A Mario Fiesta, or a Mario Siesta?

I must admit, I've been out of the Mario Party loop for quite a while. Ever since the first one on the Nintendo 64, I have declined every invitation until now. Why? Because the little lady wanted it, and what she wants, she gets. So, like every party I haven't wanted to go to but ended up at because a pretty face convinced me, I gritted my teeth, put on a smile, and wished for more alcohol. However, I must admit that this party wasn't so bad. Sure, it had its ups and downs, but I didn't feel like it was all totally wasted, though I'm not sure that the $50 cover charge is quite worth it.

For those unitiated with the Mario Party series, it's all based on a simple formula: take a board game, take Mario characters and spinoffs, throw in some minigames to break up the action, and you've got yourself a lucrative franchise. That's the simple version, I'll get more detailed in just a bit.

What does all this mean for the Wii? First, guaranteed sales. In an unfortunate second, it means that we get yet another game based on the strength of its minigames. I mean really, we've got Rayman, Super Monkey Ball (which at least had a full single player), Wario Ware, etc. It's time to branch out. However, it's time to get into the review, and base the game on its own merits.

Mario Party 8 can be played with up to four players, like any typical board game, either you or three of your friends (and for the love of God, pick your friends. The computer players are a nightmare), or you and a partner can go head to head. You get your choice of six boards, each varying in gameplay. For example, one is a Monopoly knock off, where the goal is to invest in the most property, and another is set on a train that keeps switching its cars around, and you have to get 50 coins. You win by getting the most stars by completing goals. Some boards require a lot of stars, others require just one.

Of course, there is a variety of spaces that you can land on. There's DK spaces, which make Donkey Kong appear, and give you coins if you land on him; coin spaces that allow you to get a few extra coins, and Versus spaces. The Versus spaces are of course the most fun, because they give you access to the minigames. There are also powerups like candy, which can be simply beneficial to you, or detrimental to your opponents, or both.

So what could be wrong with that? People like board games, so what issue would they have with a video board game? Well, my issue is what it always has been with Mario Party games, and that is the sheer randomness. Some board games are based on skill, but a great number of them are based on luck of the draw, spin of the wheel, or throw of the dice. Mario Party is just like that. There have been many times that I have won every single versus event, yet I've lost the board. Why? Because my opponent pulled out a powerup at the last second, or got the best ones throughout the game, and I lost.

There is also an issue of presentation. Every game is hosted by an annoying announcer who talks, and talks, and talks. Well, he talks through text. Almost every single move on the board is announced by him, and you can't skip through his prattling. It breaks up the flow of the game. If you're playing a board game in real life, and one of your opponents is running their mouths too much, you at least have the option to give them subtle clues, like yelling "Just throw the damn dice," or smacking them upside the head. So just when you're really having fun, the game is broken up. This makes getting through boards a slow going experience, and sometimes even painful.

Now on to what everyone cares about, the minigames. They are fun, and they are varied. You can hunt for ghosts in Luigi's Mansion, race up a tree using chimps, draw, row boats, and twirl lassos. The minigames are fun indeed, if you can except the fact that a number of them have been ripped from other party games, even Mario Party games. The good thing is that you can choose to skip on the boards entirely, and just play the minigames you've encountered thus far. Of course, this requires playing through boards first.

There are other unlockables and some extra "modes." There's actually six minigames that you can use the Mii that you created in. Unfortunately, these games are pretty lackluster, but it's still something to build on, and hopefully Nintendo will for the next outing. There are also two unlockable characters, and the usual array of generally pointless unlockables.

Let's get down to control. The good news is that the control isn't as disastrous as it was for Super Monkey Ball, meaning that they won't be quite as frustrating. Granted, the Wii remote's innovative features are used less than you might expect. As for the boards, there's not that much to control. You thrust the remote to hit the block that determines the spaces you move, and that's about it.

Now's the time to really rip on the game, and Nintendo in general. I believe I'm repeating myself from my Super Paper Mario review, but apparently I haven't hammered it home enough. The Wii still continues to put out games with mediocre graphics. To be frank, most of their games could've been pulled off on the Gamecube. Now I'm not as much of a stickler for graphics as I am for sheer fun, but Mario Party 8 doesn't even try. At least with Super Paper Mario, I could say that there was imagination mixed with the visuals, but here I just can't say the same thing. Nintendo needs to get its act together, and use the power that we all know the Wii is hiding deep down.

The sound...oh the sound. In the interest of brevity, let's just say there's nothing surprising here; same old Mario music, same old Mario sounds, and move on.

Here's the deal: I've really ripped on this game, but that's just because they had me on the edge of true fun, but just didn't give me that extra shove over. You'll find yourself having the most fun playing with friends. It is a good time killer, and the sheer competition will keep you into it. However, I cannot recommend this game at its current fifty dollar price tag. Wait for the price drop, then pick this up.