The massive board game franchise makes its start.

Original N64europe Review

Mario Party was the first ever party game released, I think. It is still one of the best, hands down. Many aren't as top-quality in almost all of the categories. The graphics in MP (Mario Party) are a little primitive compared to other N64 games. But, this game doesn't need all the fancy 3-D graphics to succeed. The mini-games are more detailed than the characters, but that is okay. The characters don't move as realistically as hoped, though. When you hear them talking, their mouths don't move. Plus, they usually have the same expression on all the time, and, to be truthful, it does get repetitive. The N64 can do better than this. It has been proven,but,we must keep in mind that graphics aren't the most important part of a game, and they don't make the game, either. Graphics are still important, though. Anyway, aside from the disappointing expressions, all the other parts of the body move when they dance around in victory, or collapse in shame.

The sound in Mario Party isn't bad at all. Sound effects are found everywhere! Whenever a certain person or thing talks, they have their own sound. When you meet Bowser, he growls. When you meet Toad, he yells happily. The mini-games have great sound, too. In some games, where you can whack someone with a hammer, the hammer makes a clear sound when it bashes the person or thing. And, what is cool, after you whack something or someone with a hammer, they cry out and fly across the screen with little starts appearing above their heads. It's funny. Sound can really add up to a great and joyful experience. During the car races in one of the mini-games, the engines are loud, and you can hear the cars lose control when they go too fast around the turns. Very neat sound indeed.

The music of Mario Party varies. My personal favorites are Eternal Star (a VERY secret stage), Bowser's Magma Mountain (another secret stage), and Mario's Rainbow Castle (a normal stage). The music can be peaceful,violent, or just right for the certain place. What is even better,if you just want to listen to one piece of music, you can play it in the juke box in one of the little houses on the main screen! Cool, huh? But, to have access to all of the music, you have to FULLY beat the game. Also, you have to buy records for it, too. Anyhow, MP's music is just fine. It could have been better, but if your playing multiplayer, you probably won't hear it that much when you and your friends and maybe even family are laughing. Music can also add to the great parts of a game, so it should be very nice. MP doesn't skip on this part of the game.

The controls are, for the most part, responsive. The only problem is that sometimes when you are racing, especially the mine cart race, the controls will be loose, and that can send you flying off the track and losing the mini-game. But, when you aren't playing a mini-game, it is almost perfect. Also, when you are trying to carry the hammer at certain times, your character will move around a little on their own, leaving time for your opponents to punch or kick you and take the awesome hammer away from you. But, usually, you can just hit them out of the way! Handy, isn't it? But, the controls are nice and reliable, MOST of the time. There are certain times when it isn't the greatest in the world, so be extra careful.

Ah, yes, the gameplay. The single most important part of any game. Does Mario Party perform well in this category? MOST of the time. If you are playing a single-player game, it can become tiresome and boring just trying to beat CPU (computer)-controlled opponents. Face it, this is a party game. It loses a lot of its luster when you play it alone. But, that doesn't mean it isn't fun by yourself, though! It is still rewarding to beat CPU players, but you can't laugh in their faces when you blast them with a hammer or hit them off an ice track, like when you are competing against humans. If this game didn't have mini-games, it would be about as fun as watching paint dry, maybe a little more fun. The mini-games are basically what make this game. The really good thing about this is, the game offers about 56 mini-games! 3 of them are hidden, so normally it is 53. The 2 race car ones are almost the same, except when you go through the Mini-Game Island place, at the end, you face off against Toad! Believe me, he is HARD to beat. Anyway, GREAT gameplay when you are playing multiplayer. Almost great when you are by yourself, though.

Overall, an above-average game. If you don't like games like this, you may be fine with a rental. Its sequel, Mario Party 2, is even better. If you want a great N64 library of games at home, it wouldn't be compete without MP and MP2 (Mario Party 2). Mario is still the life of the party!!!

- by unknown