Mario Party 8 Reviews

• A Mediocre Party

  
  By A29BQ6B90Y1R5F on 2007-06-01
  Ever since Mario Party debuted on the Nintendo 64, we've been receiving a new game in the series on a yearly basis. The last few Mario Party games have all been tiring. Almost rehashes. However, with the Wii, Mario Party has a chance to be a lot of fun again thanks to the Wii-Remote. Unfortunately, it isn't all its cracked up to be. The Wii-Remote controls work, but they feel like a last minute tack on, and ultimately some of the mini-games just aren't all that fun. Finally, there are other video games chock full of mini-games that make much better use of the Wii-Remote than Mario Party 8.
  
  The formula for Mario Party really hasn't changed at all over the years. You and your friends (or the computer) will roll the die, move around the board at the end of each round of rolls you'll be thrown into a mini-game.
  
  The mini-games are pretty short. Most of them being around 30 seconds long. Some of them are quite fun and make good use of the wii remote, such as the game where you have to shake up a soda can, or wipe off the chomp. However, there are not a lot of these kinds of mini-games. Most other mini-games don't make as big of an impression with the wii-remote, as most of them consist of you holding the wii remote like a basic gamepad and then tilting it left or right. Take for example, the game where you race on water skis. You don't actually do anything outside of tilting the wii remote left and right to jump ramps. It is in moments like these where the wii remote controls just feel tacked on. And unfortunately, this comes up in quite a few mini games. There are also a lot of mini games that simply have you tilting the Wii-Remote forward and backward. Again, the controls feel tacked on in instances like this.
  
  The biggest slap in the face, however, is that there are a myriad of mini-games that don't use the wii-remotes motion sensor controls at all and you'll hold it like a gamepad, and play with it like it's a gamepad using the D-Pad to move your character and all. It's also to no credit that these games aren't really all that fun.
  
  To the game's credit, though, when they do make good use of the wii-remote and its motion sensor controls, they really do a bang up job. Such as the mini-game where everyone shoots at the screen while one person dodges. It's just unfortunate that there aren't a lot of mini-games that do so, and instead make you either play the traditional way or just simply tilt the wii remote. There are some fun games here, but the game is populated by more games that really aren't a lot of fun.
  
  As usual, Mario Party games are no fun by yourself. They need to be played with friends and family. Like previous installments, multi-player can be a lot of fun--provided you get a good mini-game. Some of the games are free-for-all but there are also some games where you'll be by yourself against three players, or working together with one other player. Mostly, though, they're free for alls, and playing with a friend is nice just so that you can see who's better. Multi-player has always been a strong aspect of Mario Party and it's no different in number 8. However, much like previous installments, the game is entirely left up to chance. One moment you're in first place, and after the very next roll you're in last. It's annoying sometimes because you really don't have any control. It's all a game based on luck. This is both a good and bad thing. Good because it makes the outcome unpredictable, and once more anyone can play this without any prior experience. It's bad, however, because for some who like to add a little strategy to their gaming, you just can't do it here.
  
  Perhaps the biggest problem facing Mario Party 8 is that it doesn't really present a whole lot of new stuff that wasn't in Mario Party 7. With the game making use of the Wii-Remote, one would expect the experience to be quite different. Instead it's more of the same thing. Especially because there are other games on the Wii that are filled with mini-games that make far better use of the remote (Rayman Raving Rabbids comes to mind). In Mario Party 8 the wii remote controls either feel tacked on or you don't really use them. It's also hard to get past the fact that the mini-games aren't very inventive because of this. Certainly water-skiing is fun, but when you're just tilting left and right throughout the whole thing? You might as well have just put this on the Gamecube and let me tilt the analog stick left and right.
  
  Graphically, it's no surprise that Mario Party 8 isn't the best looking game out there. Mario Party games usually aren't. At least it runs smoothly. There's no slow down or frame rate issues. It really doesn't look any different than any of the Mario Party games on the Gamecube however, and those who have a widescreen television will be disappointed to know that the game won't take up the whole screen, and instead will give you a boarder. Luckily, graphics don't make the game. Mario Party doesn't look bad, it just looks dated.
  
