Mario Party 2

"Simply the Best"

The first “Mario Party” was a hit. If you don't believe me, check out the 7 sequels it has spawning across 3 different game consoles. Whether you were a gamer or not, you probably played a “Mario Party” game with your friends and/or family at one point. Heck, you probably played it by yourself too. This was especially true for the original three parties for the N64. The first game was a huge success, so there was a lot of hype about the 2nd game. When “Mario Party 2” hit the shelves, it was damn hard to get your hands on a copy for a while, and for a reason. In my personal opinion, “Mario Party 2” is the best of the series, even to this day, topping its predecessor and 6 sequels. This game may not be a masterpiece, but it is one of the most fun games you will play, period.

Now, onto the review.

Plot – 5/10. Okay, I'll admit, the plot is on the lame side. Loveable, Italian plumber (and secret party animal?) Mario is back (again), and so are all of his friends: Luigi, his green capped brother; Peach, his favorite princess; Yoshi, his green, funny-sounding dinosaur companion; Wario, his bitter yellow-clad rival; and Donkey Kong, the tie-wearing monkey master. Together, the six superstars and others have worked together to build a new land, but they have yet to give it a name. Mario suggests it be called “Mario Land”; Luigi says it should be called “Luigi Land”; Peach thinks it should be “Peach Land”; so on and so forth. They start to bicker over what the name should be. While they fight, Bowser, the evil King Koopa, arises and attacks the new land. Luckily, an innocent koopa witnesses this, and tells the gang (and Toad, who's just chilling on the side). The gang decides that whoever can oust each other, defeat Bowser, and free the land shall have the land named after them. So, the party begins.

The one thing I do like about the plot is that the game is modeled after a play/performance. I think it's creative. Each individual level has its own land with its own story and is basically its own play/performance. Every level has its own small plot that is shortly explained in the beginning and resolved in the end. I like it, but the plot is still weak. However, this is A) a Mario game (Mario games were never known for clever plots) and B) A Multiplayer party game (since when did Monopoly have a plot?) so it's not the end of the world. It doesn't really take away from the game.

Graphics – 9/10. The graphics will not blow you away, but they're still good, especially for being a middle N64 game. They do nothing to distract you or interfere with gameplay, so there's nothing to really complain about. They're a little blocky sometimes, but hey, this game came out in 2000, and so the graphics really aren't that bad. The graphics, actually, are very bright and vibrant, so the game gives you that “I'm a happy fun game” message. They go along with the game, and they feel natural for the type of game that it is. There's really not that much to talk about. The graphics are good, and they go along with the game, so they're okay in my book.

Music – 9/10. The music is upbeat, happy, but a bit childish sometimes. It goes with the game, and that's what really matters; that's what makes the music so good. Each level's tune goes with it well; Pirate Land's music is tropical and cheerful, Western Land has happy, energetic music from the wild west, Space Land's tune is filled with courage and rather futuristic, Mystery Land's is Egyptian and mysterious, Horror Land is scary and dark, and Bowser Land is serious and ominous. Fortunately, the board songs aren't really annoying at all; you can listen to them for a very, very long time before they remotely irritate you. The mini game music is also excellent; the whimsical tunes go with the fun games very well. All other melodies in the game, such as the title screen, are nice and flow with the rest of the game. The music isn't so beautiful that it'll make you cry or anything, but all in all, the music is nice, varied, and goes with the atmosphere of the game excellently.

Sound - 10/10 – There's really not much to talk about with the sound. They took several unnatural, somewhat odd sounds and made them sound natural with the flow of the game.
Everything is timed well. Some of the sounds are actually very realistic, such as the saw cutting through the wood in the Looney Lumberjacks mini game. The voice acting isn't top notch, but it's hard to be a fan of the Mario series and not enjoy/be accustomed to the voice talent in the game, from Mario's friendly voice to Yoshi's odd squeaking. Nothing to really complain about in this department; the sound is top notch.

Control – 10/10 – The control works just fine, and it doesn't get in your way at all. When you're playing on the board, you're not really making use of the control system, just small movements with the joystick and a button on occasion. Nothing special. However, when you get to the mini games, the control changes very much. Each mini game has its own control, whether its simple running around with the joystick or counting using the A and B buttons. The different control schemes for each mini game keeps the controls fresh, and you get to do something different with your fingers every turn, which is great. The characters respond excellently with the control, so there is no complaint.

