Reviewed by: ncodedcode on 11-Sep-07 Rating:

Strengths:Easy to learn, great for all ages, hours of fun!

Weaknesses:Have to unlock all the mini-games before they can be played by themselves

Summary:If you haven\'t played any of the Mario Party games then this is a must buy! Me and my friends had never played any of the old Mario Party games and this game got us addicted! It\'s a great game for when you have friends over! The best part is the board games - you will tons of fun. That being said, the only bad part about this game is that you have to unlock all the mini games before you can play them on their own. Also, they could have added more game boards! Other than that, I highly recommend this game!

Reviewed by: rarerules on 06-Aug-07 Rating:

Strengths:Easy to pick up and play, lots of fun for people of all ages

Weaknesses:If playing on an HDTV, the image will be centered with bars on the sides of the screen.

Summary:Mario Party 8 is the first Wii version of the popular series, and it utilizes the strengths of the Wii remote very well. The game setup remains the same as past Mario Party titles. You control a character and roll dice to move him around the board. Like a real board game, different spaces produce different results. Every fourth turn, the game chooses a random minigame in which all players compete to win coins, which you can spend on the board itself.

The game is a very fun multiplayer game, but as you can imagine it doesn\'t work so well if you play alone against the computer.

Still, the game is highly recommended for parties or for families with lots of children.

Reviewed by: mrodger on 27-Jun-07 Rating:

Strengths:Motion sensing adds to game, new boards, new characters, new mini-games, high replay-ability

Weaknesses:Not 16:9, so-so graphics, very similar to MP 1-7

Summary:If you’re a long time fan of the Mario Party series, you’ll likely enjoy the newest title in the series. The game looks and plays very much like the MP releases from the GameCube era. For those of you that loved these, that’s a good thing, but for those expecting something drastically new, pass on this release.

There are new boards, new characters, new mini-games and some new twists in this edition. Most notable is the motion sensing added to some of the mini-games. This is a great addition most of the time, however sometimes the controls are a little finicky. Other than this, it’s Mario Party as usual.

My biggest complaint with the game is that it does not run in full 16:9. Instead, the game runs in 4:3 with a stylized pillar-box to frame in the game. At this point, I feel that this is unacceptable. Also, the graphics seem a little lackluster on this one. Seems to be about on par with the GameCube releases, but this is not a huge drawback.

You will want to buy this game if you own every other Mario Party release, haven’t played a MP since N64 or you have never played a game from the series and are looking for a good, fun multi-player game for your Wii.

Reviewed by: shrike424242 on 29-Sep-07 Rating:

Strengths:Fun multiplayer games, better looking than past Mario Party games, more of the same

Weaknesses:Plays in 4:3 on an HDTV, not a lot of Wiimote type games, passable graphics, no real singleplayer appeal, more of the same

Summary:Mario Party 8 is the first entry of the series on the Wii. Unfortunately, it looks like it was a GC game ported to the Wii, as the game plays in 4:3 mode on an HDTV, not 16:9. Also, the graphics are better than past games, though not up to snuff with some of the other Wii games out there. It\'s the same type of gameplay as previous games, so anyone liking that should like this one. Most of the minigame controls aren\'t really Wiimote specific, though they\'re all pretty fun. Single player is a wash, and it\'s all about the multiplayer.

Reviewed by: mike27112 on 28-Sep-07 Rating:

Strengths:It\'s very similar to other Mario Party games. Lots of minigames. High replay value. Tons of fun! Kid-friendly.

Weaknesses:It\'s very similar to other Mario Party games. Only a handful of minigames that utilize the Wii\'s motion-sensing feature.

Summary:The best (and possibly worst) aspect of Mario Party 8 is that it\'s very similar to the first seven editions of Mario Party.

In the main game mode, players choose a character from the Mario universe and then play minigames as they move throughout a themed gameboard like DK\'s Jungle or Boo\'s Haunted Castle. There are also a few other game modes like Star Battle which provide a different premise for playing minigames.

Personally, I love Mario Party games. Yes, I know, they\'re geared towards 10 year olds, and they\'re very simple in graphics, design, and execution... but they\'re fun! And there\'s something to be said for a game that I can play with my college buddies as well as my younger cousins (without fear that I am subjecting them to mind-warping amounts of excessive blood and gore).

If you own a Wii and you liked previous versions of Mario Party, you should definitely give Mario Party 8 a try!

For those who don\'t share my enthusiasm for Mario Party, there isn\'t anything about this newest version that is going to change their minds. Their entertainment dollars are best spent elsewhere.

Reviewed by: mystic818 on 24-Sep-07 Rating:

Strengths:similar to other marioparty games, fun, multiplayer

Weaknesses:Not full screen display

Summary:If you liked the other marioparty games, marioparty 8 on the wii is for you! I really enjoy the older marioparty games, and I liked this one too! It uses the controls of the wii nicely in the minigames. The best thing about this game is the hotel board and the haunted castle board because those two provide variability- every time you play, it\'s different! You never know who will win in the end. I wish they had more minigames this time around, but it\'s still just as fun. The only thing I wish this version had was a full screen display on my hdtv. The game shows bars on the side of the tv. Still, this is definitely one of our favorite games and I highly recommend it!

Reviewed by: slider169 on 11-Jun-07 Rating:

Strengths:Good for family fun, alot of minigames.

Weaknesses:no 1080p support. not even 1080i.

Summary:Mario Party 8 doesn\'t have as many minigames as Mario Party 7, nor does it support eight players or include a goofy microphone peripheral. It does, however, make generally solid use of the Wii Remote, and the number of palette-swap minigames seems lower. A good number of minigames will have you holding the remote sideways in standard gamepad fashion, but you\'ll also swing at baseballs, furiously shake a can of soda, do some tightrope walking, use a paddle to help row a boat, and more, all by gesticulating with the remote. There are also some good references to past Nintendo games couched in these minigames, such as a first-person ghost-hunting minigame that appears to take place in Luigi\'s mansion.

Reviewed by: Tricky02 on 28-Jun-07 Rating:

Strengths:Mario Party 8 has plenty of minigames and some inventive boards.

Weaknesses:The graphics could have been better.

Summary:This year, Mario Party goes to the Star Carnival, which is run by the symbiotic duo of MC Ballyhoo and his talking top hat, Big Top. The primary mode still plays like a board game, with four players throwing the dice to move across spaces, collecting as many coins and stars as they can before they finish a set number of turns, and of course, playing minigames at the end of each round. Mario Party 8 doesn\'t have as many minigames as Mario Party 7, nor does it support eight players. It does, however, make generally solid use of the Wii Remote.

Reviewed by: bulldog93 on 15-Jun-07 Rating:

Strengths:More 3D graphics than previous Mario Parties.

Weaknesses:The series is getting stale.

Summary:The graphics are what you can expect from the Wii. It\'s not a Xbox 360 or PS3 game. The graphics are spruced up though. The series has become quite stale and needs a big makeover.

Reviewed by: tungluh on 13-Jun-07 Rating:

Strengths:Lots of mini games; shorter but more diverse maps

Weaknesses:No microphone games

Summary:A very nice party game on Wii with great graphics. Unlike Mario Party 7, this game does not have microphone games which are the most fun mini games in 7. In stead, this game has lots \"Wii-style\" mini games. Shorter map lengths make it more clear and hard to get lost. Highly recommend to own it.