Mario Party 10 Reviews
Mario Party 10 is a packed game. With three main game modes, tons of mini-games, and Amiibo support there's lots to do. Unfortunately Nintendo chose to continue to dumb the game down to an uninteresting board-fest broken up by only a couple of mini-games.
When playing a good skill-based minigame it can be a blast, but these moments are far too fleeting. It's a fun game to stick on when you've got company round from time to time, but don't overdo it or it won't be long before people stop accepting your party invites.
Mario Party 10 introduces some great new uses for the Wii U GamePad and makes smart use of the Amiibo figurines, but unfortunately its main mode is still bogged down with bad ideas from Mario Party 9. If you ignore the main mode and explore everything else the game has to offer there is definitely fun to be had here, but it doesn't live up to the series' colorful, deceptively deep gameplay history.
Mario Party 10 strips so much of what I loved about past games and fills those voids with hoops to jump through to get that same satisfaction. . . . I am not sure if the MP franchise is an internal joke at Nintendo, but it feels like they have been trying to slowly destroy my memories of it for almost two decades.
If you appreciated the streamlined vehicle approach introduced in Mario Party 9, and have yet to bored silly by mini-games you'll probably enjoy the vast amount of content that on offer here. It's hard, however, to shake the feeling that we've seen, and played this all too many times before.
Mario Party 10 feels a lot more like a lazily produced cash cow than a game that was made with pride and consumer respect.
When any video-game franchise, mainstream or niche, breaks into the double digits, developers should recognize the unique milestone as an opportunity to revamp the series, especially if the latest entry is making its debut on the mother company's latest home console. Sadly, Mario Party 10 suggests the series has reached a downward-trending low.
The Mario Party series has always been something of an acquired taste, despite the incredibly popularity of its lead character and the obvious potential for entertaining social play, and Mario Party 10 isn't likely to change that anytime soon. There are glimmers of true brilliance thanks to the superb Bowser Party mode, but even this is too limited to have a lasting impact - the same can be said for the incredibly disappointing amiibo mode.
Mario Party 10 ends up feeling like an effort to streamline the series in the hopes to appeal to a wider audience. While Mario Party 10 is still a great party game and fun to play with friends,the fun is short lived due to small boards and a lack of any customization. The mini-games and boss fights are a lot of fun, and some of the bonus modes are a nice distraction, but those don't hold up the game on their own.
Mario Party 10 tightens and polishes the series' mini-game shenanigans and introduces new game modes, for better and for worse.
In the end, if you have siblings or friends who you could play against, Mario Party 10 can end up being a roaring good time for a while. By yourself, however, I would recommend either skipping it altogether or at least know you are dipping into a more minimal title.
While Nintendo could definitely have done more in terms of the new features it's implemented and the level of unique content, the overall package is good, honest fun, and the standard Mario Party mode still has a lot to offer. It's a great starting place if you've never played a game in the series before - if you want a light-hearted game to enjoy with a group of friends, regardless of their skill level, you could do a lot worse than this.
Overall, however, Mario Party 10 is a nice entry into the series that makes some nice additions as opposed to just a simple tweaking of the formula. Amiibo functionality adds something different to the mix while Bowser Mode feels like a new and welcome experience, especially when controlling Bowser. If you're looking for fun party game to play with friends and family and want to humor the inner troll within, Mario Party 10 is one bridge you'll want to cross.
Mario Party 10 isn't a bad game, but it's not a great game that it should have been for the anniversary of the series.
A lack of content and a failure to properly execute on some of the new ideas had me longing for the days when Mario Party games would result in brawls in my living room.
Just make sure your Wii Remotes have those rubber cushion thingies on them before you play. Less chance of someone getting "accidentally" injured.
Mario Party 10 is pretty to look at and it has some interesting modes (like the Bowser mode) to play, but the overall amount of content is a tad bit on the shallow side. The way that player management and competition is handled falls short of Mario Party expectations.
Despite new technology, Mario Party 10 remains true to its roots. New modes add some flair, but odd design choices limit the overall fun.
The game's main game doesn't add a whole lot from Mario Party 9, but the addition of the fantastic Bowser and amiibo party modes makes up for that.