Gameplay – 9/10 – Here's the rundown. There are two major components to a basic Mario Party game: the board and the mini games. At the start of the game, all four players receive 10 coins (which, along with stars, are what determines who wins the game) and you all “roll dice” to determine who goes first. When it's your turn, you roll the dice (you just push A; your roll is basically random) and you advance on the board for however many spaces you rolled. The board is covered with many spaces: blue (you get three coins), red (you lose three coins), green “?” (something happens to the board, depending on what level you're playing), item game spaces (you play a 1 person mini game to win an item you can use later), and many more. The boards aren't very straightforward, and eventually players will split from one another. Along the way you'll pass koopa banks, thieving boos, Baby Bowswer, item shops, and much more. What's the point of all of this? To reach your goal: Toad, who will give you a star if you can get to him first with 20 coins. I know, it sounds very overwhelming, but it's actually very easy and self-explanatory, and you'll learn how to play on the board extremely quickly.

At the end of every round (when all four players go), a mini game is played. There are three major kinds of mini games played at the end of the round: battle royal, 2 on 2, or 3 vs. 1. The spaces that the players stepped on determine this (example: if all four stepped on blue spaces, it's a battle royal; if two players stepped on red spaces and the other two stepped on blue spaces, it's red space players vs. blue space players; if one person stepped on blue and the other three stepped on red, the three red get to gang up on the one blue). There are tons of different mini games, each one a clever alliteration or pun. The great thing about the mini games in this sequel is that you'll never get sick of any of them, even the more difficult ones such as Move to the Music. From counting, to ground pounding, to playing your luck, to dancing, to driving slot cars, the sixty-plus mini games have a lot to offer. Of course, there are some mini games that are irritating (Slot Car Derby, Skateboard Skamper, etc.) but there is such a large variety of fun games that you'll forget about any pesky games you dislike.

Now, we just scratched the surface. The sequel has more to offer than the original, in terms of pure gameplay. You can now purchase items, such as the golden mushroom, which allows you to roll three dice instead of one; these items add a new curve to the game. The banks add a new sense of luck to the game while 1 v. 1 duel challenges makes the game more fierce and competitive. However, some things from the first game were removed. You can no longer take your hard earned coins and purchase items you can use in the games later. The game was a bit barer without this, and all your stars just become coins; you no longer have that push to gain 100 stars, to get rewarded. All you can do with your coins now is purchase mini games, and you'll buy most of them really quickly; this kind of takes away from the replay value. However, the new stuff makes up for the old.

There's plenty to do asides from the classic board game. Journey into mini game land, where you can purchase mini games and play them over, and over, and over, and over again. You're going to want to keep working to break the mini game records. There are mini game battles, where you play random mini games vs. your friends or the computer until someone wins a certain amount. To add to the one-player dimension of the game, there is the mini-game roller coaster, which is pretty much the same thing as the mini game island in the 1st game. All of these extras highlights the excellent replay value of the game, and contributes to the excellent gameplay. Even after years and years of having the game, you'll have no problem breaking out this game and playing your friends.

Challenge – 9/10. This game is easy; I won't lie. There's an occasional challenging mini game or an occasional screw over, but other than that, it's easy. It goes with the game. The game doesn't decide how hard it is, you and your friends do. The most you can do to change the difficulty is set the difficulty of the computer players. They can be extremely easy, or they can be extremely hard. It's very flexible, if you ever really want a challenge. However, for the most part, the game is really easy, but that's okay, because that's what fits the game.

Replay Value – 10/10. The “Mario Party” series is known for its replay value. That's basically the point of the game. The replay value is excellent in this game, mainly due to the excellent board design and the amazing mini games. You're going to play this game a lot for a long time. There's not a lot to explain, the replay value is simply excellent.

FUN – 10/10. This game is a PARTY for a reason. This game is fun, fun, fun, whether it's you vs. 3 computers of you vs. 3 of your buddies. From sword fights to stealing coins to Russian roulette to solving mysteries, this party is never ending. Get a pizza and some sodas, and plop down with some friends and play a 50 turn game; you won't get bored once! This game is so fun, in so many different ways. The 2nd party is a blast!

Plot – 5/10
Graphics – 9/10
Music – 9/10
Sound – 10/10
Control – 10/10
Gameplay – 9/10 x 2 = 18/20
Challenge – 9/10
Replay Value – 10/10
FUN – 10/10
Total score – 90/100

“Mario Party 2” for the Nintendo 64 gets a 9/10.

Long live the original 3 games!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/01/08

Game Release: Mario Party 2 (US, 01/24/00)