Mario Party 4

"Mario Party's back and it's sooooooo fun!"

Ah yes, Mario Party... a fun game which is even more fun if you've got a few friends. Grab your buddies and start partying!

The game itself:
It's Mario's fourth party... 'nuff said. Grab your friends and play! Most of the mini games are easy to pick up and play (although there are fewer mini-games in Mario Party 4 that you will play on boards than in Mario Party 3. Some mini-games are only found in the Extra Room), so your friends won't spend twenty minutes learning to play one mini-game. There are six game boards (one of them hidden) and great new items. You can still chose one of eight characters to play as: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Daisy, and Waluigi.

Story:
Story? What story? In Story Mode, you just play through each board with a character, and you get gifts if you beat the owner of the board in a mini-game because it's your character's birthday. That's all.

Playability:
When you press the A button to hit the dice block, your character won't jump up immediately, but you can't expect a guy to jump up that fast can you? When you press certain buttons or tilt the control stick, there is always a quick reaction (if that button does anything), so the game gets a lot of points for playability.

Graphics:
The graphics are much improved over previous Mario Party games, and the visuals are very eye-pleasing. Although the graphics are very good, there isn't much to say here...

Sound:
The sound department has very nice tunes, and the music really sets the mood. In the board that Boo has, a haunted house board, you will hear music fitting for the part, not some kind of bagpipe music.

Difficulty:
The AI isn't all that smart, but knows where the stars are and will do quite a bit to get to them, although sometimes they will use Mega Mushrooms and blow right past stars, so the AI is kind of even... they may prove a challenge in mini-games, though.

Fun Factor:
When playing on a board, there are fewer mini-games than in previous Mario Party games. Some of the mini-games you will find in the Extra Room are actually pretty fun. The boards are nicely done, and you and your friends will have much fun playing. The game is also fun for one player in Story Mode, but the real fun kicks in in a four-player party.

Scores:
Story: 4
Playability: 9
Graphics: 9
Sound: 9
Difficulty: 7
Fun Factor: (this score is for people with two friends... increase by one point if you have more friends or decrease by one point if you play alone) 9
Overall Score: 9

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/02, Updated 11/01/02