Mario Party 8 ReviewThe much awaited Mario Party 8 arrives on shelves this week with mixed reviews. It is the tenth game in the series (eleventh in Japan) and the first to be released on Nintendo's Wii console.
In Mario Party 8, a Mario Land circus ringmaster named "MC Ballyhoo" buys Mario Land from Toad and he changes it to Mario Land Circus.[9] He then invites Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Daisy, Waluigi, Toad, Boo, Toadette, Birdo, Dry Bones, Blooper, and Hammer Bro. to his Mario Land Carnival. Once there Bowser comes and breaks all the rides, and they have to party to get them back.
Frank Caron of Opposable Thumbs writes:
"My, how times have changed. Whereas Mario Party was, once upon a time, the seminal party/drinking game, the new Wii incarnation of Mario Party 8 goes to show that even the often-hailed Nintendo is capable of milking a franchise into destruction. The late arrival of this title, in addition to the abundance of competent minigame collections on the system, leaves Mario Party 8 feeling outdated and outclassed."
Caron says that Mario Party 8 is almost identical to later installments in the series and some of the games are flat out boring.
"This wouldn't inherently be a problem—as this is a prevalent issue throughout the genre—were it not for the fact that most of the 'good' games utilize motions already seen in the other Wii mini-game games."
Phillip Levin of Advanced Media Network writes:
"Developer Hudson Soft disappoints with what was expected to be a sure-fire party game delight. A delight the eighth Mario Party is not, as it suffers from a lack of any kinds of true innovation, clunky controls and uninspired mini-games – the result being a forgettable could-have-been-done-on-GameCube release.
"Mario Party 8 is a game that is crippled by poor design of its very foundation: lackluster mini-games. This time around, we’re left surprisingly unimpressed and equally un-excited by what is normally the star of the party.
"Hudson Soft, sadly, has failed to use the Wii-mote in any captivating or remarkable ways, and the Wii remote often hurts the minis more than it helps, thanks to cumbersome, unresponsive controls. Mario Party 8 has problems outside of mini-games, too. Small things – a fake 16:9 widescreen mode that is really nothing more than just 4:3 with a frame, too much text in multiplayer, being forced to re-watch CPU-controlled turns without the option to skip them, no online play – really dampen the experience in more ways than one."
Some, like Rob Galbreath, enjoy the new Mario Party 8 installment:
"While the single-player mode seems annoying initially, it's a fresh experience for Mario Party veterans thanks to the removal of all end-round mini-games. Because of this, players can move around the boards much more quickly than when playing against not-so-smart-but-oh-so lucky CPU bots in multiplayer. If anything, the mode allows players to explore each of the six worlds and come to know all of their accompanying rules."
----Advertisement-----
SkillGround is the world’s most rewarding online gaming arena where you can download real video games for free and play in a secure and fair environment for cash prizes or just for fun. People of all skill levels are welcome, and our proprietary Skill Ranking system ensures you will always find your match. All you need is a PC and a broadband connection to play. You can play for free for as long as you want on SkillGround, and with a cash account you can ALSO play for real cash prizes. SkillGround is committed to offering great game play experiences to our players and will be adding new games, maps, and game play modes regularly. No matter what type of games you like, or what your level of ability, SkillGround has a game, and a match, for you! Click Here
---Advertisement-----
Kris Graft of Next Generation doesn't care what critics have to say about the game.
"It doesn’t matter that critics and forumites gripe (perhaps rightfully) about the rehashing of the Mario Party series of games. Criticisms fall on the average consumers’ deaf ears.
"Since the original N64 version released back in 1999, around 6 million copies of the Mario Party franchise have sold in the US alone. And with the Wii’s unique interface and conduciveness to fun party games, Nintendo’s new console could be the platform the game was always meant for."
Graft also points to another positive review featured on Metacritic.com, which says the “level of customization and personalization available in Mario Party 8 and the intuitive fun of the Wiimote make it the quintessential party accessory of 2007.” The site gave the game an 8.3/10.
---
Jordan Bach, Gambling911.com
Originally published May 29, 2007 7:53 pm ET
