I've played practically all of the Mario Parties, and this one steps in the right direction.
First, this is the first time that you can play as two characters at once in the extras zone. You can pair up with Mario and Luigi, Toad and Toadette etc. You can even set your second character as a computer player if you want. Although there aren't that many co-op minigames, they still start off fresh. For example, there's one minigame where you pick up fruits to blend them together. Let's say that Mario grabs the oranges and Luigi grabs the strawberries. Also, your two characters have a different button to control. You press the L button to control Luigi, and the R button to control Mario. Nevertheless, you can also play as two characters in the party mode to extend the play time.
Second, the microphone is back from Mario Party 6 (2004). Unfortunately, the mike minigames in Party 7 weren't as innovative as there was in Party 6. In Party 6, the mike minigames weren't used in party mode. Instead they were used in different game modes like the quiz mode. In contrast, the mike minigames in Party 7 are used in some regular minigames, and there's one mike minigame in the boards where you have to memorize the fruits in a certain order.
Third, the graphics and sound have also improved. The graphics in Party 7 were more smooth, bright, and colorful than there was in Party 6. Overall, everything turned out to be more detailed. The voices in Party 7 are still very repetitive, but the voice acting was about the same from Party 6. However, the music in Party 7 had better theme music than there was in Party 6. For example, the Neon Highlights board really sounded like casino themed music.
As far as character selections are concerned, the only new playable characters are Dry Bones and Birdo.
It's also too bad that there's no online play either. I also wouldn't recommend playing alone because the thrill of beating your friends is taken away. The single player mode also lacks because it gets boring quicker, and there aren't a lot of single player modes.
The good- can play as two characters in some co-op minigames, graphics and sound have been improved
The bad- the microphone minigames were less innovative, no online play, and the single player modes are also lacking
Presentation - 8 Co-op play was introduced, and the theme boards and game modes have some extra variety. Unfortunately, the mike minigames were less innovative this time around.
Graphics - 7 They are more smooth, bright, colorful, and detailed than its predecessor.
Sound - 7 Although the voices are extremely repetitive, the music has been improved from its predecessor.
Game play - 10 The controls are tight responsive, and the ability to play as two characters in some mini-games really extend the game play mode.
Lasting Approval - 8 Although the single player mode lacks, and it has no online play, the multiplayer modes really extend this party. IGN also mentioned there's a total of 86 minigame in Party 7.
Score 8.0 out of 10