Introduction
Basic information
- Developer Name: Kaze Emanuar
- Full Name: Waluigi’s Taco Stand
- Release Date: Fan-made, 2018
- Released on: N64 ROM (Emulator required)
- Cross Play: No
Initial thoughts
As a huge fan of ROM hacks, I was excited to dive into Waluigi’s Taco Stand, a game that turns a long-running internet meme into a playable reality. The concept itself is hilarious, and I was curious to see if the developer managed to turn this joke into an actual enjoyable game. Having loved Super Mario 64, I knew it would be fun to play a hack built on its foundation.
Story and setting
Plot overview
The story is as absurd as you’d expect from a game featuring Waluigi. After losing all his money in a casino, Waluigi finds himself desperate to pay rent. His landlord, Koopa, offers him a job running a taco stand to earn the money he needs. The whole premise is goofy, but it sets the stage for some amusing taco-collecting adventures.
World building and immersion
For a fan-made ROM hack, the world-building is surprisingly decent. The game reuses assets from Super Mario 64 but repurposes them to fit the taco-making theme. You’ll visit various taco fields, each with its own ingredients to collect. While it’s not deep or immersive, it’s silly enough to keep you entertained.
Character development
There isn’t much character development, but who’s expecting a deep emotional journey from Waluigi’s Taco Stand? Waluigi is his typical greedy, mischievous self, and the humor comes from seeing him in increasingly ridiculous situations.
Emotional impact
This game doesn’t aim to tug at your heartstrings; it’s all about laughs. The idea of serving Goombas tacos made from their own kind is morbidly funny, and the sheer ridiculousness of the plot keeps things lighthearted.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with an 6
Serving the Goomba’s beef of their own kind is just silly.
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
At its core, Waluigi’s Taco Stand is a simple platformer with taco-based fetch quests. You take orders from customers, head into taco fields to gather ingredients, and return to the stand to serve the tacos. Each field has its own set of enemies and platforming challenges, but nothing too difficult. It’s basic but functional.
Difficulty and balance
The difficulty is pretty low, though it ramps up slightly as you need to remember longer and more complicated taco orders. However, most of the game feels like an easy, goofy romp through familiar Mario 64-esque levels.
Pacing of the game
The game is short—most players can finish it in about two hours. While it’s a fun ride, it ends before it really gets going, leaving you wanting a bit more variety and length.
Innovation and uniqueness
While the game doesn’t reinvent the wheel, the taco-making concept is unique, especially when paired with Super Mario 64’s platforming mechanics. The taco fields are a creative touch, but ultimately, it’s a novelty that wears thin after a while.
Controls and user interface
Since the game runs on Super Mario 64’s engine, the controls are pretty much the same. Unfortunately, that also means the camera issues from Super Mario 64 persist, and some graphical glitches pop up along the way.
Microtransactions
None. The game is free, and you can download it as a ROM for emulation.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with a 7
Taco’s are awesome, unless they have dinosaurs in it.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
The graphics are what you’d expect from a fan-made game built on Super Mario 64. The taco fields are decently designed but don’t stray far from the aesthetic of the original game. While nothing revolutionary, it’s fun seeing familiar environments repurposed for such a silly concept.
Technical performances
Graphical glitches are frequent, with weird beams sticking out of Waluigi and the camera acting up. It’s not game-breaking, but it does detract from the experience.
Environment and design uniqueness
The taco fields are amusingly themed, but there’s not a lot of variation. You’ll see the same assets and enemies reused, which makes the game feel a little repetitive by the end.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 6.5
While fun, it is very far from perfect.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The music is exactly what you think, from Super Mario 64 it comes, and it comes with mixed soundtracks. They were very enjoyable!
Sound effects quality
The sound effects are pulled from Super Mario 64, with some amusing additions like Waluigi’s voice clips. There are moments where the sounds feel out of sync, but nothing too distracting.
Voice Acting
There isn’t much voice acting beyond Waluigi’s signature grunts and exclamations, which adds some humor but doesn’t stand out as particularly impressive.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 7.
It is actually very good for a ROM hack!
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
The game is short, with about two hours of content. Once you’ve completed all the taco orders, there’s little reason to return unless you want to relive the meme.
Extra Content
Aside from trying out different taco recipes and unlocking a few quirky interactions, there’s not much extra content to keep you engaged after finishing the game.
Replay value
Replay value is limited, though the game’s short length means it’s easy to pick up and play again if you’re looking for a quick laugh.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of Waluigi’s Taco Stand with a 5.5
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
- Improve the camera system to make the game less frustrating.
- Add more taco fields or extend the length of the game to give it more depth.
- Fix some of the graphical glitches to make the experience smoother.
Comparisons
Compared to other ROM hacks, Waluigi’s Taco Stand offers a fun, lighthearted experience, but it doesn’t reach the level of polish seen in more ambitious projects like Super Mario 64: Last Impact, which is on my radar. This is a game that is a quirky novelty that doesn’t try to be anything more than a meme come to life.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
Playing as Waluigi, making tacos, and collecting ingredients from taco fields was more fun than I expected. Some of the glitches were hilarious, like getting eaten by Lapras while trying to gather fish for a taco. It’s exactly what you’d want from a meme-based game—short, silly, and full of laughs.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with Waluigi’s Taco Stand, I give it a personal rating of 7,5
Don’t eat dinosaur taco’s.
Last words
Pros
- Waluigi is finally a playable character in a (semi) real game
- Funny premise with taco orders and Goomba beef
- Refreshing, remixed soundtracks
- Creative taco field levels with different ingredients to collect
- Good use of Super Mario 64 assets in a new context
- Some genuinely funny moments, especially for fans of Waluigi
- Simple, easy-to-pick-up gameplay
Cons
- Short gameplay length
- Camera issues carried over from Super Mario 64
- Frequent graphical glitches that can be distracting
- Limited replay value once you finish the game
Waluigi’s Taco Stand is a fun, meme-filled ROM hack that doesn’t take itself seriously. While it has its share of technical issues and lacks depth, it’s still worth playing if you’re in the mood for a quick laugh and a unique take on the Super Mario 64 formula. It might not be the most polished ROM hack out there, but it’s definitely one of the most entertaining for fans of Waluigi.
Final Rating
6.5
Please let me know what you think of Waluigi’s Taco Stand in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
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emperoru
Pretty funny short game.
Ilan Vertone
Looks like a fun way to pass the time, at least! 🙂
Rezonono
It's original to play Wario. Good hack of the original game.
Alamar
Might be good fun especially for dedicated long term fans of Mario. I would prefer to play for example Super Mario Wonder from your previous review.
twigalucie
Rom-Hacks are such a cool thing. I love how many there are, from cool to weird XD Must admit though, I'll probably never play this one, I'm not a Mario plaer in general 😀
Twigas_Hobbes
I wonder which game might be the one with the absolutely worst camera system? 🤔
fano23
First time I have seen this one, seems cool to be able to play with Waluigi
SleepySheep
It's an interesting world, as was Cursed mirror last time. The passion of these communities is astounding.
Blink
Interesting classic
Vibe
Romhacks are truly wonderful and always reminds me of why I love this artform to begin with 🙂
Delicious Bacon
Would be better if it were a bit longer lol.
The good old camera issues transferred over from Mario - man, why does Mario always take the show? XD
Kalmia
Another great review! The game looks fun asf
fLuke
this is me in real life.
Vitalikboykiller
This is good review! This game is short and full of fun!
Nicole
Very creative meme game! I think it would have been nice to have some kind of UI to show you what you've collected so far and still need to! Also could have been even better with a bit of a cooking sim aspect to it after collecting ingredients!