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Better than expected, especially in 1 player mode

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: June 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: June 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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.

Some new, mostly old

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: June 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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 and Friends Bring the Party to the Wii

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: June 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Back in the day when the Nintendo 64 was my console of choice, the original Mario Party game and its two sequels on the system were some of my favorite games. When the GameCube rolled around, I skipped on the system and thus largely ignored the 4 entries in the series for that console. However, when I picked up my Wii, one of the games I was greatly anticipating was Mario Party 8; a game that I felt could not only recreate the same fun of the Mario Parties of my memory, but also build upon it with the implementation of the Wii remote.

Mario Party 8 is themed as a "Star Carnival," a place where your favorite characters from the Mushroom Kingdom can come to play games, spend money, and challenge each other in epic mini-game battle royales! The overall presentation is less exciting than you may anticipate. The host of the game is a seemingly randomly designed human-esque charater with a talking hat. Yes. Worse-so is his unchecked desire to talk up a storm in text, always giving you information on the game whether you desire it or not. It is one of two major drawbacks to the game.

The second major flaw in Mario Party 8 is the lack of 16:9 widescreen support. Oh, Hudson has gone to great lengths to add in some poorly designed bars to the left and right side of your screen, but the game itself will take place between those two bars in a 4:3 aspect ratio. After a few minutes of experiencing this, you'll probably get used to it, but that doesn't change the fact that you feel utterly resricted because of it (especially when you consider that all the menus and carnival tents are designed in 16:9).

Beyond these two flaws, however, lies a surprisingly well-designed and ultimately enjoyable experience. I am surprised and delighted to find that the classic Mario Party gameplay that I enjoyed nearly a decade ago still holds up on Nintendo's new console.

Players begin by choosing one of 6 boards; some well designed, others more lackluster. DK's Jungle board is classic Mario Party, with a randomly rotated Star and twists, turns, and surprises around every corner. My personal favorite is Koopa's Tycoon Town, a Mushroom Kingtom take on Monopoly. On this board there are a certain # of hotels which each contain one star. When you land on a hotel space, you can invest in that hotel and earn its star with as little as one coin. However, if another player comes by and invests a greater amount of coins than you, the hotel (and it's star) becomes theirs. To add to the fun and strategy, the total # of coins invested by all players in a single hotel can transform it into a 2-star or even 3-star establishment, allowing the owner to reap the benefits. This particularly enjoyable board will undoubtedly supply you and your friends with hours of enjoyment as you strategize your moves and hope for the perfect roll of the dice.

The mini-games, of course, are the real attraction here, and Mario Party 8 doesn't disappoint. It is obvious that the game begain its development cycle as a GameCube title, as some games are clearly designed with a traditional controller in mind. However, even in cases such as these the game is still a blast to play! Specific games worth noting include one where your player must hit baseballs into the outfield while making a swinging motion with the remote and the standard "stand on a circular arena and try to beat your opponents out of it" which is still fun to play all these years after its original incarnation.

Another attraction in the Star Carnival is the Bonus tent, in which you can play against opponents in a number of exclusive mini games, including ping-pong, bowling, and a Star Wars-esque pod-racing game. All of these games can utilize your console's Miis if you so choose, though you can still play with Mario, Luigi, or Peach if that's your thing.

Overall, Mario Party 8, though disappointing in a few areas is still a pretty solid game. While other mini-game fest on the Wii offer arguably better mini-games, Mario Party is the only one that ties them all together with the addictive and strategic nature of a board game. Players who have played all the previous incarnations of this game may find this iteration to be a bit tiresome and unnecessary, but people who are new to the game and those who are coming back after a long haitus (myself) should be more than pleased with what they get. Mario Party 8 is not the perfect party game, but it is the closest you'll get to one in a long time.


7.0 Presentation
An overly-talkative host and unskippable text is bothersome, but the star carnival is not as bas as it could've been. Main menu presented in 16:9.

6.5 Graphics
Not the best I've seen. Jaggies are everywhere and the lack of widescreen is extremely disappointing.

7.0 Sound
The game's music is nothnig to write home about, but it's not annoying either. Voice overs are repetitive, but too unbearable.

8.5 Gameplay
With the exception of a few minigames, MP8 is extremely enjoyable. Most of the boards are well-designed, and Wii Remote implementation is a welcomed addition to the series.

8.5 Lasting Appeal
If you have friends and family around, this game could hold you over for some time. Next to Wii Sports, it's arguably the most addictive party game on the system.

7.5 OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)

Not as Great as It Should Be

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is why my partner and I bought a Wii to begin with. We've been loyal followers of the Party series since its GameCube days.

Our complaints with number 8 are fairly simple:

1. We can't believe it's not in widescreen;
2. There need to be more mini games (I would love for Mario Party 9 to feature all of the mini games from previous entries as well as new ones);
3. There needs to be a feature where mini games do not repeat within a single board -- I don't want to have to play the same mini game three or four times within a single hour;
4. Bring back the Orbs -- this new Candy just doesn't taste right;
5. The boards aren't bad but seem awfully short (particularly Boo's House and the Train);
6. The Wii-mote is underused in the mini games.

It's not a terrible game and I would recommend it to Party fans, however we still like Mario Party 5 the best. Can't wait for volume 9 though!

Not impressed by the mario games!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I loved mario growing up, nintendo, super nintendo, but once they went 3D I was too busy to get into them. Now we have a Wii for our kids, so I bought Mario Party 8 for them to play. My husband and I played one night for about an hour. After about 15 minutes we were both very bored by the repetativeness of the game. It just dragged on and on. There were no real levels or challenges. I miss the old mario games, with secret levels and real bad guys. Bowser and his boys have gone soft.It seems to me that the graphics got better but someone forgot the storyline, it's just silly games and pretty pictures.

Fun with a minor inconvenience

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: June 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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.

The Party is Not Here...

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 10
Date: August 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

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.

Mario keeps on getting better!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: August 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Besides the Wii being the best gaming system currently on the market [along with being the most affordable], Nintendo really continues to shine with it's most recent Mario Party installment. Mario Party 8 continues to delight players with challenging mini games, group fun, and sensational creativity. Mario Party 8 for the Wii has 6 different boards to play -- each one with it's own music, showcased characters and themes. It's like getting more than one game!

Fun for the whole family, Mario Party 8 challenges gamers and intellectuals alike. I highly recommended it for families with a large age range. Our 6 & 8-year old love to play it with us and our adult friends.

Fun, but there are some caveats.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: March 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Mario party games are a lot of fun for a group of people to play. The mini games are usually pretty well thought out, the graphics are cartoon-y and appealing, and the board game approach works. This game does a good job of bring the interactivity of the Wii and the party style of the original 7 party games together.

That being said, I guess my only complaint is, apart from the new Wii control scheme, nothings really changed. You still have to sit through computer players turns, the graphics haven't really been updated, and the "single player" is tedious and not worth your time.

However, I still highly recommend this game for the Wii because of the multiplayer. This system is supposed to be a "party" experience and this game is very fun with a big group. The learning curve is almost non-existent, I was able to get my grandparents playing this game in less than an hour. Get this game and invite your friends over. You'll be entertained for hours.

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