Mario's throwing ANOTHER party. And guess what? It's not half bad!
Anyone who's familiar with nintendo knows the deal in mario party. You go around a themed gameboard, navigating through obstacles, and beating your opponents at minigames. Doing this will ultimately land you the most stars, which makes you the winner. It's a simple formula that anyone can grasp, and thanks to the innovation of the wiimote the gameplay is more accessible than ever! The dozens and dozens of minigames creatively utilize the wiimote, making it varied and interesting. These games range from teams, to duels and free-for-alls. Most of them are entertaining, like swinging it around like a lasso. You earn carnival cards to spend them on items and other things to give you an advantage in the game. The gameplay is absolutely solid, and so far it's the best multiplayer game on wii.
The story is.... not important. It's kidsy in every sense of the word. Mario and his pals are competing in a carnival to win candy. Blooper and Hammer Bro have joined in the fun this time, bringing the total character roster to 14. There's lots of extras, including a tent where you can use your miis in several minigames! The graphics are clean and shiny... nothing spectacular, but good all around. The sound is.... mario. It's pretty unimpressive, expect corny voices and zippy music.
As I mentioned before, this is the best multiplayer experience on the wii, and if you have friends you'll be playing it until the 9th one comes out (or at least until BRAWL :D). Simply put, it's a fun fun game. Maybe it's the wiimote or maybe it's because Nintendo put forth more effort, but this is the best Mario Party I've played in a looooong time. So if you've got some friends & extra wiimotes, Mario can throw you a kickass party.