I remember sitting at my Dad’s house when Mario Party 8 came out. My sister was laying down on the bed behind me when her phone rang. Dad wanted to know if the game would be a good birthday present, so she somewhat slyly asked me how the game reviewed. “Poorly,” is all I can remember telling her.
Shopping for a game as a gift is hard, so my dad probably figured Mario Party was still a safe bet and picked it up anyways. We had the whole summer vacation ahead of us, so something multi-player and easy to get into was a good choice.
Mario Party 8 is not particularly great, but some games are better off not being taken seriously. It’s more about relaxing with your family and friends for some light-hearted competition.
The number one rule for Mario Party is to never get invested in winning. Over the course of a game, Mario Party is going to throw 20 wrenches at you and then probably five more after the game itself is over. On the bright side, it’s no Dokapon Kingdom. That game forces you to get invested to enjoy it, but throws just as many random punches at you as Mario Party.
(Header Image Source: ModernXP)