  Mario Party 8 had so much potential. If they'd done more intuitive things with the Wii Remote, this may have been worth a buy. There are other mini-game collections out there that utilize the wii remote much better than this. There will be plenty of gamers out there that will be able to get past the big flaws and just have fun with it, but if you're one who's been playing Mario Party since the beginning, you can't help but admit a change is in order. Unfortunately Mario Party 8 doesn't do much for you.
  
  Pros:
  
  +When the Wii Controls are good, the games are actually quite fun
  +Simplistic gameplay; anyone could pick this up and play it with no problems
  +There are over 60 mini-games to play
  
  Cons:
  
  -There are far too many mini-games where the wii controls feel tacked on, and these games are pretty boring to play
  -There are far too many mini-games that don't make use of the motion sensor controls at all
  -There are not a lot of very inventive mini-games
  -In short, the game doesn't do much to stand out above previous Mario Party installments. You'd think with the Wii Remote, Mario Party 8 would be something new to experience, but instead it ends up not being that much of a step higher than Mario Party 7
  
  

• Party Central

  
  By A3W4D8XOGLWUN5 on 2007-05-29
  This past year, the Nintendo Wii has really delivered in making a promise of delivering gameplay that is fun and addictive as the game system delivered. That has been the case with great games that really showed it like Excite Truck and the dramatic The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess. With all that said about great games, mini-game excitement has also delivered too with the return of the Mario Party series. It has been almost 2 years since the franchise had its last game on the Nintendo Gamecube, and worked like a charm by being innovative and fun for all ages. Now, it has finally made its way onto the Wii, but is it worth the wait.
  
  Mario Party 8 for the Nintendo Wii is a wild and addictive game that brings out a simplicity for gamers young and old alike, as you unlock and play over 70 minigames that are easy and fun to play. There are also a few new additions here too, as you can also unlock players including Blooper, the sea squid from the Super Mario Brothers games, and Hammer Brothers, which recently returned in a great set of guest cameos in Super Mario Strikers and Mario Superstar Baseball. The graphics are delightful but the gameplay is definitely what brings the game to its success, as you use the Wii remote to play in games like waving a magic wand and using an energy ball to strike Bowser in a one on one showdown, punching a statue to smitherines with a boxing glove, or using it you are shaking a soda can and creating a gusher in one of the duel minigames. You can also use your Mii characters that you've created from games like Wii Sports and have them play in the Star Carnival and play games like ping pong. The graphics are delightful and the sound carries well throughout each of the boards, but the gameplay really does deliver for new Wii owners as well as die hard Mario fans alike.
  
  All in all, Mario Party 8 is a delightful game that welcomes the party franchise Wii owners well. I loved what the series brought out for so many years, and I know that this edition does a great job as well. Considering there are so many great games coming out for the Nintendo Wii like Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree, this one is definitely a wonderful addition to your Wii library.
  
  Graphics: B+
  
  Sound: B
  
  Control: B+
  
  Fun & Enjoyment: B+ for solo players; A- for Multiplayer Action
  
  Overall: B+
  
  

• Really bad party

  
  By ACUOXOSWMTL21 on 2007-06-01
  NOT WIDESCREEN! I've played every Mario Party. I've enjoyed them up until about 5. That's when they started making big mistakes. This is the worst Mario Party yet. I'll explain why.
  
  First, and most obvious, is the HDTV problem. This game is not in 16:9 widescreen at all. It fools you at first. The first screen and the menu is in full wide screen but the actual game and the mini-games are all in 4:3 format with horrible patterned borders on each side. A very cheap and annoying ploy by Nintendo. The graphics look great, but then when you start playing, it looks worse than Gamecube.
  
  TIP: Change your settings to 4:3 instead of 16:9 on a widescreen TV. Then just change your aspect ratio. This will give you the same game but without the annoying bars. You can still have it in 480p, it just won't be 16:9.
  
