It’s hard to argue with the Mario Party formula: Four friends, tons of short action contests, and the basic appeal of a board game. No surprise, then, that Nintendo sticks close to the roots with the series’ debut on the GameCube.
The most important addition to Mario Party 4 isn’t the mini/mega mushroom power-ups (which offer more control over how you move around the board)-it’s the optional practice sessions before each of the title’s 50 all-new mini-games. Now players don’t have to learn by losing! The mini-games themselves are complemented by cheery graphics, bouncy music, and amusing sounds that supply whimsy with a capital “whuh” (though it’s worth noting that the GameCube gets to play with things like water and translucency effects). Control is as sharp as ever, so bring a reliable controller to the Party because it will get a serious workout.
Mario Party 4 is not a major update by any means, and the single-player story mode can’t hold a candle to the multiplayer madness for which the game was designed. But if you’ve got the warm bodies, Mario Party 4 will bring great gameplay.