“Mario Party 9″ is the kind of game you’d be delighted to receive as a gift but wouldn’t want to pay for yourself.
The four-player video board game is an improvement on its eight predecessors in every way. It makes the experience more collaborative, so Uncle Joe and Niece Jane are less likely to walk out of the living room hating each other, its minigames are imaginative, and it’s even fun to play alone.
Ironically, though, “Mario Party 9” is outclassed by fellow members of the Nintendo family. I’m not talking about previous “Mario Party” games. “Wii Party,” which, among its many activities, has players trying to guess how other players answered multiple-choice questions about their lives, makes for a better bonding experience. If you’re just looking for a video board game on the Wii, go out on a small limb and try “Fortune Street.” The game, which stars familiar characters from the Mario universe, gives a stock-market twist to the standard rules of Monopoly, resulting in something unlike anything you’ve played before, and even a sort of primer for budding investors.
| ‘Mario Party 9’ |
| » System: Wii » Price: $49.99 |
| » Rating: 3 out of 5 stars |
If you already have both these games, or if you receive “Mario Party 9” as a gift, you won’t be disappointed. The game is deeply charming. After all, it’s set in the Mushroom Kingdom. Have you ever had a bad time there?
More specifically, in this installment, the four players — whether human- or computer-controlled — travel the various game boards together in a vehicle, taking turns rolling the die. This doesn’t have much practical effect on the game’s mechanics, but it frees the proceedings from being a roll-the-dice race to the finish line, with players literally all over the map, depending on their luck. “Mario Party 9” also introduces boss fights, where the four players put aside their differences to help each other take down a bad guy. You’re still competing for the points that determine who the ultimate winner of the “party” is, but the boss fights are another way to make the whole experience seem a bit more amicable.
All this said, the game remains ludicrously luck-based, so you have a one-in-four shot of winning, almost regardless of your skill at video games. Those who are more serious about gaming, though, will still find a lot to like in the single-player modes. There’s even a bonus puzzle game that will warm the hearts of anyone who remembers “Sega Swirl.”
All in all, “Mario Party 9” is a lot better than it has to be. It’s just not as good as “Wii Party” or “Fortune Street.” -Ryan Vogt
