Preview

Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: TBA
Publisher: Nintendo of America, Inc.
Previewed by Justin Fassino on 2007-10-18

It seems as though Mario has been caught at a party that will never end. Mario Party 8 came out for the Wii earlier this year, but like that obnoxious guy wearing the lampshade that just doesn't know when to leave, Mario is still partying in the virtual realm. Still, his newest outing looks like it will be a huge success for the portable partygoers among us. Nintendo used the E for All Expo to provide a playable version of Mario Party DS; as a game, the Mario Party franchise just might make the most sense on a portable platform, since that means it can be played anywhere (as long as you've got friends with DSes).

Like all the titles before it, MP DS falls under the board game and mini-game genres. Players will choose from one of eight Mario characters and then choose a themed board, each with its own layout and pitfalls. Graphically, MP DS looks about on par with the old Nintendo 64 titles. It's not pushing a lot of polygons, but it's serviceable enough to get the job done. It's also an unfortunate waste of an opportunity to change the visual style of the series, perhaps with a stylish cel-shaded look fine-tuned for the DS. Still, if graphics are your main concern, you're probably not drolling over the newest Mario Party anyway.

Using the touch screen to roll the dice, characters move along the board automatically, eventually landing on a particular spot. Some spots give coins (the currency to buy stars, which determine who wins the game), some take away coins, while others trigger board events that could help or hurt. It's nothing that hasn't been done before in a Mario Party game. At the end of every player's turn, the color of the spot they ended on will determine what sort of minigame all players will take part in. Suprisingly, most of the minigames I encountered during my time with the title did not use the touch screen and instead opted for d-pad and button controls. Again, an opportunity to really separate the handheld Party with its console brethren through the use of the touch screen that did not seem to happen. Fortunately, the minigames are all relatively interesting and fun, particularly the 2-on-2 challenges, which usually involved one player controlling one aspect of the game (like aiming) while the other player controlled the other (like shooting).

And that's pretty much it. If you've played Mario Party before, you'll be at home here. Because it's on the DS, MP DS will benefit from its wireless play modes, which will include both multi-card and single-card download play for up to four players. A lack of an online mode with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is just one more wasted opportunity, but that aside, this is a very satisfactory and fun Mario Party experience. The game comes out on November 20, so look for it then.

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