We expected a lot from this E3. The complete revealing of the Revolution, the announcement of a new Metroid game, screens of Mario 128 perhaps…But the announcement of Mario Party 7, who expected that?

Well, it wasn't that big of a surprise now, was it? We had a GameCube Mario Party in 2002, one in 2003 and Mario Party number six earlier this year. Although the sales of a new MP are always lower then its predecessor, the Mario Party series is still an important copy seller for Nintendo.

Familiar scenes from the Party crew.

For the Mario Party virgins out there – for whom Mario Party is still a big question mark – a brief explanation about the game's basics. Mario Party works as a board game. Every player has to hit the virtual dice to reach certain spaces on the game board. Now and then players have to play hectic mini-games to gain coins. This all combined by colourful graphics, happy music and different events makes for the great multiplayer fun that Mario Party is famous for.

Mario Party 7 doesn't change these basics. Hudson Soft is still the developer for this game, just as it was for the first six Mario Party games. They are following the usual road for this party. New boards, new mini-games, new characters. It's all there, like in previous MP's. Two new characters will join their mates at this party: Dry Bones will make his first appearance in a multiplayer Mario game (he will also be playable in Mario Baseball). The lovely Birdo will join in too. It looks like Koopa Kid is sacrificed as a playable character. Luckily the beautiful Toadette is still there.

A record setting 80 new games are featured this time.

The mini-games look as colourful as ever. Expect a whack-the-mole game, a grab-coins-in the-air game, a skateboard game. You get the idea. Most of the mini-games are based on ideas we've seen before in other MP games. This time there will be 80 new mini-games, a new record! (MP6 had a total of 75 mini-games)

Every edition of Mario Party has a gimmick. MP4 had the big-small system, MP5 had the capsules and MP6 had the microphone. Mario Party 7 has the eight-player option. Players team up with another player and can individually use the dice and walk on the board. In the eight player mini-games you can expect some basic eight player mini-games like rope jumping. The games will probably be controlled with two players sharing one controller. Hmm, cosy… And how are you going to get seven people in your house for playing Mario Party?

Perfect for keeping unwanted relatives busy i say.

The microphone of Mario Party 6 will also be part of this game but a new game mode is available: the Mic Grand Prix mode. If there are going to be mic mini-games, being in the regular party mode is doubtful, because not everyone has a Nintendo microphone in their possession. Maybe mic mini-games are going to be optional.

The previous Mario Party was a fresh experience thanks to the different boards, each with their own rules. Also the introduction of the mic was a welcoming add-on. Let's hope the new Mario Party will also be this fresh and entertaining. Just don't expect brilliant new gaming ideas, expect brilliant multiplayer gaming.

Mario Party 7 will be released November this year in the US. Expect the game to hit our shelves around that time.