Mario Party (video Game) - Reception

Reception

Mario Party received mostly positive reviews upon release, with praise to the party aspect of the game. However, its most common criticism is its apparent lack of enjoyment without multiplayer. GameSpot explains, "The games that are enjoyable to play in multi-player are nowhere near as good in the single player mode. Really, it's that multi-player competitive spark of screaming at and/or cheering for your friends that injects life into these often-simple little games, and without it, they're just simple little games." IGN took a similar line, saying that it was the interaction between players rather than the interaction with the game that made Mario Party fun. Another common criticism was the game's dependence on luck rather than skill, though this was seen by many to add to the game's board game atmosphere, as players who were comfortably in the lead one turn could be losing the next.

Mario Party has been well received by an audience of all ages. Aside from varying age, Mario Party players vary in skill. The game's simplistic and intuitive nature combined with its carefree competitive aspect make it fun for everyone to play, regardless of age or skill. The game's appeal to such a widespread demographic has greatly contributed to its success and the success of the series as a whole.