Mario Party 8

Mario Party 8 is the eighth installment of the Mario Party Series on a home console, and the first Mario Party game for the Wii. The game is more notable than its prequels for its strong use of the Wii Remote in minigames, as the players can wave it, point and shoot, and many other actions. This game also features an extra mode where Miis as well as the Mario players can participate in the party. Just like Mario Party 6 and Mario Party 7, players can also collect Carnival Cards to unlock new features of the game by simply winning minigames, playing Party Tent, or playing Star Battle Arena, where the player must win in all boards against a single AI.

Story
In Mario Party 8, a whimsical ringmaster named MC Ballyhoo and his talking hat Big Top, has invited Mario, and the rest of the crew to his carnival, the Star Carnival. He has promised to whoever wins is crowned the Superstar and receives a year's supply of candy. This begins the battle between characters in the boards to retrieve the prize

However, upon defeating the last opponent, MC Ballyhoo claims he promised something even better than a year's supply of candy, which is the Star Rod. However, Bowser comes and steals the Star Rod and runs away to his board, Bowser's Warped Orbit. After the character beats one of his minions, which is either Hammer Bro. or Blooper, the character then challenges Bowser to a fight. After the fight and Bowser falls in a hole, the character returns the Star Rod and the game ends.

Gameplay
Following tradition, Mario Party 8 takes the social, strategic game play of board games and adds breaks for quick, action-oriented minigames. In the main mode, players travel across six boards in search of Stars, landing on spaces that are helpful (example: giving coins) or a hindrance (example: sending Bowser in to jeopardize the player). Several variations for these boards tweak the main goals to enhance game play for solo sessions, two-player games and three to four-player games.

Like in the preceding Mario Parties, there has always been a last 5 turn event. Called Chump Charity, the event is only limited to a free Duelo Candy or 30 coins to the last place player, unlike the previous wheels that have been used. Also, every space that doesn't have a player standing on will have coins on top of them, released by MC Ballyhoo, for the players to collect. Every space gets 1 coin on top of them and every red space gets 3 coins for who ever passes them.

Just like the previous Mario Parties, there are also bonus stars that the player can receive if they bonuses are turned on. Just like recent Mario Parties, there are a variety of bonus stars to collect, ranging from winning the most minigames to landing on the most red spaces. Only 3 of these stars are handed out at a time and they are randomized each play-through.


 * Minigame Star: The player who wins the most coins in minigames. It basically means who ever won the most minigames, since coins are rewarded to the winners of a minigame.
 * Candy Star: The player who uses the most Candy will receive this star. Note that it isn't just buying Candy, it's using the Candy the player currently has in the inventory.
 * Green Star: The player who landed on the most green spaces earn this star. Since ? Spaces are the only Green Spaces available in this game, it is earned for players who landed on the most ? Spaces.
 * Running Star: The player who advanced the most spaces will earn this star. It does not count if the player used a teleporter such as a Springo Candy or certain ? Spaces. It only counts if the player advances through a certain amount of spaces. Using Twice or Thrice Candy can help accomplish this star.
 * Shopping Star: The player who spent the most coins on candy earns this star. It is easier to obtain for 1st place players, since they have to spend more money than lower place players for the same candy. The player has to visit shops and purchase candies than run through Candy Areas for this star. Simply visiting shops won't count for the Shopping Star either.
 * Red Star: The player who landed on the most Red Spaces earns this star. Landing on Bowser Spaces do not count for earning this star, as they are recorded separately. Otherwise, this star has a straightforward description: who ever lands on the most Red Spaces will get this star.

With motion control players can row their way through a river race, punch a statue to pieces, steer race cars, mopeds and go-karts and handle a balancing pole while walking a tightrope. By using the pointer the player can shoot at Pink Boos in a haunted house, drag and drop toppings in a cake-decorating competition, select the correct answers in game show challenges. Using the Wii remote's buttons players jump and pummel their way through a football brawl, hop and run across a field of spinning platforms. Another new feature is that players can transform their character using Candy power-ups. Unlike the previous games since Mario Party 5, however, players cannot set up traps.

