Mario Party

"A satisfactory game enlivened only by multiplayer."

Surprise, surprise: with Mario Party, Nintendo has successfully pulled off a game that can easily be described as one of the greatest multiplayer games for Nintendo 64. Unfortunately the game doesn't really excel in any of the other categories, because other than some extremely awesome multiplayer. That's it. However, despite the obvious weaknesses in some of the other important things that make up a video game, c'mon, how can you beat a game like this that is just so fun when everyone gathers around the TV to play it?

Mario Party is, essentially, a board game - four players (chosen from Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, DK, or Wario) move around one of eight boards (two hidden), collecting coins and stars not only on the main board, but also in 56 Mini-Games with the intent of becoming the Superstar of that board. (Okay, yes, that IS where my user name originated! Does that answer your question!?) It's pretty fun. Basically, players roll dice blocks and move along the board, meeting up with characters like Toad, Bowser, Boo, Koopa, and so on. Toad gives out stars, Boo steals stuff from other players for your benefit, Koopa gives out bonus coins, and Bowser, well...take three guesses at what he does.

At the end of each turn, players play Mini-Games with the intent of racking up more coins (which can be used to purchase stars). They can get it from the external ''bank'' (which incidentally has no limit) or, by stealing from other players. Because games are selected randomly and can also involve players teaming up or ganging up on another player, it can really get crazy sometimes! The Mini-Games in Mario Party are the best, and really make this title great.

The only problem with the game at first is its design. The actual board game, while very fun, sure, is quite dull. To keep on switching between the board game and mini-games for twenty turns (which usually lasts about an hour or so on average, and can be longer if you're playing for a longer period) is just very boring. There are plenty of opportunities for players who are in last place to catch up just by luck, which can be a good thing if you're the guy in last place, but if you're at the front and worked to build up your 4-star stash, it can be frustrating! However, for the most part the most talented player in mini-games wins, so don't get too discouraged. It's a pretty good balance between luck and skill.

The graphics in MP aren't great. Trust me, they aren't. For the most part the characters that move around the board can be somewhat jagged, and the actual visuals that you see on the isometric boards aren't that great either. There isn't that much movement on the actual boards aside from the characters that walk along the board every time they roll a number. The mini-game visuals, however, are much more improved because of the 3-D nature required in them. THAT'S much more like it! Other than that, the graphics in the game are pretty darn good. Slowdown is non-existent and will never bug you, and thankfully there are some cut scenes when you meet up with a character on the actual boards (something that would sadly be cut in later games.) Decent graphics but definitely not perfect by any stretch of the human mind.

Some of the audio tracks are decent and have the typical Mario-style remix to them to make it all fun. Unfortunately the voice overs really, really suck. I'm not saying that the quality is bad or anything. You can hear them perfectly, and that's unfortunately what kills it. Peach, for example, always sounds like she is on helium! Don't pick her under any circumstances, because you will absolutely go nuts over hearing her constantly for one hour at the very least!

I've been waiting to get to this one: the multiplayer. The multiplayer in MP makes this title perhaps one of the greatest multiplayer games for the N64. When sitting in front of the system alone and playing with three computer players, it's just not fun. However, bring in one, two, or three more players (as well as the appropriate number of controllers) and this game's lasting appeal goes up big-time! Trust me on this one - you will be having a lot of fun with this game if you decide to hold a get-together. There have been some instances where we've really gotten mad at each other for misfortune falling upon us! At the end of it all, though, we're still friends, so THAT's good. ;)

MP's bank allows you to store your stars and purchase Mini-Games and other items for play on and off the boards. It's a wise idea to get as many human players as possible every game, so that more money goes into the bank and therefore allowing you to purchase more items and games. The lasting appeal on this title is all right, thanks to a few extra modes. But even when you've beaten this title, the fun really comes in getting the buds together to play.

Looking for a really good multiplayer game? Try GoldenEye or Perfect Dark if brutal sniping is your thing. But if a little bit of head-bonking and humour really cuts your fancy, by all means, give this title a purchase! Despite its rather satisfactory look, the multiplayer kicks butt, and that's why this is such a good title!

Final score: 8.4

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 12/13/02