Mario Party
Reviewed by Michael Staudt
Mario Party! Mario Party! It seems like such a simple concept! You
pick a character and you slide down a pipe onto a game board. What fun
is that? You might ask yourself this. But, players are believers!
It is so much more than a board game, it's an adventure! It has more
depth than the title will lead you to believe. Now, let's cut the
intro and get on with the review!
Graphics 8 out of 10
The graphics are Nintendo's polygonal trademark (as in Mario 64).
The boards are vividly lavish with bright colors. The graphics
always suit the character home board. The characters themselves are
your usual sprites. Nothing new. And the games show their stuff in
many ways. But, you don't really look for graphics in this game.
Only a way to whip your friend's due-dah in multiplayer!
Music and Sound 7 out of 10
The music suits the mood of the board and the characters utter their
own exclamations. Who can forget Luigi's "Oh No!" or Wario's "I'm a
gonna win!" I think that when your in the middle of a heated match,
you won't notice the sounds, but you should stop and listen sometime.
(Or go buy that parrot) The music isn't overly complex, but it is pretty
good for a virtual game board.
Game Challenge 6 out of 10
Not much challenge here! Unless you crank up the computer's difficulty
or your playing a human, the opponents are pretty easy. The real
challenge is not beating everybody, but collecting all the stars and
coins and buying all the minigames. Of course, there is one exception
to challenge... mini-game island! Try to beat Toad when you get to
the end! Try it! It took me a million tries and my friend only once,
but then again, I really suck at the karts!
Game Play-Fun 9 out of 10
This game is the most fun multiplayer game in exception of Goldeneye
and Smash Brothers! It rocks! Hook up with four friends, set the
timer to fifty turns and let-er-rock! You'll be playing all day and
night! But, if you don't have people coming over a lot or you have no
siblings, the one-player mode isn't as fun. The real value is in the
multiplayer!
Frustration
The game sometimes gets frustrating. When you are in the lead and it's
practically the last turn, the computer sometimes lands on an
exclamation mark and you will most likely have to trade stars. The
other part comes from waiting for other people's turns (especially
against the computer). It just gets tedious sometimes.
Replayability 9 out of 10
It's a multiplayer game. You'll probably play it whenever you have
guests over. You can't really get bored of it unless you play by
yourself too much. You'll find yourself playing it a lot to prove
your friend wrong in who's better or to get absolutely everything!
I've had my copy for a while and I still enjoy playing it. Expect to
get many hours out of it!
Game Value 9.5 out of 10
I think that my game was somewhat like $59.99 in Canada. I think that
that is a great price for a game that you will play a lot. Definitely
worth that wad of cash under your bed. If you don't live around a lot
of people or you don't have many friends coming over, ask yourself if
you'll play it by yourself, or better yet, rent it! But, it is a
certified multiplayer gem. Don't dismiss it!
Overall 8.5 out of 10
Well, you heard my review. Happy? Are you convinced to buy it? No,
I'm not a salesperson from Nintendo, but I am a dedicated gamer and I
know a good game when I play one. It may not be for everyone, but I
sure like it and I hope that other people get the same or even more
out of it than I have!