Mario Party 4

"A party games you shouldn't miss"

Mario Party 4, in my opinion, is the best Mario Party game yet. I waited eagerly every day for it to finally come. And when it finally did, I wasn't disappointed. This is a must-have title for anyone with a Gamecube, multiple controllers, and a whole lot of friends.

Story: 7/10

The story of the game is a little strange. But not many games like this do have the best stories. It can be a bit interesting for some parts, but story doesn't matter in a game like this...you're simply in it for multiplayer action.

Graphics 10/10

The best-looking Mario Party game yet. of course, the others were for N64. The GameCube really makes it look awesome. Every things looks great, especially the new board maps.

Sound 9/10

Nice, happy-sounding music. The character voices also sound nice. The music can get a little repetitive, but it's hardly noticeable. You're too interested in the game to notice the music. Of course, the character voices can get annoying if your fellow human player bashes the button that makes the characters talk.

Gameplay 8/10

The game is very fun, with a good handful of modes, mini-games, and board maps.
The mini-games are fun, without many that are annoying. The mini-games eventually get really easy if you're an experienced player, which takes some of the fun out of it. There are a limited amount of board maps this time around. More could have been added to add to the fun, but the current amount are good enough to be fun for a while. There could be more modes and items added also. It seems like it's missing some things Mario Party 3 had, such as some types of games and certain items that seemed to help you out in just the right way.

Replay Value 9/10

A multiplayer party game definitely has replayability...if you have friends...The one-player mode isn't that great, but it doesn't matter compared to the multiplayer fun this game could provide you with for a long time. The games eventually get boring, but they're enouugh to keep you interested for a while. You'll probably end up digging the game out when you have a big party and need some entertainment for some friends.

So...Rent or Buy?

It depends. If you have a bunch of friends, then definitely buy. This is a multiplayer game that you shouldn't miss. If you're a hermit with no friends, then maybe you should rent just to beat one player...

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/12/02, Updated 11/12/02