Pizza Tower is a 2D platformer mainly inspired by Wario Land and Earthworm Jim. The game has over-the-top hand-drawn animations and music. You play as Peppino Spaghetti, a manic pizza man with many abilities like charging, super jumping and dashing. Peppino has to go up each floor of the tower by finding keys, saving toppins folks and getting as many points as possible!
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The year of Luigi is over. The year of Wario is here, whether you, Nintendo or your little buddies like it or not.
Nintendo gave us a wee treat earlier in the year by allowing Nintendo Switch Online subscribers a chance to play, for me the first time, Wario Land 3.
As you’re here reading my words, then we may as well keep this about well… me, for the moment.
After playing Wario Land 3, or maybe before (but really what is time?) I was made aware of Pizza Tower - it looked WILD. Fast, frantic, like a 90’s cartoon come to life with all the excitement of that decade’s best platformers. It was obvious with its Italian chef protagonist it was making its inspirations known to all and the combination of these two made me dig out the 3DS and load up the GBA sequel of Wario Land 3 known to many as the best Wario Land, Wario Land 4.
As you’re here reading my words, then we may as well keep this about well… me, for the moment.
After playing Wario Land 3, or maybe before (but really what is time?) I was made aware of Pizza Tower - it looked WILD. Fast, frantic, like a 90’s cartoon come to life with all the excitement of that decade’s best platformers. It was obvious with its Italian chef protagonist it was making its inspirations known to all and the combination of these two made me dig out the 3DS and load up the GBA sequel of Wario Land 3 known to many as the best Wario Land, Wario Land 4.
I loved Wario Land 4, it did everything I loved that 3 and Shake Dimension (the 5th installment on Wii) did but better.
Could Nintendo do this again, no really could they please just for me?
Well ok, if not Nintendo, then here comes Tour De Pizza.
If not our lord and saviour Wario, a new hero emerges- Peppino Spaghetti.
Could Nintendo do this again, no really could they please just for me?
Well ok, if not Nintendo, then here comes Tour De Pizza.
If not our lord and saviour Wario, a new hero emerges- Peppino Spaghetti.
Pizza Tower does what Wario Land as a series did and like 4 had done to 3, this improves and refines the formula into nothing short of a 2D platforming masterpiece.
It even has a golfing level, an obvious nod to the worst part of Wario Land 3 and it’s good.
It even has a golfing level, an obvious nod to the worst part of Wario Land 3 and it’s good.
Peppino is fast, faster than Sonic and dare I say more fun to control.
Peppino gets put in so many situations that cause him to have interesting and unique abilities he not only shows Wario up but I feel puts Kirby to shame.
Tears of the Kingdom may have a beautiful swelling and epic soundtrack but as far as 2023 goes so far - Pizza Tower has the best music because it absolutely slaps.
Peppino gets put in so many situations that cause him to have interesting and unique abilities he not only shows Wario up but I feel puts Kirby to shame.
Tears of the Kingdom may have a beautiful swelling and epic soundtrack but as far as 2023 goes so far - Pizza Tower has the best music because it absolutely slaps.
Pizza Tower's art is funny and unique, nostalgic while still being original. If you were a child during the 90s and don’t feel something positive when looking at the level screens or animations then you may be dead inside.
There are a small handful of 2D platform games I would consider, classics that have been released since 3D had taken over.
Your Rayman Origins/Legends, Celeste, Sonic Mania but to name a few and this game easily sits amongst them.
Your Rayman Origins/Legends, Celeste, Sonic Mania but to name a few and this game easily sits amongst them.
If I were to make a single complaint about the game, and I will, it’s that the bosses are a barrier.
It’s a strange complaint, I understand wanting a game to have challenges for the player to be able to push through, to learn its systems, but something every other level in the game does is against that, having Peppino invincible.
Truly I’d struggle to understand how anyone could get stuck on a normal stage - that allowance of failing to do the level fast, get any combos or find any secrets but still make it through is freeing however this reflects strangely on the bosses becoming a potential barrier and one that may stop some unforgiving or lazy players being able to see the later and even better stages of the later game.
It’s a strange complaint, I understand wanting a game to have challenges for the player to be able to push through, to learn its systems, but something every other level in the game does is against that, having Peppino invincible.
Truly I’d struggle to understand how anyone could get stuck on a normal stage - that allowance of failing to do the level fast, get any combos or find any secrets but still make it through is freeing however this reflects strangely on the bosses becoming a potential barrier and one that may stop some unforgiving or lazy players being able to see the later and even better stages of the later game.
Overall though, I love this game. I really hope we see it make it to consoles because if it weren’t for a couple of good friends getting me a steam code I may have forever been waiting for that moment.
It’s 2023, it’s the Year of Wario and it is Pizza Time!
When imagining what games would be like in the future when I was a child, I saw this and not 20,000 more pixelated platformers. It is as explosive and hellish as the best games of this era, the Mario Bros to Cruelty Squad's Duke Nukem.
Doing all the P-ranks was, without exaggeration, the most fun I've ever had playing a video game.
The first two hours of this game will be you smashing into walls at Mach 3 and getting repeatedly stabbed by forks, but at an unknown point your brain will get zapped by an Ancient Egyptian hex that fuses your real-life consciousness with Peppino himself and you'll feel like the baddest motherfucker around.
what a game! the movement is great, very greasy but never slippery or annoying. music and art direction are a treat, and the animations are both gorgeous and hilarious. everything about the levels, characters and bossfights is just so creative. an instant favourite and a very easy recommend
Wario land 4 mas se fosse MUITO mais frenético e com pizza. perfeito
I never considered myself a Wario Land fan (hoping to replay them soon to see if that’s changed in the last 10 years) so going into this game I was a bit skeptical. I could tell that it was a great game based off the visuals and presentation, but would I actually like playing it?
The answer was quickly found to be a resounding yes.
Taking that Wario Land formula and mixing it with lighting fast movement and fun abilities/transformations that vary by the level is a stroke of genius. The movement was super fluid, trying to keep yourself going at max speed to get through enemies and obstacles was a fun mini challenge in the game made even better with the wall running mechanic.
Each level has 5 cages to find that are essential to progression but they aren't so hidden that it was ever annoying, I never had to redo a level to progress to the next world because I was finding 99% of them just naturally exploring the stages. They do have 3 extra secrets and a special item in each level which provide a little more challenge if you are looking for that, I ended up finding a good amount and can see a lot of appeal to finding more on another run. My only complaint with the game were the boss fights, they weren't bad per se but I did not enjoy them very much.
All in all a great game I would highly recommend to any of my fellow platformer fans.