Characters
Mario Party 8 has a total of 14 playable characters. All of the characters are the ones from Mario Party 7 plus two new characters. Miis can be played in the "Extra Zone".


 * Mario
 * Luigi
 * Peach
 * Yoshi
 * Wario
 * Daisy
 * Waluigi
 * Toad
 * Boo
 * Toadette
 * Birdo
 * Dry Bones
 * Blooper (new)
 * Hammer Bro. (new)
 * Miis (Extra Zone only)

It is notable that the new unlockable characters both made cameo appearances in Mario Party 7. Hammer Bro. appeared as an orb and Blooper appeared in backgrounds of several minigames. To unlock them, a player must play Star Battle Arena once to randomly unlock one (that character will be revealed in Bowser's Warped Orbit), and play again a second time as the unlocked character to unlock the other one.

Team Names
Debuting in Mario Party 5,players could fight in a tag-team match. In said matches, two players were paired together. In Mario Party 6, but not Mario Party 7, team names were chosen depending on which two characters were paired together. This is a returning feature. Here are all of the possible name combinations:
 * Mario + Luigi = Mario Bros.
 * Mario + Peach = Power Players
 * Mario + Yoshi = Fan Favorites
 * Mario + Wario = Big Starrios
 * Mario + Daisy = Flower Players
 * Mario + Waluigi = 'Stache Clashers
 * Mario + Toad = Fungi Fun Guys
 * Mario + Boo = Soul Bros.
 * Mario + Toadette = Marionettes
 * Mario + Birdo = Super Snozzios
 * Mario + Dry Bones = BBQ Ribs
 * Mario + Blooper = 'Stache Splashers
 * Mario + Hammer Bro = Heavy-Blow Bros.


 * Luigi + Peach = Waltzing Brawlers
 * Luigi + Yoshi = Green Machine
 * Luigi + Wario = Green 'n' Greedy
 * Luigi + Daisy = Tango Tanglers
 * Luigi + Waluigi = Lean 'n' Mean
 * Luigi + Toad = Savage Sidekicks
 * Luigi + Boo = Scaredy Pants
 * Luigi + Toadette = Cha-Cha Chasers
 * Luigi + Birdo = Samba Smashers
 * Luigi + Dry Bones = Cry Bones
 * Luigi + Blooper = Blooper Scoopers
 * Luigi + Hammer Bro = Longtime-Foe Bros.


 * Peach + Yoshi = Kind Hearts
 * Peach + Wario = Sugar 'n' Spies
 * Peach + Daisy = Damsels in Success
 * Peach + Waluigi = Sweet 'n' Sour
 * Peach + Toad = Loyal Friends
 * Peach + Boo = Boo-for-Teas
 * Peach + Toadette = High-Flair Pair
 * Peach + Birdo = Pink Superpowers
 * Peach + Dry Bones = Dry Thrones
 * Peach + Blooper = Royal Flush
 * Peach + Hammer Bro = Glamour Hammer


 * Yoshi + Wario = Poached Eggs
 * Yoshi + Daisy = Tomboy Trouble
 * Yoshi + Waluigi = Scrambled Eggs
 * Yoshi + Toad = Good Buddies
 * Yoshi + Boo = Hovering Friends
 * Yoshi + Toadette = Flutter Friends
 * Yoshi + Birdo = Egg Explosion
 * Yoshi + Dry Bones = Sky Bones
 * Yoshi + Blooper = Double Dippers
 * Yoshi + Hammer Bro = Hungry Hammers


 * Wario + Daisy = Mischief-Makers
 * Wario + Waluigi = Double-Crossers
 * Wario + Toad = Crazy Allies
 * Wario + Boo = Double-Dealers
 * Wario + Toadette = Double Agents
 * Wario + Birdo = Rotten Eggs
 * Wario + Dry Bones = Dumb Skulls
 * Wario + Blooper = Drenched Stench
 * Wario + Hammer Bro = Scammer Hammer