  Next is the controls. They are very far from imaginative. It's basically simplified WarioWare. You do very simple tasks to complete a mini-game and most of them are boring and dumb. Some games require movements with the remote that just don't work most of the time. You'll find yourself failing right away most of the time just because of the controls.
  
  Now we have the game boards. They are completely different this time. It's basically a race to see who can roll the biggest numbers. They give coins away like crazy so winning mini-games is almost worthless. I finished one game against the computer on easy and we all had 5 stars. Dumb. I won all the mini-games, yet the computer always had over 50 coins. Most of the boards are stupid and cheap and will just make you mad.
  
  Then we have single player mode. This is way different from party mode but you have to play it to unlock some stuff. The only problem, it's unfair. You play against the computer and they constantly get perfect rolls, tons of money, and tons of candy. I have yet to win the first match after 3 attempts.
  
  The game is unfair, barely fun, annoying, and has tons wrong with it. I was really close to just getting it from gamefly but I love Mario Party so I bought it. If you really want to play it, put it on your list. It's not worth the money in the same way Cooking Mama isn't. For the most part, it doesn't even seem finished.
  
  If you liked Mario Party 6 or 7, you'll feel let down by this one. I feel ripped off with this game.
  
  

• Good clean fun for parents and kids

  
  By A23OYBYI05WLNF on 2007-06-12
  My 6-year-old daughter wanted this game and saved her allowance and birthday money to buy it. She and I have had the best time playing this. I am not an avid gamer so it is just the right speed for she and I. There are some games that are so funny that she is laughing so hard while playing. She asks me all day long if I will play MP8 with her. My 11-year-old will butt in and play with us as well.
  
  We've only had it about a week and have opened up about 98% of the mini games but are still having a blast with it.
  
  I've seen some complaints about the computer always rolling 10s and getting the good prizes and squares but I have not noticed this. I find the game play to be pretty competitive. We have beat the computer characters many times and there have been times where it is neck in neck and pretty exciting right to the very end.
  
  I've even played this by myself while the kids were at school one day! Loads of fun.
  
  

• Another hit in a great series

  
  By AHCVWPLA1O4X8 on 2007-05-31
  This is the 8th installment in the Mario Party series from Nintendo. Like its predecessors, Mario Party 8 features tons of mini-games (some new, some variations on older games) and a board-game style competition for anywhere from 1 to 4 players.
  
  Audience: This game truly has the potential to be one of the select few that is fun for nearly everyone. Gamers and non-gamers alike, of all ages, will find the mini-games very entertaining and the competitive boards a lot of fun! I should also note that the "audience" here is really a multi-player audience--it's much more fun to play with other people than against a computer player.
  
  Graphics: 'Cartoony,' typical Wii graphics. The graphics are actually quite beautiful, though obviously not realistic. Very pleasing to the eye though.
  
  Gameplay: Gameplay is simple and easy to get the hang of. You choose a board, everyone picks a character, and then the fun begins. Like previous Mario Party games the object is to complete some objective on each board (stars or coins or whatever) while competing in various mini-games and activities along the way.
  
  Control: Even non-gamers will find the mini-games pretty easy to get the hang of. The Wii remote is put to good use here--as a lasso, a flashlight, a hammer or mallet, and many other things!
  
  Challenge: The challenge from this game comes mostly in the form of competition from the people you're playing against. It is what you make it, I guess. There is a single-player competitive mode as well, though I haven't gone far enough in it to know if it becomes more difficult as it progresses.
  
  Storyline: Well, there really isn't one. It's just a...well, a party. Hence the title. You do earn carnival cards and can use them to unlock new games and to buy floats for a parade. Not much more to it than that.
  
  Overall: This is a great first Mario Party installment for the Wii. It manages to capitalize on all the Wii's strengths--the unique controllers, the cartoon-like graphics--and should be great fun for quite some time (until Mario Party 9). And unlike some of the Wii release titles this game seems very polished.
  
  
• Just Flat Out Disapointing
  By AMPCEPYM5RERK on 2007-06-02
  I've been playing these Mario Party games since Mario Party 5 came out for the Gamecube, and I've been hooked ever since. I had so much anticipation built up for this game, but it turned out that I'll probably be trading this game in for something else after just buying it and playing a whole night of it with my friends.
  
