room on the other side. Inside is a block containing a large Heart that grants you three extra lives!

Course No. 2 - Pirate crates
''Moving away from the shoreline, one can find the Brown Sugar Pirates' storage cave. Hone your platforming skills by jumping on the ledges above the ground. Learn to use both your Dragon form and your Jet form. They can be quite helpful later on.''

You enter the level through a door, and if you're curious, you'll find that you can return to the area map with the same door. Pirate Gooms populate this area heavily. Wooden and rocky platforms lie above the ground. You can jump through the wooden platforms, but you'll only bump your head under the rocks. Crates also serve as platforms that let you jump to the higher ledges from the ground. A new type of enemy called a Dropper appears here. They hang from the ceiling and will drop down when you get close, upon which they are vulnerable to attack.

If you take the higher road, you will eventually come to a door. The two platforms before it phase in and out of existence, and you can only land on them when they're at least partially materialized. The door will take you to an underground area with a block containing a Dragon Pot. This new power-up trades your shoulder charge for the ability to shoot a stream of fire in front of you. Watch out for the White Puffs on the ground. If you run over them, they will puff up and propel you into the ceiling, sections of which is covered in spikes. You can only defeat them with Dragon Wario's breath, but you'll have difficulty doing so when they're on the same elevation as you.

Continue deeper into the cave and climb down the rope ladders until you drop into a pool. Not only are there Droppers here, as Helmuts also make an appearance. These enemies have a spiked head and will swim up and down in the water. Approaching from above is harmful to you, but you can take them out with a bump from below. Climb out of the pool at the right end and hit the block for a Bull Pot, which has the same effects as the Garlic Pot except it instantly turns you into Bull Form even if you're tiny. There is also the first appearance of a checkpoint here. If you don't mind spending some money, you can pay it 10 coins so that you'll start from here if you lose a life later in the level.

Outside, you can head to the right to face some more Pirate Gooms and Droppers. They won't cause any trouble if you take things slowly. Soon, there will be more of those mysterious phasing platforms overhead, which you can stay on to avoid the enemies and collect more coins. The Togemaru, bouncing spiky enemies on the ground, can be problematic, as they can damage you from below or the side. You can only defeat them by hitting them from below. After the phasing platforms is a small valley with a Pirate Goom and a Togemaru, after which is the door to the ending area.

However, there is a well-hidden secret in this level. From the checkpoint, you can go left to arrive at a collection of blocks that you have skipped by going into the cave. Among these blocks you can find a Jet Pot, which turns you into Jet Wario. Jet Wario moves faster and jumps faster, but most importantly, he can charge for prolonged periods in the air. That's not the secret here, however. If you jump up from the top row of wooden platforms to the rocky ceiling on the right, you'll find an alcove with a door. Enter it.

In the secret area, you have to face a new enemy: the Pouncer. This fearsome enemy pounds the ground much like the Thwomp in the Mario series. The spikes on its side and bottom is capable of instantly killing you, so be very careful around them. You can safely walk on their top, which is what you need to do to cross this secret area safely. Watch out for the ceiling spikes above the Pouncers as you proceed. At the door to the right, you'll emerge on the ceiling, with a bunch of coins located over phasing platforms. Jet Wario's flight is quite handy here, letting you collect the coins with less fear of falling. Proceed as usual to the door on your right. There is a hidden block above the door that contains a Heart, so don't forget to collect that.

Through the door, you end up in a grander, stone room. At the right half of the room is a pedestal, where a Dangerous Duck stands guard. Its weapon of choice is a boomerang, which it'll throw at you to attack. Focus on avoiding the boomerang, then hit it while it is unarmed. Beside the Dangerous Duck is the level end door, costing 10 coins to activate.

Course No. 3 - Quicksand falls
''You might feel a sinking sensation when you enter this level. Regular flooding has caused the sand in this area to become fluid-like, causing you to sink into the ground whenever you stand on any muddy surfaces. Keep jumping to stay on the surface!''