 * Daisy + Waluigi = Double-Facers
 * Daisy + Toad = Bloomy Shroomy
 * Daisy + Boo = High Spirited Duo
 * Daisy + Toadette = Perfumed Shroomy
 * Daisy + Birdo = Gallopin' Gal-Pals
 * Daisy + Dry Bones = Daisy Pushers
 * Daisy + Blooper = Bloopsie-Daisy
 * Daisy + Hammer Bro = Barn-Builders


 * Waluigi + Toad = Half-Cranky Duo
 * Waluigi + Boo = Total Creeps
 * Waluigi + Toadette = Half-Pranky Duo
 * Waluigi + Birdo = Double Scammy
 * Waluigi + Dry Bones = Boneheads
 * Waluigi + Blooper = Bloop 'n' Snoop
 * Waluigi + Hammer Bro = Stench Henchmen


 * Toad + Boo = Doom 'n' Shroom
 * Toad + Toadette = Zoomin' Shrooms
 * Toad + Birdo = Surprise Attackers
 * Toad + Dry Bones = Short Ribs
 * Toad + Blooper = Spray Players
 * Toad + Hammer Bro = Stealth Strikers


 * Boo + Toadette = Boo Duet
 * Boo + Birdo = Unfair Pair
 * Boo + Dry Bones = Scary Pair
 * Boo + Blooper = Creature Feature
 * Boo + Hammer Bro = Bad Vibes


 * Toadette + Birdo = Pink Powerhouse
 * Toadette + Dry Bones = Double Trouble
 * Toadette + Blooper = Bloop-dee-doo
 * Toadette + Hammer Bro = Smash Success


 * Birdo + Dry Bones = Bone Chokers
 * Birdo + Blooper = What-the-Bloop
 * Birdo + Hammer Bro = Two-Timers


 * Dry Bones + Blooper = Two-Toned Duo
 * Dry Bones + Hammer Bro = What-the-Deuce


 * Blooper + Hammer Bro = Blooper Bros.

Star Battle Arena
Star Battle Arena is a solo mode in Mario Party 8. The player can first choose a character. Then, the player competes with another COM controlled character. It is similar to the Duel Battles, as the player only plays against 1 COM player. The player advances through the boards in order: DK's Treetop Temple, Goomba's Booty Boardwalk, King Boo's Haunted Hideaway, Shy Guy's Perplex Express, Koopa's Tycoon Town, and Bowser's Warped Orbit, with different rules and sometimes board alteration than Battle Royale. As the player progresses, the computer gets more difficult.

After completing Koopa's Tycoon Town, the player will then compete against either Hammer Bro. or Blooper, the unlockable characters, to win. After defeating them, the player will challenge against Bowser in his final minigame. After defeating Bowser, credits will roll and the player will earn a massive load of Carnival Cards, whomever the player defeated in Bowser's Warped Orbit as a playable character, and the Minigame Wagon will open.

Boards
The game contains six new boards, all with their respective elements.

Candy Abilities
There are fourteen different Candy power-ups in Mario Party 8. Players can obtain a candy from a Candy Shop or a Candy space on the board. Some are not found on all boards, however.