  In past Mario Party games, there were all kinds of things that made playing the board aspect of the game enjoyable. Mario Party 8 fails in this area. The board is just flat out boring, and nothing really crazy happens as opposed to the previous Mario Party games. There are no spaces where rival players can take over and use them to take away your coins or stars or something like that.
  
  Duel games don't carry their same appeal as they did in previous games. I used to be terrified of them because there was more at stake. Now the highest stakes are losing about 20 coins or so. If you're a veteran Mario Party gamer like myself, you know this isn't a big deal, and hence forth, that aspect of the game is pretty much gone.
  
  The mini games aren't very fun either. Sure, there are lots of them. However, like previous reviewers have stated, they don't really take advantage of the Wii. Over half of the games require you to play your Wii remote like an average game pad. That was disappointing. The games where you actually use the Wii remote are just okay. I still think that Nintendo could have done a better job with these as well.
  
  There are a few new faces in the game, which is nice to see. Graphics are decent, but not impressive. Of course, you don't play these games for the graphics either. Plus, this game does feel like a Gamecube port, and feels a little rushed, too.
  
  I just think they could have done so much more with this game, and they didn't. After I was done playing this game with my buddies for about 4 hours straight, I felt just flat out disappointed. I've had way more fun with previous versions of Mario Party, and ask anyone who hasn't given this franchise a shot, you should probably give one of the earlier versions a try. Honestly, this is the worst Mario Party game I've played.
  
  
• Not worth anyones time
  By A32M15RZXWZ5GS on 2007-06-06
  This game isn't even worth anyones time or money. I excitedly waited for this game for my birthday to only find out I can unlock the games within 3 hours of gameplay and that most of the games did not utilize the wii remote sensory and advises people to use it as a simple joystick. Also, most of the games and stages are ripoff's of previous mario party games. Even worst is that the computers in the game roll straight 10's or they land on event buttons time after time, even on easy. The fun and challenges once present in mario party is completely lost in this game, especially in the once terrifying duel battles, which doesn't challenge the player nor is anything lost in the end that you couldn't get back within 2 or 3 turns. Buy this game if you want something you can beat a 3 hours and torture your friends with, otherwise don't waste your time. Theirs much better games to play out there.
  
  
• Last generation holdover?
  By A1WJJ89FI6IFHH on 2007-06-02
  This game seems like it was destined for the Gamecube, and Nintendo just held it over for the Wii. There is the ever present annoying dialogue text that you have to scroll through, unimpressive graphics, and mini-games that do not take advantage of the Wii remote at all. Most of the minigames use the remote as a normal controller using the direction pad and buttons. Those that don't aren't much fun either. The board game aspect of the game slows down the gameplay without adding anything. I was bored of this game within 30 seconds, and it never really got better. I gave up an hour and a half in after failing to find one mini-game that was really any fun.
  
  If you want a fun party game, pick up Warioware Smooth Moves. The games are fast, furious, and off-the-wall insane. Plus you don't have to suffer through a boring board game framework to actually get to the mini-games.
  
  Maybe this would be fun for very young children, but I'm sure there are other games for them that would be more fun anyway, including Smooth Moves.
  
  Very disappointing. I hadn't played previous Mario Partys, so maybe this is par for the series, but I thought with the creative use of the Wii remote that Smooth Moves used, this would be much the same, instead it the remote seems to be an after thought.
  
  
• IF YOU WANT TO PLAY YOUR Wii WITH YOUR FRIENDS YOU NEED TO GET THIS GAME!!!
  By AIP0UYUPK5MU6 on 2007-09-04
  Nintendo has done a great job with the Wii. The only problem is that most of the games for it only allow one to two players at any given time, so Nintendo comes out with MARIO PARTY 8! this game is a 4 out of 5 stars in one player mode, but when you get three or four people playing, it ROCKS!!!! this is a SPECTACULAR game to play with your friends. It will entertain you and your guests for hours! The Wii remote is the key to this games great multiplayer action. you can enjoy different kinds of gameplay like 1 on 3, 2 on 2, or every man for himself. each type of gameplay has games that are unique it. Like one of the 1 on 3 games is, one person shoots snowballs at the other three, and another is the three trying to stop the one from making it it the top of a tower. So, in summery, THIS IS AN AWESOME GAME TO PLAY WITH FRIENDS!!!!!!!
  
