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missing the point

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: June 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

[...] 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.

Only lucky players win

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: June 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I was so happy when I heard about "Mario Party 8", but I was so dissapointed when I played it. There are so many things WRONG with this game.

First of all, this game should have been released for the Gamecube, not Wii. As a matter of fact, the whole game looks like it was completed for Gamecube, then quickly converted to Wii. Let's take when characters shop. The "Yes" and "No" options are at the bottom of screen. So usually when you point the controller so far down, the sensor bar looses contact with the control, so you have the "re-aim" the control several times. This was the design of the previos Gamecube games, but then you could just steer the controlstick and hit "A", here you have to aim and choose. This is annoying and frustrating, why couldn't they move the Yes or No to the middle of the screen?! I mean, when you choose what you want to buy, you have three things on the middle of the screen. Then when you've chosen what you want to buy, the options move to the bottom of the screen again - to ask you "Are you sure you want to buy this?" - ARGH!!! This was the design of Mario Party 6 and 7, so it's obvious this game WAS done for Gamecube first, then quickly converted. The same problem occours when that character with the hat asks if you want to hear a secret about the board you play, you have to AIM for "no".

The minigames also suffers from the quick conversion. A lot of the minigames, you just turn the control to the side, use the plus for steering and 1 to kick/hit and 2 to jump. This is Wii, you'd expect to use the control like in other Wii games, not pretend the control is a Gamecube control!! And those games that use this control are so boring. Other games where you are supposed to steer, you "tilt" the controller either left or right. And some other games you turn the control, while it's up, from side to side. Why does the controls have to change so much?? Sometimes it's difficult to get contact with the sensor bar, even when you hold the control like you're supposed to. Take the game with the chimps, the game tells you to steer left or right to move the monkey. The game responds so bad, whether you move the control fast or slow, the chimp takes 2-3 seconds to respond. Bad conversion.
There are a very few games which really feel like you play on Wii, like the "Shaking Soda can" minigame, or the "Clean Chomp" game. There's also a game where you should do 3 different things - saw, hammer and paint a wall. These games are easy and may seem boring, but they are funniest because you get to do something with the Wii remote, it feels like you are really playing. But believe me, the boring minigames are overload and they are regurlarly chosen instead of the fun minigames. I also felt the "Battle Minigames" were all boring, one game is impossible to be the only winner, because there's a limit on how much points you can get. And I HATE the cutting ropes game. It's totally random and I've never won it.

It gets worse. In previous Mario Party games, especially in the first Mario Party, the easy computer players were so bad you were laughing at how badly they played certain games. I remember in the first game, I was laughing so hard watching Luigi play a memory game, he would run to the correct place, but then change direction and go to another place, then another, and another and choose wrong. Talk about stupid! In this game, I felt the easy players weren't easy, they play rather good for being supposed to suck at the game. So because they are easy, they play good at a slow speed or if the games requires a certain distance, they fail at certain distances. In previous games, easy computers was a laugh, here they appear really good.

Anyway, let's say you play a game with a friend, you are forced to use 2 computers. You use them on easy, they never win a single minigame. That would make you a winner right? Wrong. This game is purely luck and walking fast. The computer players always hit 5-10, they land on all the bonus places and they can get 20-50 coins on a single turn. There is also a secret star area, when you hit a golden space, you get transported there. Me and a family member played this game, Toad was a computer player. Within 2 turns, he had already gone to the secret area. Then he went there TWO TIMES MORE. And yourself usually get to the secret area 1 out of 5 times playing a whole board game. So at the end, he got over 6 stars within 5 turns. That's just impossible to prevent, there is no chance time and duel only let's you steal 1-20 coins (I've only seen stars as a choice twice). So basically, the computer players never win a single minigame, but are so lucky they get coins and stars all the time.

It gets EVEN worse. The boards feel uncreative and slow. The only way you get starts if you are quick enough, that means hitting 5-10 all the time. This what the computer players do. This is not what you do. Yourself get 1-4, if you're really lucky you get 10. I mean, sometimes I get 1 several times in a row and the computer player is almost at the star. To sum all the boards up
Donkey Kong: Star is far away, so get there quickly
Goomba: Star is very far away, it's also free, so you just gotta get there quickly.
Shy Guy Train: Star is far away, costs 10 (or 20?), get there Q U I C K L Y
Koopa Town: Only board worth it, you put money into hotels to be the owner. You don't need to be quick here.
Boo's Mansion: Get QIUCKLY to Boo to get a star for 10 coins.
It's all about walking fast, since you get so much money from bonuses, you don't NEED the minigame money. Basically, I can have 70 coins, but I only hit 1-3, then I don't have much to use the coins for, because I can't buy stars or candy if I don't QUICKLY get there.
The 1 player Star Battle was pure torture, it was all about luck to win against the computer players.

Another problem with this game is that there is a lot of dialogue and scenes you can't skip. Especially when the last 5 turns are announced, I button mash the A button like crazy, but each text box takes 1-2 to get rid of. Then it takes 1-3 seconds to show each player, then MORE dialogue. It takes 1-2 minutes just to get through this scene.
And on the board, especially when you walk on the golden space, sometimes you need to be transported. You sit in a car and get driven to the place you need to go. It takes like 30 seconds to a minute to get there. And you CANNOT skip it. This slows the game down so bad!

This game is only fun when you play with 3 friends, and even then the game can be boring. You can only win this game is you are lucky. Out of 20 times playing, I've won 2 times. I just don't bother doing my best anymore, because I know I'm going to loose anyway, just because I'm so unlucky in this game.

One last warning, do not buy the thing that allows you to tease your opponents in the "Fun Zone". You CANNOT turn this off, so everytime you move your control the characters starts making the same sounds over and over. Even if you just move the control to put the control somewhere, the characters starts talking. For example, Peach can say "I am the princess" and "Bleeeh!". She says "I am the princess" 1 time out of 50. So when you move the control, just slightly, she goes "Bleeh!".
"Bleh!", "Bleh!", "bleh!". It's beyond irritating!

Good but certainly not up to Raman or some other titles

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 11
Date: July 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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).

Best Mario Party Game Yet

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: June 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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.

Great for Kids..........

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: August 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

My 4 year old LOVES this game! My 3 year old LOVES this game (although he's more of a spectator at this point). Since we have gotten this game we have had to put a time limit on the gaming. They would play all day if we let them. I think the best thing about Mario Party 8 is that it's got so many different things, that it doesn't get old or boring.

It would have been great if they could have made it a little more "active", the best part about the Wii is that most of the games require you to actually get up and move, not just sit like a lump playing video games. But all in all, it's a great game and I would recomend it to anyone. We all play together and the kids just think it's the coolest game ever!

Great game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: October 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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.

Last generation holdover?

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 8 / 16
Date: June 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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.

Fun, but somewhat repetitive.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: May 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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!

Party!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I usually don't like any of the Mario games. But I bought this one for my husband and surprisingly I love it! It makes great use of the Wii remote, is simple enough for anyone to play, and there are lots of great mini-games to play. Great to be able to play with other people but also be able to play solo. But like many of the other Wii games, it is addictive and you'll find that time has passed you buy quite quickly! Highly recommended.

Great fun for all ages

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

One of the first titles I bought for the wii. It has proven to be a favorite with the kids and dinner guests. only complaint: the wii is not high definition but MP8 is great quality fun.

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