Mario Party 8 Review

Platform: Nintendo Wii
ERSB: E for Everyone
Genre: Party
Number of Players: 1-4
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: May 29th 07 US
Official Website

Rating: 7.0

The Mario Party franchise which has begun on the Nintendo 64 has made its first, and more than likely not last, appearance on the Nintendo Wii in Mario Party 8. This popular party game emulates a standard board game with interactive mini game in-between each round. Where players achieve to collect more coins and stars than those they are competing against. The competition can get heated, and that’s where half the fun is.

Graphics:
The major complaint with this game appears to be the lack of being able to use a widescreen mode. I figure those gamers with widescreen TV’s or HD find the image distorted. I on the other hand did not have a problem since I played on a regular TV screen. Another problem with the graphic of this game is that they look much like the graphics used for the last Mario Party on the GameCube. This gives the gamer a feeling that this game was not originally a Wii title. Though there have been many complaints, the graphics do contribute to the overall feel of the game with its bright color and cartoonish atmosphere. This goes really well with the carnival theme that this installment boasts.

Controls:
This is the first Mario Party title for the Wii, but the controls appear to be an afterthought. Some controls are very touchy such as the racing games, while other appears to be tacked on. The controls used in the mini games do not fully explore the full capabilities of the Wii-mote as seen in other Wii games to date. Be that the case, the learning curve is low, and there are reminders of what the controls are before every mini game so you won’t have to guess or remember. This is great for those of us with short attention spans. The downside is that you have to go looking for them in the small button menu on the mini game start screen.

Sound:
The character sound effects remain to annoy and there appears to be more of them throughout the game, making me wish to turn off the sound. This is unfortunate because some of the background music for each board is catchy and fun.

Flow:
Great flow, the loading time between mini games, and board actions is great. You aren’t waiting very long for the game to set up. As always, watching the piece move around can get a bit tiresome and could get to the point of repetitive depending on the board. I am still wishing for a skip option.

Fun Factor:
When it come to most party games, the fun factor is always better in numbers. If you have siblings, or groups of friends, then it super fun. As for the single player mode it is a bit dull and sometimes drags out. The only purpose to the single player mode is to unlock boards and items for the multi player.

Female Aspect:
You can still pick to be Princes Peach, Princess Daisy or Toadette as your playing piece, which are more female characters than some fighting games have, and there are a few options of race: human or mushroom person. This does cut down on fighting over who gets to be the girl characters, if you are playing with sisters.

Replay Value:
There is always replay value for party games as long as you have friends to play with. You can always haul out the game for group gaming, and it’s great for families because everyone gets to play instead of fighting for a turn. If you are alone, then there really isn’t much point other than to unlock items and boards.

If you are a fan of the series and are looking for a party game for the Wii, it’s a great choice. But if you are not in dire need of it or are looking for a better graphics and finer tuned game play, wait for the next installment. You know there will be more.