Metareview: Mario Party 8
by David Hinkle 
{ May 30th 2007 at 2:00PM }
Guess we were wrong?
- GamePro (90/100) finds fun in the multiplayer: "Played alone, against the computer, the game is barely worth popping out of its case. But, having even one other human opponent ups the fun exponentially--you just can't get the same satisfaction out of trash talking against a faceless computerized enemy."
- GameTrailers (83/100) says it's intuitive: "The level of customization and personalization available in Mario Party 8 and the intuitive fun of the Wiimote make it the quintessential party accessory of 2007. What few control weaknesses are present are overshadowed by the inane fun and competition, a host of unlockables, and addictive mini-games."
- Yahoo! Games (80/100) says it's the same old thing, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing: "Let's be honest, who looks to party games for stunning originality, cutting-edge presentation, and engrossing single-player modes? It's Mario. He parties. So will you."
- GameSpot (65/100) finds the chance aspects of the game to be a downer: "There are some good minigames in Mario Party 8, but the overly familiar, chance-heavy board game wrapper gets in their way."
- 1UP (55/100) finds it disappointing, but still fun: "A really disappointing (but, as mentioned at the start of this review, inevitably still entertaining) Wii debut for the series. Perhaps the next game will truly take advantage of the Wii controls through and through."
- IGN (52/100) thinks the Wiimote doesn't get the attention it deserves: "All of our complaints about previous games – the slow pace, the lackluster single-player affair, the loose attention to detail – all remain and with Mario Party 8 we can add another criticism: ignorance of the Wii remote."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Grog @ May 30th 2007 2:05PM
I'm not sure it is fair to even talk about the single-player aspect of a game like this. To my mind, it's just an extra bit of fluff that no one in their right mind would ever use.
natef @ May 30th 2007 2:12PM
sounds like another GC port with tacked on waggle controls. Yeah!
AJ Vaynerchuk @ May 30th 2007 2:54PM
This game is a let down. It is fun and all, but it seemed like it was forced. The wiimote wasn't utilized enough either.
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Taz @ May 30th 2007 3:21PM
I just picked this game up during lunch.
I am sure I'll have with this game!
Can't wait to get off of work!!
cjjtahoe @ May 30th 2007 3:28PM
Am I surprised that IGN has the lowest score?
Mr Khan @ May 30th 2007 3:40PM
IGN is usually nicer to Nintendo, and to titles in general
It's just wierd looking at Wii reviews, it just seems like some reviewers seem to love motion controlled games, and give them over-inflated scores, while others seem to be biased, automatically assuming gimmick and knocking off 20 pts
I can't wait until this bias in both directions goes away
Alvin @ May 30th 2007 4:12PM
well, i havent actually played the previous mario parties because i didnt own a Gamecube.
I only played the ones on the N64, and i really like those.
so, is this good for me??? because everyone says that its just like the GC ones, which i havent played...
i think this game looks good, idk why people are giving bad reviews.
drobati @ Jun 12th 2007 3:39PM
IGN needs to shut there fucking mouth.
JonnyBoy2U @ May 30th 2007 5:07PM
IGN takes a shit on another Wii game...what else is new? IGN is so biased against Nintendo its laughable. And yeah I know these reviewers are supposedly huge Nintendo fans who have followed Nintendo forever and follow all news related to the company. But that still doesn't mean they are even remotely fair when it comes to their reviews. Its more of the same old same old with IGN.
I got the game is fun as hell with other people. I completely agree that the single player really is not required and more of a task than an exciting part of the game.
jasenj1 @ May 30th 2007 10:33PM
I picked it up this afternoon and played for an hour or two with my 3 year old daughter.
It's like previous games: Doesn't matter to me, I've never played any of the others. And I bet N's target audience is not folks who've memorized all the mini games of the past seven games. The same criticism was made of SSX Blur; again, the Wii is my first go-round with a snow-boarding game so it doesn't matter.
Lots of text: This complaint I agree with. If you're playing with young children who can't read then all the text makes the game annoying. There ought to be a voice over and/or a way to skip over all the text for those who are familiar with the mini-games.
Slow pace: Agreed. There is a LOT of watching animations, and not a lot of PLAYING in this game. That may work out when you're in a party and everyone is talking smack, laughing, etc. But it just seems to drag a bit to me.
I think this will be a good game for CASUAL gamers. People who don't care about it being GC level graphics because they've never seen a GC. People who will be impressed by all the little animations. In short, a good game for family reunions or other things where you want non-gamers to get in on the action, but I can't imagine it having much play/replay value for "serious" gamers.
At least that's my thoughts after just a couple hours with it.
- Jasen.
Tom @ May 31st 2007 6:17AM
Ahh yes another crappy Mario Party game gets the low scores it deserves. What you are seeing here is not the result of bias; it is the result of actually having good taste in games and being able to tell the difference.
Valien @ May 31st 2007 9:43AM
I have MP6 and 7 for the GC and both are played heavily when we have friends and family over. I'm not expecting 8 to be a huge leap but should still be a lot of fun. It's a casual game that is easy to learn and appeals to multiple people. I'm looking forward to playing 8 sans wires :)
drobati @ Jun 12th 2007 3:40PM
I retract that statement.
Got the game, it blows.