Mario Party going downhill?

[cheat-master30]

Mario Party is one of those series which comes out year after year, with very few changes to the year before's version. However, I do not think the latest ones of these are exactly good, and I shall say why.

Mario Party 1 had the originality factor, and a huge influence of Nintendo related things. Toads, Boo and Koopa in levels, various Mario enemies in boards and games. This game was good because it was different and new. However, it had a huge flaw with those damn 'spin the control stick' games which made you want to punch the TV screen.

The second I heard was good, and from what I can see, I agree. It was fun supposedly, had Mario like boards and was generally a very Mario based game.

The third though was brilliant. The boards were detailed beyond belief, with all kinds of neat enemies and objects from the Mario series lying in the backgrounds. The mini games were good and full featured, all distinctly based on Mario themes. And it had the Duel mode, where you let partner characters attack your enemies as you go around special boards. All in all, this was the height of the series.

But it did not last. The fourth was more basic than the third, and became very bland in level and game design, but still remained fun. More in next post.

[cheat-master30]

However, the fifth one was awful. It had boring levels. For example, Sweet Dream and Toy Dream were pretty not Mario like, and could have been in any old party game. The Sky based level was also bland. Basically, out of all the levels, only the Bowser one maintained a strong Mario theme. The mini games also took a turn for the worst, with luck being the order of the day. Pull a rope? Yep, that was a mini game, and guess what it was? Pull a random rope, and if a weight fell down, you lose, if there is confetti, you win, if nothing, you get nothing. Basically, that was meant to be fun?

There was one glimmer of hope though in the kart based battle mode, where you took to karts and vehicles and blasted at your opponents with various weapons. It was no Mario Kart, but fun to an extent, customising cars and blasting things with Bullet Bills and flamethrowers.

Do I think Mario Party will pick up? Maybe with the Wii remote, but I am certainly not dumb enough to buy any more of these games, as Mario Party 5 killed the series for me.

(|:})Lisreal

[caprontos]

I didn't read ur post yet.. i will in alittle bit but I lost interset on MP3 really...

[cheat-master30]

I lost interest at Mario Party 5.

[caprontos]

ok I read your post now I see what you mean I never played them alot as they aren't much fun to play alone..

it might have better minegames in the Wii version..

[cheat-master30]

Hopefully it will, I just won't be buying it. Personally because the board designer (although the Wii one has one good board it seems already) is utterly useless.

[caprontos]

oh I see. So there are screen shots of it already?

[cheat-master30]

Yes, like here:

http://media.wii.ign.com/media/853/853824/imgs_1.html

[caprontos]

wow.. theres 8 already... why can't they just put a Mario Kart engine in the game for the kart raceing mine game and kart battle mine game? wouldn't that make them more fun..

[cheat-master30]

One of the pictures is kart racing based, but sadly they never make a Mario kart (with weapons) like mini game.

[caprontos]

thats what i mean thou why won't they it would make sence..

[cheat-master30]

Because the last few Mario games fail at good mini games? And the first killed your hands.

[caprontos]

haha that could be it.. maybe eventuly they will but by then nobody will want to play.

[cheat-master30]

True. Just as hopefully companies like EA learn people don't want the same thing over and over again.

[caprontos]

but with EA and sports games there out of luck basicly. Only EA owns the rights to use real life teams.

[cheat-master30]

Yeah, but not everyone wants real life teams. There are still other companies making those kind of games.

[NintenDan]

I buy the series because in twenty years some weird guy might want them, and be willing to pay anything!

MP2 had a feature where the characters would dress up in costumes which was fun!

[cheat-master30]

Yeah, I saw that. Like cowboy costumes in Western Land (or something).