"One of the Party Tresures"

Well, Nintendo has once again made its 6th Mario Party game. It looks pretty attractive, with its new features such as the Day and Night feature. But you may wonder, if that's the case, then why is my score so low?

Well, let me break the game up into sections and explain each section.

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Graphics
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Score: 7/10

I will give a B for graphics. The graphics are sharp and 3D. The different features of the game are drawn out very nicely and colourful. Also, the min-games have very distinctive backgrounds and brings out the idea of each minigame.

However, what I feel is that the graphics are quite repetitive. Having bought all the Mario Party games, I can see that the graphics are basically the same. There isn't much creativity in the graphics, such as giving certain characters a brand new look, even the word "Mario Party" has been reused several times.

Some of the graphics are also not clear enough and some of them are even quite 'pixelated'. This clearly gives a cut to the score.

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Sound
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Score: 8/10

The music is clear and surround. The background music is also very clear for boards and minigames. The starting screen's music, which is VERY vital for videogames, is also very original. Much changes are made to the music, which is a big PLUS factor.

However, I feel that some parts of the sound is poorly done. For example, the taunts are used repeatedly for the Mario games. This makes me feel 'cheated' as there is no new taunts given to the characters, hence making a lack of creativity.

Overall, Sound gets a A- grade.

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Gameplay
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Score: 6/10

This is an important section. For every videogame, the goal of the game is very important. It gives the player a clear idea of what he/she is playing for. However, this game has totally no story at all.

Story:
The story sets on the moon, Twila and the sun, Brighton who have just gotten into a quarrel. Therefore, Mario decides to throw Mario Partys to collect stars in order to stop them.

That may not seem bad to you, but the worse thing is that, you don't get the exact amount of stars you have collected, it may be a lot more and less. For example, a 4-player Party with 2 Human players and lasts for 15 turns, you will receive around 5 stars. I feel that the system is quite unfair as the number of stars collected is not that little.

Method:
You will need to venture through boards to collect sufficient stars. The game is rather simple and not challenging. There isn't much extra games for you to explore, unlike Mario Party 5. The game is very simple and you can finish it in 10 hours, if you're an avid player.

Goal:
As mentioned above, you will need to collect stars to resolve the problem. The number of stars are accumulated at the Star Bank and you need to unlock different stuff using your stars. The goal is clear but too simple.

On the whole, I will give a C+ for gameplay as the Mario Party 'tradition' has been passed on from one Mario Party to another.

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Replay Value
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Score: 7/10

The replay value is low and I will give it a B-.

Firstly, after you have achieved the goal of the game. All you can do is to replay each board and the mini-games. This can last you for 8 hours, at most. After that, you may not even bother to play it again.

Secondly, I feel that if you were to create a new file, it will be a waste of time. You already know the outcome of achievement. Therefore, I will not want to play it again, unless you are a really avid player.

Lastly, there isn't any Aftermath for this game. You will not get much extras if you beat the game. Hence, the replay mode is pulled down.

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Others
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Bonus: 1

The bonus point for this game is its MIC mode. The game includes a Microphone, which can be used in the game. However, the Mic can easily mistake your words (especially if you're playing mini-games that need the Mic.). Other than being used in mini-games and MIC games, there isn't any other use for it. This makes the Mic. rather useless as I expected the Mic. to be used as a second controller.

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Buy or Rent
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Opinion: Rent

Unless you are an avid player or you really like Mario Partys very much, I feel that you should not buy the game. It is quite a waste of money and that you may regret buying it too.

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Total Score
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Sub-Total= 7 + 8 + 6 + 7 + 1*
= 29/40
Grade: B-
Total: ~7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/11/05