Could Wario easily replace Bowser as Mario’s main nemesis?

When we thing about Wario playing the role as Mario’s arch-nemesis one of the first games that comes to mind is Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins which was released in the early 90’s for the original Game Boy handheld console.  In Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Wario  was a different type of villain and did not seem as menacing as Bowser.  Instead of kidnapping Mario’s girlfriend Princess Peach Wario took control of his castle because he wanted to be like him very badly.   Unfortunately, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, was really the only game where Wario got to play a big role in the Super Mario series as the main antagonist of any title.  If Wario remained a villain longer than he did back in the early 90’s he could have proven to be a more interesting but not necessarily formidable foe.

While the boss battle with Wario in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins was rather difficult some might argue that constantly fighting Bowser in multiple games had become repetitive.    As great as Bowser was in being the main antagonist of the Super Mario series many believe that Wario had just as much potential.   If Wario was utilized as the main antagonist in Super Mario games on consoles such as the  Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, GameCube and the Wii he could have became more popular.   But one the other hand if Wario was constantly the main villain of the Super Mario series he probably would not have own video games.  While some people look at Wario as a second rate ripoff of Mario others see him as a character with the potential to be a great villain in the series.  Despite, playing a big role in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins it would be hard to say on whether or not he could replace the likes of Bowser as the main villain of the Super Mario series altogether.