Mario Party 7

"A bulking, fun multiplayer extraveganza!"

I remember back in the year, 1999… the faint release list of the Nintendo 64. On that list of games, I found an interesting sounding title... It was called “Mario Party”. It was fun and engaging, bringing out the uncontrolled feelings of joy with every coin-ding sound. It was a great multiplayer experience and definitely left us in happy times. Not too long after, there came Mario Party 2 which I thought was cool. This series was starting to pick up. The next year brought us Mario Party 3, yet again, another fantastic addition to the ever growing series. At Gamecube launch came Mario Party 4, then Mario Party 5. Since I hadn't picked up a MP game since the 3rd, the 5th had a lot to prove. Needless to say, it did win over my criticisms which then made me ponder 2 years later about picking up the 7th installment. Is this another rehash of the old? Or is this a true improvement over the series that would make it more loveable than what it was already.

Story: 3 “Ridiculous”
As far as MP's go, there usually isn't a lot given to the story. I mean common! This game is a virtual board game and I just don't think it's possible to come up with a serious, thought-evoking tale that is going to push us to hit those dice blocks a little differently. Needless to say, the story here is practically nonexistent and ridiculous. Mario and friends go on vacation (again? Does Mario Sunshine ring a bell?) thus creating the envy of “evil” Bowser. Well, Bowser once again feels he must try and spoil the fun just because he can try.

Visuals: 7 “Slightly improved…”
Since the first MP, visuals were never a greatly touched on factor. I've noticed that even in the 5th, there was a great lack of detail. Now I don't know what the 6th edition brought to the table but the 7th surely attempts at making those visuals slightly more detailed and interesting. The visual style sort of resembles that of Tales of Symphonia with its almost plastic like look and cartoonish character expressions. There's increased shadowing, better water effects and improved character models themselves. The backgrounds are as colorful as the characters and with a great presentation, everything seems bubble-gum pop friendly. It works and leaves the mood light hearted and fun! Despite so little improvement, the game is out to do what it does best… Make A FUN LOOKING GAME EXPERIENCE!

Audio: 6 “Reuse rinse and recycle”
Audio in this adventure is pretty mediocre. If you've ever played a Mario spin off (Mario Tennis, Mario Kart or any other Mario Party, etc.) you know exactly how the character samples sound. They are constantly reused again and again leaving us to know just what the characters are going to say next. The music is rather simple and unmemorable other than a couple lazy beach day tunes. The sound effects are all Mario-esque and with that said, there's not much more to comment on.

Gameplay: 7 (single player) / 9 (multiplayer) “Two ways to play”
For the actual gameplay itself… it is INCREDIBLY engaging. From the moment the first die is rolled, to the very last mini-game of the final round there is so much that captivates the player. First off, there are several modes of play. You can play in an all out four player (or computer) match or take on a solo-match with either one computer or one friend. These two versions of play differ in rules and in how you achieve victory. Not to mention that the different boards are all unique in their own core objectives. There is plenty of multiplayer fun to be had in this section. However, if you're the poor loner without any friends to play with, this game is not one I would recommend for you. This game is meant to be played with family and friends. The one player mode is poor and doesn't hold much ground since you'll find yourself feeling slightly bored with the computer settings. The action is fluid and well paced. The mini-games themselves are the highlight of this adventure. There are about 86 new games with ranging difficulty and uniqueness. The main theme they all have in common is that they are all fun! There isn't one mini-game that leaves you feeling cold. There's also a perfect balance in the chance-factor and difficulty that makes this game feel like a perfectly calculated formula. Other highlights are the unique items or orbs (as they are called) that you use to take over board spaces with traps. In the end, you have an exciting and unpredictable experience that will have you coming back for more. I would also like to mention that there is an 8-player multiplayer mode that really helps ramp up the diversity of this game and a microphone which is used to change up the pace a little. It's just too bad there aren't that many mic-games included.

Replayability: 9 “Engaging as an obsessive party brawler”
If there is one thing that makes this game stand out amongst the other versions, it's the amount of unlockables available to the player. For every game you play, you receive a boat load of cruise miles which are a lot like “frequent flyer miles”. The more you get, the more prizes (minigames, characters, settings, etc) you get. It definitely leaves you wanting to win more just so you can unlock the next item of your desires. Expect this to be a common namesake during the next kegger parties.

Overall: 8 “Strong title”
With so few categories reaching higher than a 7, you might wonder why this game still gets the 8. This game isn't about visuals, audio or story presentation. This game is about the gameplay and certainly steps it up to make this one of Nintendo's best titles out to date. It has the replayability and the strength to endure years of use without ever really getting old. Just make sure you have a lot of friends to play with.

NOTE: Like I said earlier, I wouldn't recommend this as a single player title because it definitely loses a lot of ground in that light.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/21/06