Summary

Release Year: 1998
Genres: Card & Board Game, Quiz/Trivia
Platforms: Nintendo 64
Developers: CAProductions, Hudson Soft
Publishers: Gradiente, Nintendo

Mario Party (1998)

Mario Party is a board game video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan in December 1998 and in North America and Europe in February 1999. It is the first installment in the Mario Party series.

The game features four playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi. Players take turns rolling a die and moving around a game board, collecting coins and stars. The player with the most stars at the end of the game wins.

Mario Party is played on a variety of different game boards, each with its own unique theme and obstacles. Players can also play a variety of minigames, which are short, competitive games that can be played by up to four players.

Mario Party was a critical and commercial success, selling over 10 million copies worldwide. It was praised for its fun and addictive gameplay, as well as its charming characters and visuals. Mario Party has been followed by nine sequels, as well as several spin-off games.

Gameplay

Mario Party is a board game that is played by up to four players. Players take turns rolling a die and moving around a game board, collecting coins and stars. The player with the most stars at the end of the game wins.

The game board is divided into spaces, which can be either blue, red, or green. Blue spaces are normal spaces, red spaces are warp spaces, and green spaces are star spaces. When a player lands on a warp space, they are warped to another space on the board. When a player lands on a star space, they can purchase a star for 20 coins.

Players can also collect coins by winning minigames. Minigames are short, competitive games that can be played by up to four players. There are over 50 minigames in Mario Party, and they range from simple games like “Button Mashing” to more complex games like “Bob-omb Blast”.

Characters

There are four playable characters in Mario Party: Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi. Each character has their own unique abilities and stats.

Mario is the all-around character. He has balanced stats in all areas.
Luigi is the fastest character. He can move two spaces instead of one on his turn.
Peach is the most technical character. She can float in the air for a short period of time.
Yoshi is the strongest character. He can carry two items at once.

Items

There are a variety of items that can be used in Mario Party. Items can be purchased from the Item Shop or found on the game board. Items can be used to help players move around the board, collect coins, or win minigames.

Some of the most common items in Mario Party include:

Mushrooms: Mushrooms make players larger, which allows them to move two spaces instead of one.
Stars: Stars make players invincible for a short period of time.
Bob-ombs: Bob-ombs can be thrown at other players to damage them.
Triple Dice: Triple Dice allow players to roll the die three times on their turn.

Development

Mario Party was developed by Hudson Soft, a Japanese video game developer. The game was directed by Kensuke Tanabe, who had previously worked on the Super Mario 64 development team.

Mario Party was originally conceived as a multiplayer mode for Super Mario 64. However, the mode was eventually scrapped due to time constraints. Tanabe and his team then decided to develop Mario Party into a standalone game.

Mario Party was developed in approximately one year. The game’s development team was small, consisting of only 10 people.

Reception

Mario Party was a critical and commercial success. The game received positive reviews from critics, who praised its fun and addictive gameplay, as well as its charming characters and visuals. Mario Party was also a commercial success, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.

Mario Party has been followed by nine sequels, as well as several spin-off games. The Mario Party series is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.

Legacy

Mario Party is a classic board game that is still fun to play today. The game’s simple gameplay and charming characters make it a great choice for parties and family gatherings. Mario Party has also been influential in the development of other board game video games, such as the Mario Party series and the Party Games series.

Conclusion

Mario Party (1998) is a fun and addictive board game that is still enjoyed by people of all ages. The game’s simple gameplay, charming characters, and variety of minigames make it a great choice for parties and family gatherings. Mario Party is a classic game that deserves its place in the pantheon of great video games.