"It's not a party unless it's a Mario Party!"

Hello! This is a review for Mario Party DS for the Nintendo DS. This is the 11th Mario Party title in the US, and is still going strong today! This is also the 2nd hand-held full-length Mario Party game to ever be released as well (the first hand-held full-length Mario Party game was Mario Party Advance).

This video game definitely utilizes all of the features within the Nintendo DS, and I can almost guarantee that this will become one of your favorite video games if you give it a chance. So without further ado, let's get on with the review!

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Story - 9/10

When I first got this game, I was expecting it to be nothing more than just a standard Mario Party game without much of a storyline. I was very surprised when I started playing the Story Mode. Mario and his friends (Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, Yoshi, and Toad. Donkey Kong & Diddy Kong also get invitations, but they are not playable characters) get an invitation from Bowser, in which he apologizes for terrorizing Mario and his friends and wants to make it all up to them by hosting an extravagant dinner party for everyone. It happens to be just another trap by Bowser, and when Mario and his friends walk through the door, BAM!!! A cage falls on top of them, and Bowser shrinks them. You must play through the different maps while helping people out, such as Wiggler, Toadette, and Diddy Kong. Will you be the one that saves the day from Bowser's evil ways?


Graphics - 9/10

The game also excels in this category as well! The graphics are better than the Nintendo 64 versions, and I would even go as far as to say that they are just as amazing as the Nintendo GameCube versions. Everything is colorful and vibrant, and the Mini-Games look awesome as well. For some of the Mini-Games, if you are playing 2 vs. 2 or 1 vs. 3, it will only show your team. That being said, Nintendo knows how to make it work in a way where you can still see what your opponents are doing by looking at the other screen on your Nintendo DS, so you can still keep track of what they are doing in the Mini-Game while trying to do the Mini-Game yourself, even if you can't see all of your opponents movements.

The graphics in the cutscenes for Story Mode are quite nice as well. They are done in a style similar to a comic book, and everything is freeze frame. Basically, your character will walk to the next location on the map, then a flashcard of a character pops up in distress. A picture of the enemy in that map will appear on both screens (as a 3-D rendered image), then a flashcard of the Mario Party clan pops up on the bottom screen in freeze frames. It's very artistic and beautiful.


Sound - 10/10

It doesn't take long to figure out that Nintendo updated the voice samples of most of the characters in the game (with the exception of Yoshi, I believe). The sound effects used on the maps and in the Mini-Games fit quite well. Everything sounds rich and crystal-clear, and definitely not something you'd expect from the Nintendo DS, which is a good thing.


Music- 10/10

The music in this game is very fitting, and it sounds wonderful as well! For example, on the board Toadette's Music Room, the map has a jazzy melody, and it incorporates a lot of other different melodies and instruments, as any Music Room should have. The music in the Mini-Games sound wonderful and clear as well, and it is definitely fitting for the different environments you play in. You will definitely want to play this game with the headphones on!


Gameplay - 9/10

It's amazing to think that with all the new Mario Party games Nintendo releases every year, they still manage to find a way to make most of the Mini-Games different than the last one. And this game is no exception. You've got the standard Mini-Games, where you have to move around and/or press a button to hit something, jump, etc...

However, this is the Nintendo DS we are talking about! Nintendo has incorporated the Stylus and the Microphone in this game. In some Mini-Games, you have to rotate your Stylus in a circle on the screen to spin a wheel, or you may have to move around with the Directional Pad while tapping something on the screen with your Stylus. In some other Mini-Games, you have to blow out Candles through the Microphone, or blow out a fuse from a bomb. Be careful not to set it off!

As for the actual boards, everything is still the same, and Nintendo stays true to what makes Mario Party good. You'll notice that some items are missing from the shops that you have seen in previous Mario Party games, such as Mushrooms and Boo Crystal Balls, but Nintendo manages to make it work by keeping in items such as the Two Dice Block, Three Dice Block, Warp Block, and other items up for grabs. This game focuses more on the board game aspect of Mario Party, as Nintendo should!
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Replay Value - 9/10

With all the extras that you can unlock in this game, such as collecting Trophies from Story Mode and unlocking Mini-Games to play, you'll never have to put down your Nintendo DS! If you do start to get bored from playing by yourself, you can link up 2 - 4 people and play Multiplayer! To sweeten the deal, only one Mario Part DS game card is needed, so your friends can come over with their own Nintendo DS and still be able to play with you!

The only thing that would have made this game better is if it had Nintendo Wi-Fi capability with anyone around the world. But the game is so good as it is, it doesn't need that. With all the extras in this game, you'll be staying up for hours trying to unlock the next Trophy or Mini-Game, or just playing with a friend!
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FINAL RATING - 10/10

I can honestly say from the bottom of my heart that this is the best Mario Party game I have ever played, and I have played every single Mario Party game (except the arcade version of Mario Party 5 that was released in Japan by Capcom instead of Hudson). Nintendo hit a home-run when they made this game, and they should be very proud of themselves. If you don't already have this game, I would recommend to skip renting it and buy it right now. If you are a fan of the Mario Party series, or this is your first time playing a Mario Party game, you will not be disappointed. This game has something for everyone, and with the feature of 2 - 4 people playing on Multiplayer, it will definitely bring you and your friends together.

Video games are about having fun, and Mario Party delivers it! So what are you waiting for? Go out to the store and go buy this already!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/06/08

Game Release: Mario Party DS (US, 11/19/07)