  
• Waited months for it and not that impressed
  By A1W70ZUQFOOPWQ on 2007-06-03
  My wife and I got our Wii in December. Since then, we have enjoyed Wii Sports immensely and have even enjoyed Wii Play to some extent. Mario Party 8 was supposed to be the next great game. I have to say it wasn't that great. Here's my review:
  
  1. As most of the reviewers have already mentioned, the lack of support for widescreen is disappointing and if you have a TV that is prone to burn-in, it will be a problem. Luckily we have a LCD TV that we play the Wii on, so it's not really a concern for us. D+
  2. The minigames are too simple and do not take full advantage of the Wiimote. Motion is too simplistic and a lot of the games do not really use motion-sensing. C-
  3. The Extra Large minigames are a little better, but bowling is horrible compared to Wii Sports. The table tennis game is a big improvement over Wii Play though. Moped Racing is about the same as Cow Racing in Wii Play, so not much improvement there. B-
  4. The fact that you have to unlock all the minigames playing the board game is very annoying. For one, the board game is too easy to win at if you play against the computer. I need to crank up the difficulty level the next time - I blew through the monopoly-esque board game in 10 minutes and only opened up three minigames. It seemed like a waste of time. C-
  
  There are some good things about this game:
  1. It is a great party game if the people playing are not that adept at gaming. I'm by no means a hard-core gamer - my wife and I grew up with Galaga and Ms. Pac-Man and still enjoy playing them. We spend maybe three hours a week on the Wii, so this system is defintely geared towards people like us. B+
  2. My wife likes the game a lot because the games do not require hours to master - she can pick up the Wiimote and practice a couple of times and be competitive. B+
  3. Once you unlock the minigames, you can play them in several different ways. You can play them individually or in a game-show mode. The only problem is if you have more than two people, there are only a select number of games that four people can play. B+
  
  All-in-all, this game is just OK. I expected the minigames to be more like those on Rayman. I would only recommend this game to those that have friends over a lot or those with kids. Hopefully Nintendo will continue to work with the motion-sensing capabilities of the Wiimote and produce a better product in Mario Party 9.
  
  
• LAME , LAME, MARIO GAME
  By A3UT67UYL6PK2Z on 2007-06-06
  I thought that this would have something fun built in...it is a bunch of mini-games with limited imagination and a board game to play on the Wii. This is for kids 3-10 years of age (at best) Nintendo usually delivers better games...please rent this game before purchase and save yourself some buyers remorse. At least Mario Galaxy will be coming out in the some what near future (which will set the new standard)
  
  
• Good but certainly not up to Raman or some other titles
  By A3GPWAE297RB4D on 2007-07-28
  The kids like it a lot. I like it a little. Why the difference in opinion?
  
  Well I bought the Wii so the kids could get movement and engagement when in the house not just to play arcade games. (could have got a PSP for that).
  
  So this game is so arcad-ish and a bit basic and un-advanced that I do not enjoy playing.
  
  Also each implementation of mini-games (where activity is required-- moving around the board game does not require activity) is done better in another game. For bowling in Party 8, the Wii Sports package is so much more accomplished; For the shaking of soda cans, Raman's run across the beach is so much more fun (even my kids agree on this one).
  
  Also the graphics are sophomoric when compared to other Wii offerings. This game feels more like a port over to Wii than a game built from the ground up to leverage the Wii strengths.
  
  I would not buy again if the disc was scratched or buy as a gift for someone else.
  
  (I am though excited about what Super Mario Strike will offer).
  
