Which Nintendo game introduced Wario as Mario’s main rival?

Nintendo’s Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins introduced Wario as Mario’s main rival.

Released for the Game Boy in 1992, the game takes place on Mario Land, which Wario has occupied and renamed Wario Land. Mario must recover six Golden Coins to unlock the castle and reclaim it. Wario’s role in this game established him as a distinct character rather than simply another version of Mario.

Wario was designed as a selfish, mischievous counterpart to Mario. His name combines “warui,” the Japanese word for “bad,” with Mario. Although he began as an antagonist, he later became the central character of the Wario Land platform games and the WarioWare series.

A common mix-up is identifying Wario Land as his debut. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 was his first starring game, but Wario first appeared in Super Mario Land 2.