Wario Land 2 is super impressive, I just played through it for the first time (after playing Wario Land 4) and finishing it only to have that map of routes and levels (and my unknowing path through it) open up genuinely surprised me. I honestly love the way the pace translates to a handheld game, each level is contained but also big enough that playing one or two feels like a complete experience. The game is really generous about allowing saves at any point (and saving between levels) so there’s never any obligation to push on, and the fact that you can’t die really makes the experience feel leisurely.
It’s interesting because while Wario Land 4 is clearly a much more polished/curated representation of these mechanics (while being even more erratic & daring aesthetically). I think I prefer the looseness and scale of Wario Land 2. Every level in 4 is presenting an interesting mechanical/aesthetic twist on the space and while that’s always interesting, I like the ebb and flow of 2 for how much unpredictability it adds to the experience. Also there’s a train level in 2 and I love a train level.