Mario Party 7

"If you have frequent multiplayer console gaming sessions, then definitely buy this game."

Guest's Score:

8.0

Nintendo's seventh instalment in the Mario Party series brings back that same light-hearted fun found in the previous ones. If you're not familiar with any of the Mario Party games, then I'll fill you in.

Mario Party games revolve around the concept of a vast number of minigames played through in various modes. These "minigames" are very simplistic, short, and generally easy for new players to understand. Traditionally, Mario Party games are for up to four players simultaneously, and feature a board game mode. Though Mario Party 7 does not stray from this formula, Nintendo has brought in some nice additions.

I've chosen to look at Mario Party 7 in five parts; the mini-games, the board game mode, mini-games mode, eight player mode, and the mic.

The minigames are the heart of Mario Party 7. Fortunately, the vast majority of them are very fun and compelling. Each minigame requires a specific number of players. There are 1 vs CPU games, 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, 1 vs 3, four-player free for all, and eight-player free for all games.

One of the best features offered in Mario Party 7 is the practice minigame option. This option allows any of the players to enter a practice version of a minigame to get the hang of it before playing for real. Any player can instantly end the practice at any moment. I found that this feature gave new players confidence to play without being overwhelmed by the large number of games, or the pressure of playing for some cumulative score.

The board game mode involves four characters, each taking turns moving along trails of spaces. The number of spaces moved is primarily based on the rolling of dice. I say "primarily" because characters can also be moved by other events, like landing on question-marked spaces. The objective for each player is to get as many stars as they can by the end of the game. There are orbs, which are items that can grant the owner some temporary advantage. Various orbs are available, each with different powers ranging from allowing a player to move a greater number of spaces, to stealing coins from opponents. Mario Party 7 also introduces an exclusively two player (head-to-head) board game mode which is surprisingly fun.

Mario Party 7's board game mode reminds me of a complaint that many of my family's victims--er uh, I mean guests--have when it comes to playing the board game Monopoly with us: "It takes too long." What makes Mario Party 7's board game mode take too long is its many moments where you aren't actually playing anything. Instead of playing, you spend too much time trying to speed up dialogue and/or sitting through minigame intros and outros. I understand that Hudson Soft might have wanted players to read the witty dialogue and event messages, but after playing the game for a while these messages become redundant and only serve to slow the game down.

I also noticed that the game has this very ingenious and subtle dynamic handicapping which keeps the board game from becoming too one-sided at any point in time. This handicapping is tucked into the many "random" events that take place, like Bowser's interventions, the new star locations, the random orb granted to a player, and the dice rolls. To the untrained eye (or at least to someone who hasn't played Mario Party 7 frequently), these random events appear truly random; as if they could happen to any player at any time. But, this is not the case.

From the very beginning, unless there's a significant difference in skill level (at minigames and orb use) between players, it's any player's game until the very end. This element of chaos can be very frustrating to seriously competitive gamers who prefer that victory belong to the more skilled player (even if it's a marginal difference). For the rest of us who can take this game light-heartedly, this handicapping keeps the game fun for all players regardless of skill level. Let's just say you won't be seeing Mario Party 7 at the World Cyber Games any time soon.

Mario Party 7 also has a mode where gamers just play the minigames without the pretense of a board. This is an excellent mode, especially when you want to play a particular minigame repeatedly. Unfortunately, the only available minigames are the ones that are unlocked by playing the board game. Unlocking all the minigames is not that horrible (especially if you like the board game mode) but it still would be nice to have all the games available without having to play the board game. There are too many minigames to discuss in this review, but I highly recommend the minigame called "Stick and Spin." Stick and Spin is an air hockey game that can be played 1 vs 1 or 2 vs 2. It's one of the rare minigames, but trust me, unlocking it will be worth it!

Eight players simultaneously using four controllers--brilliant! In Mario Party 7's eight player mode, each controller is shared by two people. One player uses the L button and the analogue stick, and the other player uses the R button and the C-stick. It may sound awkward and not fun, but somehow Hudson Soft pulled it off to make it wickedly fun.

The mic is a great addition to the game. It's more like icing on the cake, but where else can you send sharks after your opponents, fire bullet bills, or pound your friends with the fists of a giant robot, all with just your voice?

In the end, I think this game is made for its namesake--Party. In a party atmosphere, people will not be bothered by the slowness of the board game because they'll also be interacting with the other party goers. Rent this game if you can get a hold of four controllers at your next party. If you're planning to play this game with less than three people, then I wouldn't recommend buying it. If you have frequent multiplayer console gaming sessions, then definitely buy this game.

Blessed Vela is a student enrolled in the Video Game Design & Development program at the International Academy of Design & Technology in Toronto.

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Bottom Line

Guest's Score:

8.0