Mario Party 8

Mario Party 8 is one of those games that I thought I would try out because it looked like it would be an interesting break from playing more in depth games like Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It is both simple to understand and play, making it an interesting alternative when looking for something casual. Mario Party is definitely a game that just about anyone can play and therefore is great for families.


Mario Party 8 is a multiplayer game that also involves lots of mini-games. I personally really liked the board game aspect. There are a few different boards to choose from giving the player some variety. While your character is running around the board you have the option to purchase candy that gives different bonuses and benefits. You have to be carefull when purchasing candy however, if you land on a star you will need to have enough coins in order to purchase it and stars win the game. Yes, the game is fairly silly, but you really can't be serious all the time, right?


While I prefer the board game aspect the mini games is what Mario Party is really about. Now, don't get me wrong, it is not that I don't like mini-games I just didn't really like them in this game. My main complaint is that I do not feel they really made this game for the Wii. Yes, they do use the Wii Remote for movement, but it really seems that they could have done more with it. I also felt that, for the most part, I did not win (or lose) these mini games based on skill, but rather chance. It did not seem to me that the game was all that responsive to my movements which made it very frustrating, even though I kept winning.

While I do like the game over all, I do have few issues with it. First is that the graphics could have been a lot better. Of course the Nintendo Wii does not have the graphics capabilities of the PS3 or Xbox360, but this seemed low even for the Wii. Once I add in the fact that I did not really feel that my actions made that much of a difference in the game it really would seem that I disliked it. The truth is that I felt the game was good for what it was. It does not require a lot of depth or the precision of Wii Motion Plus, although that would be a nice future addition, to serve the purpose of the game. Mario Party 8 for Wii is a casual game that is great for the family and I think the ability to play with friends or family is what makes this game fun to play.

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