The majority of this level is inhabited by Yadora, hermit crabs with dangerously spiky shells. You can only attack them from behind, anywhere else will get you impaled. The first quicksand pit has a bunch of Munchers inside. Keep jumping and move away from the Munchers. The next pit has several Yadori and a few blocks, nothing complicated once again. Watch out for the Yadori on the steps after the pit. The geography of the level makes it difficult for you to attack it safely.

The quicksand is merely an annoyance when you're jumping between the wooden poles. Jump up form the fourth pole to hit a hidden block containing a Heart. Drop down into the gap beside the fourth pole to fall into a secret door. The door leads to a cave with a bunch of coins, as well as a lone Gaugau. Watch out for its throwing knifes and counterattack after it throws them. You may want to backtrack after exiting the cave, as the checkpoint is inside a door to the left.

Don't be intimidated when you come across several small gaps with quicksand. Falling into the sand simply leaves you in an underground sand pit, where you can climb back out using the ladder to the right. You can even get a Heart and a Garlic Pot from the blocks in here. The second to last barrel before the door has a hidden block with a Heart above it. Jump from the right edge of the barrel up to hit it. Go into the door to enter the ending building.

In the pirate hideout, there are several streams of quicksand pouring from the ceiling, along with some patrolling Pirate Gooms. The first Pirate Goom is particularly dangerous, as the quicksand before it makes it fairly hard to get on the platform the Goom is on at the right time. Jump to the right od the second quicksand stream to reveal a hidden block. The door is at the end, requiring 10 coins.

High tide and a chance for treasure!
When you revisit this stage after beating the area boss, all of the quicksand pits will be flooded with water, which is slightly easier to move around in than quicksand. You will also notice a peculiar skull in what was the first sand pit. You can go into Dragon form with one of the blocks above the pit, then go into the next pit and hit a block at the pit floor with your fire breath. This makes a key pop out, which you can toss into the skull in the pit before. The skull will rise out of the ground, revealing a doorway underneath. Go into it to enter one of the Brown Sugar Pirates' secret treasure rooms. Attack the chest to obtain Treasure A!

Other than the treasure room, you may also find that the underground cavern with the Gaugau accessible via quicksand has been sealed off.

Secret exit: Over the wall
If you have some money to spare after raising the ending door, you can actually hop on the door and over the ceiling. Run over to the right to reach another door that requires 10 coins to enter, but this one takes you to the secret Course 06. This exit is easier to reach during high tide, as you can simply swim on to the ceiling.

Course No. 4 - Outrun the Pouncer
''A series of tunnels must be traversed to reach deeper in to Kitchen Island. However, this passage is guarded by a fierce Pouncer, and includes spikes and lava as obstacles. There is no time to waste; keep moving or you'll be squished or burnt!''

The moment you enter this level, start running. A Pouncer will move toward you from the ledge above. Relatives of Thwomps from the Mushroom Kingdom, Pouncers are covered in spikes everywhere but the top, and getting impaled is lethal. There is no space in this tunnel for you to dodge the Pouncer, you must stay ahead of it. Start by moving to the right and breaking the wall of blocks along the way as quickly as possible. Being Bull Wario helps tremendously, as you only need one shoulder tackle to break the blocks as opposed to two. There's a Face Block along the way that contains a Heart; grab it only if you're well ahead. Once the background darkens, you've exited the tunnel. Jump on to the ledge and await the Pouncer.

It's not time to relax yet. There is a very wide lava pit that will instantly kill you if you fall in. You have to exploit a feature of the Pouncer to get across: its flat, spikeless top. When the Pouncer moves below you, jump on to it and ride it to the next tunnel. Along the way, you must beware of spikes as well as insect-like enemies called Debidebi, which dive at you in an arc. Duck under the spikes and jump over the Debidebi as they dive toward you. Later, you will be presented with two paths. The top path has you only dealing with the Debidebi, while the bottom path requires you to deftly duck under spikes and jump on and off the Pouncer. You do get more coins from the bottom path though. After that, you can see another tunnel opening. Dismount the Pouncer and jump into the tunnel; your truce with this moving death trap has just ended.