  
• just got it, still getting the hang of it
  By on 2007-05-31
  i just got the game last night, as far as i can see the game is pretty good, not as bad as they say it is, the graphics are pretty good, i like the new camera angle as it follows your character closely, some of the mini games might seem like you have played them before in other wii titles, but i have yet to have a game where all four players can play at the same time and not having to share a wiimote (i.e. smooth moves multiplayer) i have yet to try the single player mode though i imagine is as good if not better than the one on mp7. i'm glad they added a single player mode since sometimes you don't have a full house, or you're the first one up on a saturday morning and there is no one awake to join you. i agree with most people that online would have been an awesome thing to add, but making it playable online now, when nintendo hasn't really gotten their online system up and running to its full potential, would just bring up more and more complaints. all in all in the little time i have had to play it (about 2 hrs) i am happy with my purchase. i don't feel robbed, its a great addition to the wii library.
  
  
  
• Mario's Wii Party fails to Entertain
  By ASPDJ9EKEBH0N on 2007-05-31
  Mario Party 8 is essentially a collection of (mediocre at best) mini games designed for the Nintendo Wii and the Motion Sensing Wii-Remote. What makes Mario Party unique is that it takes the form of a traditional board game, with players taking turns to roll the dice block and move ahead the number of spaces shown. The virtual game board has many different types of spaces players can land on, each producing different effects. The primary objective of the game is to collect more stars than the other players. The winner of the game is the player with the most stars after all the turns have been completed.
  
  As with most other party games, Mario Party 8 is best played with multiple, preferably four friends. However, the game can also be played alone or with less then four people, in this case the computer takes over for any absent player.
  
  Unfortunately, the game is not very engaging, making only limited use of the Wii-mote and moves painfully slow. This becomes a real big issue when playing the game as a single Player. In this situation the player is forced to sit and watch until all three computer controlled characters finish taking their turn. Overall, the game relays heavily on luck, which becomes frustrating especially when playing against the computer. Adding these shortcomings to the mediocre and often boring mini games makes Mario Party 8 a very unattractive game.
  
  
• Totally Fun!! Totally a Party!!
  By A3F3OZ1S2C3Y3Z on 2007-05-31
  I've played Mario Party since the very first one came out on the N64. And though the games have always been similar to each other, they always have been fun to play with a party!! MP8 is no different!! The minigames are fun, the added Wii Remote play is a blast, and you can use your Mii's on several of the minigames!! If you are looking for a GREAT multiplayer game, look no further!!
  
  
• Best Mario Party Game Yet
  By AG3EK1W7AEJMA on 2007-06-08
  I know this game is receiving bad reviews on some video gaming sites.. Don't listen to those folks. Listen to real gamers like me. I own every game in the series and Mario Party 8 is by far the best. The motion controls make the game. You don't have to get dents in your thumbs from mashing buttons. (Some games do use buttons but not to the extent where you will actually feel pain). The mini games are fun and the controls are excellent. This is the first Mario party game where I enjoy the majority of the boards. The best board is the koopa tycoon board where you put coins into hotels to gain posession of the hotels which also gives you stars. This board requires a little more strategy than most and it's a blast to play. There are two new playable characters in the game.(Blooper and hammer brother)The single player is deep and enjoyable. Multiplayer is the heart of the game. You don't have to play the main game to enjoy multiplayer. You can play loads of multiplayer minigames. This game is a must own for wii owners.
  
  
• Good game!
  By A2KPQ7GGCPJYV4 on 2007-06-01
  It's about having fun right? Well if you live by that concept, you'll have NO PROBLEM enjoying this game. The creators have managed to design a game where anyone can pick it up and win, even if other players have used it for hours. I have only played a few Mario Party 8 titles before and I can honestly say this is the best one because of the Wiimote capabilities. There are a FEW (scarce) times where the Wiimote's motion sensing was a little off but nothing to annoy you too much. A must-have for any Wii user who has friends (don't we all?).
  
  
• Mario Party 8 Great for Kids & Parents to play together
  By A28NQ1LQO11SIV on 2007-06-10
  If traditional board games aren't bringing you and the kids together anymore, Mario Party 8 ought to do it. A four-player game can take a while to finish, but having a Wiimote for each person will help to keep things moving. One gameplay feature our preteen kids like that you can practice each minigame before you play "for real." Fun enough for adults and not overly challenging for younger kids, MP8 is a winner for families.
  
