Mario Party 8 Review

Intro

Mario Parties 1-3 was on the N64. Mario Parties 4-7 was on the GCN. Nintendo now tries our minds for an 8th on the Wii. Will it keep the series off the edge of a cliff? Or will it just push it off?

Graphics

Compared to the last party (MP7), the graphics are stunning, but not looking too carefully will make you think they are the same as the last one. Most people say that the Wii can never reach good graphic qualities. This is one of the two games (the other game being TP) that will probably make me say to those people, "Take that!" Ace here.

Graphics: 9/10

Sound

Like the music from the other parties, some music will be repetitive, while others will be nice. Depending on what aspects of the game you focus on, you can say the sound is awesome or it stinks. Most minigames are nice. Characters sound good, but Hammer Bro's sounds can piss me off.

Sound: 8/10

Controls

This is the main aspect. The Wii has the motion-sensitive awesomeness. Does it make MP8 yay or nay? YAY. Almost every single game is awesome with controls. Some games you can think are pointless (like cleaning a chain chomp!), but really are fun because of the Wii's unique controls. One minigame requires you to throw a lasso at barrels to get points. Another one requires you to shake a soda can the most. Another requires you to first saw a board in half, then hammer in two nails, then paint a board. This must be the best aspect of the game, for it really does fuel the game so much in the fun meter.

Controls: 10/10

Gameplay

Most of us know the MP drill. Every turn in the Party Mode, you hit a dice block to move a certain amount of spaces. You now do this by shoving the wiimote up. Instead of orbs, there is now candy to fit with the carnival theme. Oh, I didn't mention that. The whole thing is carnival themed. The boards are DK's Treetop Temple, which is the simple pay-20-coins-for-a-star-at-a-star-space board. There's Goomba's Booty Boardwalk, which is a strait path to the pirate goomba guy who you can buy a star from. There's King Boo's Haunted Hideaway, which is a maze, until you reach King Boo, who you can buy a star from for 10 coins (this board is my personal favorite ). There's Shy Guy's Perplex Express, which is a strait train ride to Shy Guy. It's pretty much a disguised Goomba's Booty Boardwalk. There's Koopa's Tycoon Town, which is like Windmillville from MP7. You buy hotels to get stars. Then there's Bowser's Warped Orbit, which is a fun duel like board where you try to steal everyone's stars. Altogether, gameplay is great!

Gameplay: 10/10

Graphics: 9/10

Sound: 8/10

Controls: 10/10

Gameplay: 10/10

AVERAGE (and score): 9.25/10 (rounded to 9/10)