Great Local Wi - Fi, unique maps and fun gameplay .
Disadvantages:
Characters sound bytes are pretty bad and music isn't anything spectacular
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Mario Party DS is another installment in the ever popular Mario Party series. The game includes seventy mini-games, which consist of games that use the touch screen and microphone, and five game boards to battle it out to see who is the Superstar!
The story in the game is nothing special. Bowser has invited Mario and the crew to his castle for a big feast, when they get there, he traps them in a cage and turns them all miniature with a magic wand called the Minimizer. Now you must help other creatures with their problems to gain the Sky Crystals. Once you gain all the Sky Crystals, you will turn big again.
The game has a total of eight playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Toad, Wario and Waluigi. All the characters play the same way, so it's all a matter of who you like the most. Something that's rather annoying is that the sound bytes of the characters are very low quality and can sound muffled at times, making it hard to understand what they are saying.
The music and graphics of the game are nothing spectacular. The music tracks are forgettable and the graphics are ok for a DS game. The graphics really shine however, in the boss battles. The boss models look very good and seem to push the DS to its limit. The maps are also unique, being able to play in a Garden, a Music Room, or even the inside of a Pinball Machine.
The game really shines with its Gameplay. Just like the other Mario Parties, there are a lot of mini-games and each with its own unique aspect. The only gripe with the mini-games would be that some of them are strictly based on luck and require no skill whatsoever (even a two year old could even win at those games).
The game will leave you playing a long time, trying to unlock all the little extras in the game such as trophies and emblems. The main part of the game that will keep you playing is the multiplayer feature. You can play alone with three computer controller players or if you have know some people with a Nintendo DS of their own, you can go on the Local Wi-Fi option (Not Nintendo Wi-Fi connection that would allow you to play online), which lets you play with anyone who has a DS within 300ft. What's great about this is you only need one copy of the game to enjoy it with one to three other people who also own a DS, and that is pretty impressive.
Here's a basic rundown of the game
-Graphics: 8 - Nothing special about it, but the boss models really do stand out very well. -Sound: 7.5 - Like the graphics, they are nothing spectacular -Presentation: 7.5 - The story is straight forward and to the point, but the five maps in the game are pretty unique. -Gameplay: 8 - The Mario Party games have always been about Gameplay, and this one is no exception. Some of the mini-games may be strictly based upon luck, but besides those, there's nothing bad to say about it. -Lasting Appeal: 8 - With a lot of extras to collect and a great Local Wi-Fi option, this installment to the Mario Party series looks to be another hit.
Overall: 8/10
More details
Do you enjoy playing it?
Like playing
Graphics quality
Satisfactory graphics quality
Sound Quality
OK sound quality
Ease of Playing
Very easy to play
Value for Money
Good value for money
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