Other Features

 * Minigame Tent: Players can play minigames unlocked in this mode. They can play them whatever they wish or a set of rules such as specific minigames or a set of minigames in order to win something. Completing minigames earns the player cards for the player to spend at the Surprise Wagon.
 * Free Play Arcade: Players can choose any minigame they unlocked so far and play it whenever they want. They can obtain minigames by either simply playing Star Battle Arena or Party Mode, or simply buying them out at the Minigame Wagon.
 * Crown Showdown: Players compete for the crown in a set of either 3, 5, or 7 minigame wins. Players can choose how many people playing and what type of minigames that are going to appear. Minigames from a set are chosen randomly.
 * Flip-Out Frenzy: Similar to other modes in previous games, players win minigames to choose panels on a grid board. When the player chooses a panel, all horizontal and vertical grids right next to it will get filled. The player with the most panels wins.
 * Tic-Tac Drop: Players play duel minigames to drop a ball of their own color down a grid. The first player who get all 3 of their balls win.
 * Test For The Best: The player has to unlock certain minigames to play this and he/she must buy in from the Surprise Wagon at the Fun Bazaar before playing it. The player competes for the best score from playing 10 minigames.
 * Extras Zone: In this mode, the player can play extra minigames such as Moped Mayhem. The player can also use his/her Miis to participate in the Extras Zone.
 * Fun Bazaar: The Fun Bazaar is a place where the player can exchange cards for items, modes, and minigames or check records.
 * Records Board: The player can view minigame sets or the best records here. The player can also view the Staff Records after he/she bought them from the Surprise Wagon.
 * Minigame Wagon: Minigames can be bought here using Carnival Cards. The wagon is only accessible after completing the Star Battle Arena.
 * Carnival Wagon: The player can view any Carnival Figures he/she collected and watch them in a Carnival Parade.
 * Surprise Wagon: The player can trade Carnival Cards for various items such as Sound Tests, Extra Minigames, Carnival Figurines, and other stuff. Unlike what the instruction booklet says, it's always available.
 * Carnival Calliope: The player can listen to music, sounds, and voices by accessing here. Some features must be bought at the Surprise Wagon first before listening to it.

Profile Artworks
NOTE: Other "profile artworks" seen for this game were from previous Mario installments prior to this one including Super Mario 64 DS, New Super Mario Bros., and Mario Party 7.

Recall
The game has had a launch plagued by difficulties in the United Kingdom. Originally scheduled for release on June 22, 2007, Nintendo announced on June 19, 2007 that the English version had been delayed to July 13, 2007, due to a 'production issue.'

Furthermore, upon the release on July 13, 2007, the game was immediately recalled. In a press release, Nintendo gave the reason for the withdrawal as an assembly error, but some retailers were reporting that it was reportedly withdrawn from shelves because some copies include the word "spastic" (as part of a magic spell used by a Magikoopa in the board Shy Guy's Perplex Express), which is considered an offensive word in the UK. Copies without the word "spastic" used the word "erratic" instead. The game was eventually released in the United Kingdom on 3rd August 2007.

Critical Reception
After its North American release on May 29, 2007, the game sold 314,000 units in the United States in three days, making it the best-selling home console game in the country that month. As of March 31, 2008, the game has sold 4.86 million copies worldwide. In Japan, Mario Party 8 has sold 1,239,716 copies as of the end of Q2 2008, according to Famitsu.

As with most Mario Party games, reviews have been mixed. One of the biggest criticisms was the lack of wi-fi and widescreen. Matt Casamassina of IGN referred to the single-player mode as "torture" and commented on the visuals as "graphics don't even impress as a GCN title".

Quotes
For a full list of quotes, see here.

Trivia

 * This is the first time the Star Rod has been seen since Paper Mario, if one does not count the Kirby series' Star Rod's Super Smash Bros. appearances.
 * Instead of the player's stats of the Party Mode being in the four corners like the other seven games, they are down a column in the top right corner.
 * This is the first Mario Party game without Koopa Kid (known as Mini-Bowser in PAL regions).
 * This is the first Mario Party game to be in development/production for two years, not one.
 * Since his debut, this is the second Mario Party game in which Waluigi is not included on the box-art, the first was Mario Party 6.
 * There is a slight difference in terms of Waluigi's art from the group picture; he is seen throwing a Bob-Omb in the group picture artwork itself but the solo version of Waluigi from it shows him holding the Bob-Omb.
 * The Tic Tac Drop mode is most likely named after a game with the same name in the Microsoft Entertainment Pack.