Mario Party 8 is the latest in the Mario Party series. Mario Party 8 does not differ much from the previous games. Mario Party 8 added a few new features such as using the Wii motion sensing, but did not stray far from the old formula. The story this time round is, the Star Carnival has arrived and MC Ballyhoo with his talking hat Big Top is challenging everyone to a Star Battle. The winner of which will receive the Star Rod and a year’s supply of candy. Bowser soon shows up and takes the Star Rod leaving it to the player to get it back. The player will have to battle across six boards, and have a final fight with Bowser to get back the stolen Star Rod.
Mario Party 8 now allow the player to eat candy to gain powers, such as rolling extra dice or stealing an opponent’s coins. This candy can be found lying on the board, or bought at any of the stores that a player passes. The candy can be used to give a player a strategic advantage over the players and NPCs. Two new characters have also been added to the roster, Blooper and Hammer Bro making the total playable characters 14. The 2 new playable characters and many of the other new features must be unlocked. Most features are unlocked by purchasing them with cards that are earned during game play. Features include developer scores, ability to taunt during other players turns and many more exciting abilities.
Unfortunately there are some flaws in the game. The Wii remotes motion sensing for instance is used badly in some of the mini games making it extremely frustrating to play. Another flaw is the pace of Mario Party slows down at times, such as the time spent waiting between turns. Mario Party 8 also relies on text bubbles to tell you everything which can also slow the pace of the game to a crawl. The largest annoyance is winning the game depends mostly on luck, with players suddenly being launched into the lead with the luckiest of rolls. Something as simple as eating more candy can award a player a free star, and make any strategy used during the game pointless. In the end, the game is good if you’re a fan of the series despite its few flaws, but I do not suggest it for anyone who is not already a fan of the game series.
I give Mario Party 8 a 6/10
Click to enlarge
Mario Party 8 Cover
Character Select Screen
Lean, Mean Ravine mini game
Boo-ting Gallery mini game
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