  
• missing the point
  By AHBSQ7IJFUBOL on 2007-06-17
  [...] Mario Party is really more of a child-aimed game. My two neices love playing this game and when I play with them, I have a good time myself. For kids, the game is fantastic and entertaining, as was every Mario Party before this one. Sometimes, the CPU does seem to get the perfect number on the rolls and the best candy (like the lightning that takes away half your coins -- it seems the CPU is constantly getting that candy and we have never gotten it yet), but we've always managed to win anyway. The game is certainly not difficult, nor are the controls if you read the instructions correctly and practice it once or twice. No, the minigames aren't extremely creative and I would have expected more out of them because Nintendo has the amazing tool of the Wii to work with, but they're cute and fun. They're enough to satisfy an eleven year-old and an eight year-old for hours and that's good enough for me. The game wasn't designed to entertain 18 year-olds, so if you're looking to buy this for kids (or if you're a kid at heart), then I say go for it.
  
  
• The Party is Not Here...
  By A26G8RQWIDVTH5 on 2007-08-23
  I was really looking for a game that was going to be fun and exciting for not only young players but older ones as well. This was not that game. This game can quickly become boring and un-interesting for the older player, and is quite confusing for younger players. After playing Wii Sports, this game fails to impress.
  
  
• Great game
  By A336YWSCN4XDKD on 2007-10-10
  My grandkids (ages 4-8) always want to play this when they come over. It is hard to get them away from it for dinner. They play with their 26 year old uncle and can even beat him sometimes. The game seems to create an even playing field for all ages once they learn what to do. They don't sit down the entire time that they are playing and cheer each other on.
  
  
• Who knew?!?
  By AGMQ0XEMBL9OQ on 2007-10-20
  I bought this game mainly for my nieces (ages 8 and 5) to have something to play on the Wii. They always want to play the Wii, but the games that I have (Zelda, Madden 2008) are too grown up and complex for them to play. Mario Party 8 is perfect for them. There are dozens of games to choose from, hours of game play, and the controls are simple enough for them to understand yet fun enough for all to enjoy. And who knew that we adults would have just as much fun playing this game as the kids do! The Wii-mote controls are fun and innovative and keep even the simplest games interesting. Don't get me wrong, this game isn't just for smaller kids, it's for kids of all ages!
  
  
• Lame Game
  By AICI5YGCLDH10 on 2008-02-17
  I love mini-games. I love casual games. I love multi-player games. I love Mario games. I hate Mario Party 8.
  The game was so lame I tried to take it back to the store for a refund. The controls are sluggish and there is hardly anything to the game. Instead of getting this, get Super Monkeyball (with it's large collection of mini-games, some good and many lame), or Big Brain Academy (all good), or something else, anything else.
  This game moves so slow, that my son wanted me to make the game start, while we were towards the end of playing a game.
  
  
• Best game for our four-year-old
  By A2SD1Z4OROY538 on 2008-05-16
  This is the first Wii game we've gotten that really engaged our 4-year-old boy. Ultimately up to now he could care less about our other Wii titles such as Cars, Carnival Games, and Playground Games.
  
  Our boy loves that he can play a lot of this out of the box. He can choose his character and move him around the board. Because the game leverages the Wii controller quite well he can get into the mini-games. The best feature is that you can practice each mini-game as much as you want, which is good because some of them take a few tries. The variety of games alone satisfies our short attention span family quite well. There is a train map that just hooked him big-time, so if you have a boy between the ages of 3-8 it will likely hook your boy too.
  
  The professional reviewers have to be taken with a grain of salt. The comic-book-guy reviewers with lame beards and questionable hygiene are not going to like a game that a 4-year-old does. One reviewer noted that much of the game is left to chance instead of skill. This is actually a big plus for parents with small kids. I am hyper-competitive so it's not my first instinct to let the kid (or Wookie) win. But with this game my little boy came in second place on his own, so between the game itself and the adjustable difficulty levels, my kid can kick my butt at a much younger age, which keeps me in check!
  
