Review: Mario Party 10 123c2d

Mario Party is the main game mode in which a board game is played out in similar fashion to the controversial Mario Party 9. All four players travel together in a car which simplifies the game ensuring that you allow yourself enough time to finish it without becoming board. The downside is that it ultimately takes away some of the strategy of trying to take alternate directions in order to benefit yourself in the long run. The gamepad is used in this mode in order to show an alternate Bowser dice where when each number has been rolled, Bowser will appear to punish the player who rolls the remaining number. Whilst simplified, I found the mode to be fast-paced and fun with just the right amount of minigames.

Bowser Party relies heavily on the Wii U Gamepad. Ideally played with 5 players, 4 which control players using the Wiimote whilst the Wii U Gamepad player controls Bowser. This mode sees four players trying to reach the end of the board without being caught by Bowser. A series of minigames are played which sees Bowser take part in a number of gamepad specific minigames. I found this mode to be a success as it made good use of the Wii U Gamepad with minigames feeling fresh and fun. Unfortunately you won’t be playing it more than a few times as there are limited mini games which make the mode get extremely repetitive, quickly. Amiibo Party is a very interesting mode. You need an Amiibo to unlock this mode and up to four Amiibos can be used within the mode. If you’re using an Amiibo, it will be represented on screen, however if you’re not, your character will be a cardboard cutout. Each Amiibo unlocks a new board that can only be played whilst using this certain Amiibo. Without doubt, it is the best use of the Amiibo figures yet.

The style of play represents the more old-school Mario Party game, with the goal being to collect the most stars before the game’s end. Unfortunately whilst initially promising, there are a few niggling issues which get in the way of it being fun. Amiibo Party requires you to tap your Amiibo on the Gamepad far too many times for absolutely no reason. Ultimately Mario Party is still extremely fun with a group of people. It’s obvious that there are issues there but they seem way more apparent when you’re playing by yourself than in a group of people. Mario Party has always been about getting people around the TV and this doesn’t differ in anyway. It has enough uniqueness to require a purchase whilst still remaining familiar within the overall series.