The routine in this tunnel is still the same as before. Use shoulder tackles to break blocks and outpace the Pouncer. There are more blocks containing Hearts inside them if you are daring enough to collect them. Once the tunnel opens up, go into the door. There's no more Pouncer chases beyond this door, but there is still one Pouncer pounding on the floor, as well as two Pirate Gooms. If you can knock the Pirate Gooms below the Pouncer, they will be smashed flat, leaving a 10 Gold Coin for you to collect! Go through the exit door to exit the course.

Course No. 5 - Cave of the Spiked Koopa Troopa
''You've arrived at the exit of Rice Beach, but you have one more cave to go through. As the fortress where the boss of Rice Beach is situated, this course is much more heavily-guarded than previous stages. The prickly Spiked Koopa Troopa is no pushover. With spiked armor covering much of his body, you must find the right weak spot to do him in.''

The entrance to the cave is guarded by a lone Gaugau beyond a barrel. You are safe from its throwing knives while standing on the barrel, and you can move in to attack after it uses up its knives. Enter the door to proceed deeper into the cave. Things will start to pick up, as Pouncers and Pirate Gooms hinder your way forward. If you recall from the last course, knocking Gooms below Pouncers will net you a 10 Gold Coin whenever they are crushed, so you have more opportunities for money here. You must break all the blocks below the second Pouncer to move beyond it. The last Pouncer before the door is above a conveyor belt moving to the left. Use repeated shoulder charges to move under it quickly.

Through the door is a small room with two Chikuri. These spiky balls behave like Sparks from the Mario series, traveling along surfaces. You must crawl through a small opening in order to move across the room, but the Chikuri are slow enough that you can accomplish this with decent timing. Pay 10 coins to activate the checkpoint in this room if you need to, then continue through the door.

The following room contains plenty of Penkoons, enemies that resemble both penguins and raccoons. They attack by shooting spiked balls from the bellies. Take them out by jumping on them, and don't charge them head on. There are plenty of partially-broken blocks that you can break here for some coins inside. You can find a door near some of the broken blocks. Inside is a switch block that will remove barrier to the right of the door in the previous room. With the barrier gone, you can access the contents of the Face Blocks nearby. Jump over a tall pillar and defeat another Penkoon, then proceed through the door to challenge the boss.

Boss: Spiked Koopa
Rice Beach is led by a Koopa mercenary covered with spiked armor. It is even said that he is a rogue member of the Hammer Bros. family. The Spiked Koopa has quite a few tricks up its sleeve. It can hide in its spiked shell and spin toward you, either across the ground, hovering in the air, or burrowing into the sand beneath. The only part of the Spiked Koopa that isn't protected is its belly. Shoulder charge him while he is in his shell to expose his weakness, then ram into him to do damage. You can also bump into him from below as he is rising into the air. Three hits to his belly and the Spiked Koopa will be defeated. Your next destination: the aptly-names Mount Teapot.

Course No. 6 - Crabby gold mine
''Going through a secret exit lead you to a hidden cache of coins and hearts. This bonus level is a straightforward coin collection course, but you can bully some extra money out of the cowardly crabs living here as well.''

At the entrance of this short course, hit the Face Block to get a Bull Pot, which will let you get more out of this course as Bull Wario. Go through the door to arrive at an outdoor stretch of beach. Coins are suspended in midair in sets of 4, and between each set of coins is a hidden block containing a Heart. More interestingly, there seem to be some creatures buried under the sand. These are crab-like enemies called Maizo, and they each hold a 10 Gold Coin. However, it won't be easy to grab the coins from them. First, you must ground pound near a Maizo to make it pop out. Once it does, it will quickly rush offscreen, and you must use your shoulder tackle on the Maizo before it does so to knock the coin off of it. Don't fret if you let them escape, as more Maizo will spawn if you move around. The exit door is at the end of the beach, requiring 10 coins to activate.