  
• Fun, but somewhat repetitive.
  By A3FLZ71KP1QOLD on 2007-05-31
  I know using the Wii controller would mean aiming the top towards the screen and shooting with the A button, but doing that minigame after minigame is a little exhausting.. and some times going through each round seems like it takes a long time.
  The game is competitive and fun. My children love it!
  
  
• Get Mario Party 7
  By A1MNRLZJT1SVJK on 2007-06-01
  This is a nice game, but Nintendo cut far too many corners and added nothing new. You are not likely to get any minigames on the boards, which themselves are short and uninspired. The graphics are, if anything, a step back from the last Mario Party, and the minigames themselves are derivative and sometimes just plain boring.
  
  That being said, this isn't a BAD game, especially if you have small kids. I just think they, and you, would enjoy Mario Party 7 just as mucha nd pay about half the price.
  
  
• Better than expected, especially in 1 player mode
  By A3LW719EUK6L0V on 2007-06-10
  Quite frankly, I don't have too many friends who are willing to play video games like this. Madden maybe but not Mario Party. So it's essential that the 1 player experience is half decent. My previous Mario Party experience is limited but from what I remember, it was not good as a 1 player game. I kind of expected another less than stellar 1 player game experience but I was surprised.
  
  It didn't take much. But the novelty of motion sensing control in the minigames (though not all minigames) keeps the game fresh. Also, there seems to be a little more strategy involved in gathering the stars. For instance, there is this one game board, where you get stars by buying hotels. But the twist is that even if one player initially buys the hotel, you can steal the property away if you pay more than the current owner of the hotel. But there's more. For each hotel, it keeps track of all the deposits at the hotel and the number of stars go up as the # of coins in the hotel go up. (I am not doing a good job explaining it, but those who played this level know what I am talking about.) Anyway, this type of gameplay really makes you think and plan out your strategy.
  
  Also, you can unlock wii sports like games within the game like Ping Pong, which I thought was cool.
  
  Bottom line: After Zelda and Super Paper Mario, Mario Party 8 for Wii may have the most entertainment value. In my view, it's head and shoulders above WarioWare Smooth Moves.
  
  
• Drawn out game board play
  By A1JOYUPA2SQWWF on 2007-06-11
  I thought this game did not deliver, we ended up selling it back to the local video game store. The board game play was long and drawn out, the mini games were OK - but did not really take full advantage of the Wii's controllers. Also the computer characters always won, even when we tried to disable them with a handi-cap, they always got extra bonuses at the end and ended up winning.
  
  
• Fun with a minor inconvenience
  By A2W437VMA8PMR on 2007-06-18
  I just got this game with a bunch of others for the Wii, and it was my immediate favorite.
  
  
  
  It's a really cool game with lots of minigames and multiplayer fun. The only inconvenience I find is that if you are playing solo, the turns get very repetitive and the effects take lots of game play time, dalaying action a little bit, but overall you should get this game, especially if you play with others.
  
  
• Some new, mostly old
  By A2QQHIY23PL7H3 on 2007-06-22
  I tried this out at a friend's house recently. Mario Party 8 basically boils down to the same Mario Party you've been attending since the N64 days, only now we've got some wii-specific motion controls. While these are entertaining, they're nothing so special that can't be found in other wii games. Tilt controller, swing controller, turn controller, etc. And with Wario Ware and Rayman: Raving Rabbids on the block, there's more than one quality party game to choose from now.
  
  Unless you absolutely need a Mario Party game -now-, I'd suggest waiting a bit to see if the eventual Mario Party 9 offers more innovations. In the meantime, there's plenty of other wii games to choose from.
  
  

• Mario Party 8: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides)
• Electronic Gaming Monthly
• Play
• Tips & Tricks Magazine

• Wii Nunchuk Controller
• Wii Remote Controller
• Super Mario Galaxy
• Wii Play with Wii Remote
• Wii Charge Station