It took a while for them to get the recognition their fans think they deserve, but the GameCubeMario Partytitles, starting withMario Party 4in 2002, are considered almost as worthy as the original trilogy ofMario Partygames released on the Nintendo 64. Even though they got more gimmicky as time went on, this quartet of games is now old enough for nostalgia and fresher perspectives offered bynewerMario Partytitlesto alter the public’s opinion on them. All the games have their fans, butMario Party 4is probably the one that stayed the most faithful to the formula established by the Nintendo 64 games.
Mario Party 5introduced Capsules, removed Donkey Kong’s playability and gave him a space that acts as a good counterpart to the Bowser space, and extended the overall playable cast from eight characters to ten.Mario Party 6retooled Capsules and turned them into purchasable Orbs, but was also the starting point of gimmicks inMario Partywith the introduction of the mic and having every board rely on a memorable day and night cycle.Mario Party 7gave every board its individual gimmick and introduced 8-player minigames. Two decades later,Mario Party 4stands out from its successors for its lowkey approach.
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The GameCube’s Answer to Classic Mario Party
By the time the Nintendo 64’s lifespan came to an end,Mario Partybecame a series of yearly releases, and the GameCube wound up being a continuation of that trend. However, while the series strayed further and further away from the basics established by theNintendo 64games,Mario Party 4notably took a more conservative direction. It might be due to its status as the firstMario Partygame on Nintendo’s hot new console at the time, so the transition from one system to another had to be smooth. Regardless of the motive,Mario Party 4was arguably the closest thing to a contemporary take on the originalMario Partygameplay untilMario Party Superstarscame out.
Unlike the games that followed it,Mario Party 4did not aim to reinvent the series, but simply apply the basics to the newest console at the time. It even shares its character roster withMario Party 3. Although there is a theme to the game (a birthday party hosted by members of the Mushroom Kingdom) andtheMario Partyboardshave their peculiarities, the gameplay is still rather simplistic, and the boards really are just boards. Players of the Nintendo 64 games might also recognize a few of the items that can be bought in a game ofMario Party 4, specifically the Magic Lamp, which stopped appearing after this game.
Of course,Mario Party 4’s similarities to its predecessors make it easier to appreciate in hindsight, but its unique traits also make it stand on its own. The game’s story mode might be considered tedious to some for how it repetitive it ends up being for players who beat every board with every character. However, it is still nice of the game to offer some single player endeavors, complete with a strongBowserminigame. Combined with the extra modes that allow players to play other special minigames,Mario Party 4’s offerings in terms of modes are not lacking.
On the topics of minigames, they are likely the main reason forMario Party 4’s staying powerafter all these years. It has arguably the strongest 2v2 minigame in “Dungeons and Duos”, plenty of 4 player classics such as “Booksquirm”, and even a mostly memorable and strong selection of Battle minigames, such as Paths of Peril and Chain Chomp Fever. It seems to have something for everyone.
Overall,Mario Party 4is a game that offers something for both people that will always praise the first three games in the series at the expense of the rest, and people experiencing that risingGameCube nostalgia. Unpretentious and charming, it is one of the easiest games in the series to go back to.
Mario Party 4released in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube.
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