Mario Party 8

Mario Party 8 (Wii)

Back in 2007, near Wii's launch, very few mario games had been out for Nintendo's new console. Although we already new about Super Mario Galaxy, it was ways away. Luckily, Nintendo hoped to make that wait shorter with the release of Mario Party 8.

The Mario Party franchise is a big one. The rules are simple: progress around a big game board, win coins, play minigames, screw your friends, yadayadayada. The object is to get the most stars by the end of the game. But what is really new about Mario Party 8?

I'd like to say very little, but since this is the first Wii Mario Party, let's give it a chance. You roll the dice by hitting the Wiimote up. A lot of the minigames use the Wiimote in intuitive ways. Whether you are holding a lasso, rowing a boat, or even shaking a soda, the Wiimote provides a fun experience.

Also new is the arrival of candy, a new way to screw your neighbor (which is what Mario Party is all about....making friends). Replacing orbs and hexes from the previous games, candy gives your player new abilities. They eat it, transform, and use that new ability. It can be hitting 3 dice blocks, turning into a ghost, or even a thwomp!

The new levels are also fun. My favorite is the train, but there's other boards with special game rules. For example, in Koopa's Tycoon Town, you acquire stars by purchasing special hotels when you pass them. But if an opponent bids higher, you lose all your stars! This provides a new way to play.

The characters are everyone you'd expect in a Mario game. Mario, Yoshi, Peach, and even Blooper? Yeah, Blooper.

I only gave this a lower score because I feel Nintendo needs to make a Mario Party game that sticks to its roots. the first 4 Mario Parties were fantastic games. But then Nintendo became a little lazy and pumped out way too many Mario Parties which were not up to par.

Also, the graphics could be better. They look fine, but when you want to view the map, they suck. When you are moving around the cursor to take a better look at the board, you can see all the blurry people and objects move by. Also it would be better if this was true 16:9 widescreen support.

Although this isn't a perfect Nintendo title, it was what Nintendo fans needed to tide them over until November.

Pros:
It's Mario fun!
Wiimote Controls
Interesting Levels

Cons:
Some Really Stupid Minigames
Needed a Bit More Polish

Total Score - 7.5/10