Mario Party 5 Preview

Developer	Hudson Soft
Publisher	Nintendo
Genre	Puzzle
Release Date	11/11/03

Another November, another Mario Party title. One would think that this series would be getting pretty tired by now, but Nintendo just seems to keep pumping it full of life again. While the basic formula has remained the same over the past few years, the bells and whistles have been redone annually. Built strictly for multiplayer action, no other series can match the simplistic fun of the Mario Party games. Even with the tweaking of the single-player mode, this year is no different. If you have a GameCube and a couple of friends, Mario Party will rock your living room.

Creatively named Mario Party 5, this year’s edition marks the fifth title in the series that just won’t die. Don’t expect a revolution in gameplay when MP5 arrives on shelves; the core of the game remains largely the same. Surprisingly, however, the game feels fresh as it comes packed with over sixty new minigames, a couple new characters, and slight variations on the classic modes.

For the uninitiated, here’s a quick rundown of how a typical game of Mario Party unfolds. Up to four players make their way around a too-colorful 3D board (yes, like a board game) in an attempt to collect more coins and stars than the competition. These players can be any combination of human or AI players that move based on the fall of the dice. Each square contains a special event that occurs when you land on it – events that range from addition or subtraction of your coins, awarding of a star, to being placed at another point on the board. Once each of the players has completed his or her turn in a round, the whole gang enters into a minigame with prizes (items, coins) at stake. This madness continues for a pre-selected amount of turns, at which point the winner is crowned.

As the above represents the usual game in any Mario Party game, so does it represent a typical game in MP5 – with two notable additions. First is the newly added ‘capsule system’ which attempts to add some strategy to the otherwise mindless gameplay. As players make their way around the board, they collect capsules that, when thrown at a block on the board, change the event for that square. The events are the same as can be found elsewhere on the board, but having the capability to shift them can help you, or – possibly more importantly – hurt your enemies.

The second new feature is less amazing, but important nonetheless: a tweaked 3D map view. Players can now view the entire map at once without being entirely removed from the action – making it easier to find stars and other items, as well as planning your movements where possible. Granted, it’s a pretty minor change, but any step that makes it easier to asses your situation is a more-than-welcome one. Also worth mentioning is the improved AI of the game – which allows computer controlled characters to take their turns faster in order to speed up the game slightly.

If the party mode grows old (or your friends go home/start to hate you) then MP5 still has your back with a slightly tooled story mode. It’s the same type of board gaming action, but it’s you against the Koopa Kids – a rambunctious trio of Bowser wannabes that are causing unrest at the (wait for it…) Dream Depot. As with any evil villains, these guys can be disposed of by kicking their butts at minigames. Trust me, it makes sense. Once you’ve robbed them of all their coins they’ll leave the people of the Dream Depot to live out their disgustingly fairy tale lives in peace. While we’re not sure why anybody would want to play it, it’s there nonetheless – and Hudson Soft even cut down on the time it takes to play it by having the Koopa Kids all take their turns simultaneously.

Though, when you get right down to it, it’s minigames that make Mario Party. The sheer number of new minigames (60+) in MP5 is enough to guarantee that they won’t disappoint anybody – there’s enough variety to please everyone. The types of games are varied as well – breaking down into four vs. four, one vs. three, two vs. two, battle, duel, and four vs. Bowser (new to MP5) categories. And because we love you so much, we’ve decided to give you a sampling of the new minigames in an extremely attractive, easy-to-read, and journalistically professional form – a list!

Minigames Abound

Here's a list of some other minigames to expect in MP5. Sorry if the titles aren't self-explanatory; Thank Nintendo. Cage-in Cookin' Chomp Leading Coney Island Fishes Upon a Star Piranha Plant Dancing Vicious Vending

Block Stomping: You’ve got dirt blocks, you’ve got stone blocks. Stone blocks take some stomping, dirt block not so much. Stomp, stomp, stomp – all the way to the bottom. First one there gets all the chicks (and coins).

Buckets of Shy Guys: Lots of buckets, but some of them shake.

Get them while in motion and you’ll uncover a shy guy – three of them scores you some coins. Miss them in motion and you’ll get a not-as-pleasant surprise.

Freeze-a-Chomp: You face away from a Chomp. He charges, and you turn around to freeze him with your flashlight. He who stops him closest reigns supreme. The rest get eaten or ridiculed.

Frozen Frenzy: Run around like a mad man kicking, punching, and stomping the snot out of your competitors in order to steal their crystals. Get the most and you’ll be the envy of your five year-old neighbor.

Pushy Penguins: First Nintendo drops you on a barren plank of ice, and then they parade all different sizes and numbers of penguins at you – all waddling at different speeds! Coins to he who keeps his footing as the penguins try to march you off the plank.

Tree Climbing: Jump on overhead branches as they appear from all directions randomly. Somehow this one sounds like a seizure waiting to happen. At any rate, the player that gets the highest and maintains consciousness gets the loot.

Hudson has packed in Super Duel, Bonus, and Minigame modes to complement the Party and Story modes. The Bonus mode sounds especially cool, as it will feature Ice Hockey, Volleyball, and a Card game – all pimped out, Mario style. The hockey is two on two, with a button to pass and a button to shoot; Shy Guys constitute goalies. Volleyball is equally simple – two on two action with a button to set and a button to spike (just be sure you’re under the shadow of the ball). The Card game is perhaps the simplest, if not the most straightforward – players go for stars by flipping cards and uncovering paths. Pretty simple stuff, but endlessly fun.

In fact, Mario Party itself is – and always has been – about simple fun Even my mother enjoys playing it, and she hasn’t touched a video game controller even twice in her life. That type of universal approachability is hard to come by, so it must be praised when it does. Mario Party 5 comes to store shelves with the same gameplay that made it so much fun in the first place, but with enough new minigames and features to warrant another purchase. Call your friends now and schedule your party for November 11.

Oh, and Nintendo – if you’re reading – can we have online play in Mario Party 6? Please?

Preview by Greg Joachim