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N64 | Puzzle | Mario Party | Review

There is no Boxart for - Mario Party
  • GRAPHICS: 4.0
  • SOUND: 4.0
  • CONTROL: 4.5
  • FUN FACTOR 5.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.6
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.3
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Review: Mario Party

Review by Bro Buzz | 11/24/2000 | 14:47:41 PM PST

Mario Party is fun, even if you're playing alone. But like any good party, it's definitely better to play with a group of friends - you can cheer 'em on, cap on 'em or try to jinx 'em. This game's a blast, no matter how you play it.

Mario's back on board for the N64... literally! Mario Party soups up the board-game concept with inspired multiplayer action that's loads of fun.

All Aboard
Mario Party is like any traditional board game or board-game video game. Each player chooses from six recognizable characters--Mario, Luigi, Wario, Princess Peach, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong--then takes turns rolling...er, pressing a die in order to move their character around one of six Party boards. But the similarities with traditional board games end here.

Party's action really amps up each time a player completes their turn--that's when one of the 56 randomly selected mini-games begins. These hilarious side-games feature four-against- four, two-against-two, or one-against-three action, enabling each contestant to win (or steal) precious gold coins. And you better believe the coins are well worth the fight--they enable you to purchase the all-important Gold Stars. If you don't know it already, whoever has the most stars at the end of the game wins.

The excellently crafted, brainteasing (and sometimes offbeat) challenges cover a dizzying array of gameplay styles, including white-water rafting, slot-car racing, deep-sea treasure diving, Concentration-style puzzles, and a dancing Limbo contest. And that's just for starters!

Party sports the nicely crafted, now-classic look of the Mario game family. If you're familiar with Mario 64 and Yoshi's Island, you know what we're talking about. The game's tunes and audio effects are also classic-ally cute and perfectly fit Party's jovial action. Nintendo fans will instantly recognize these nostalgic notes.

The controls, which range from precise stick-movements to wild button-mashing insanity, are well implemented, enabling you to manage easily all the diverse action. Some mini-games, such as the rafting event, even require you to rotate the joystick frantically in a 360-degree motion-- a guaranteed blister-busting workout.

Mario Party is fun, even if you're playing alone. But like any good party, it's definitely better to play with a group of friends--you can cheer 'em on, cap on 'em, or try to jinx 'em. This game's a blast, no matter how you play it.