Mario Party 7

- Reviewed on GameCube -

Mario Party 7 released on November 7th, 2005.

Mario and his friends are back at it for more Mario Party fun!

Releasing back in 2005, Mario Party 7 is filled with great party boards, unlockables, characters, and much more!

Though it released on the GameCube, I can safely say, MP7 still holds up to the level of enjoyment from back then.

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

Mario Party 7's theme revolves around Mario and his friends taking a vacation on the MSS Sea Star, a huge cruise ship.

The party boards are also, loosely based on, landmarks from around the world. 

How is Bowser involved? Well, he wasn't invited and now wants his revenge. 

I actually respect Hudson Soft (one of MP7's developers) and Nintendo for going this direction, giving Bowser a valid (evil) reason to ruin the fun for some players. 

One of my favorite things to do first in a Mario Party title (as of writing this blog post), is check the playable characters.

I was not disappointed in Mario Party 7's roster, as it was filled with a lot of the mainstream Mario series' characters. 

Mario Party 7's playable roster includes...

    - Mario
    - Luigi
    - Peach
    - Yoshi
    - Wario
    - Daisy
    - Waluigi
    - Toad
    - Boo
    - Toadette
    - Birdo (Unlockable)
    - Dry Bones (Unlockable)

To unlock Birdo and Dry Bones, you must play the actual game and earn Cruise Mileage Points, Mario Party 7's currency. 

Within the main menu, are your available game modes for MP7.

The game modes are Party Cruise, Solo Cruise, Deluxe Cruise, Minigame Cruise, Duty-Free Shop, and Control Room. 

The main, essential party mode is where the fun truly lies (in my opinion) and is where you'll find the boards and minigames.

You will have to play the minigames first in party mode to unlock them for free play in the Minigame Cruise. 

My biggest issue with Mario Party 7 is actually the 88 minigames themselves, as they don't hold up in terms of enjoyment when playing them over and over again. 

They unfortunately just seem lackluster in my opinion (as of writing this blog post) and could be due to the short amount of minigames per style, such as Duel, 2 vs 2, Four Way, etc. 

In Mario Party, we typically have different ways of helping ourselves win / sabotaging our opponent(s), in this installment of Mario Party, these are from the Orbs.

You can collect orbs mid-game, from shops or for free, by passing them on the route to the Star(s).  

Whomever has the most Stars (and / or coins) at the end of a Party game session, are declared the Superstars!

As mentioned earlier, there are also game boards. 

For those unfamiliar, game boards are the maps you can play the actual Party on in Mario Party.

The selection of boards in Mario Party 7 are quite unique and have a variety of personalities.

There is one game board that is unlockable by completing the Solo Cruise, and that is (SPOILER) Bowser's Enchanted Inferno. 

The entire list of game boards includes... 

    - Grand Canal
    - Neon Heights
    - Pagoda Peak
    - Pyramid Park
    - Windmillville
    - Bowser's Enchanted Inferno

The music is always a pleasure to listen to in any Mario game, and the music in MP7 matches the game boards / scenarios greatly upon playing. 

Overall, with the lackluster minigames aside, Mario Party 7 is / was a great installment in the Mario Party series and is well worth your time with the many unlockables and characters! 

Pros: 

    - Great Character Roster
    - Fun / Matching Music
    - Unlockables
    - Good Longevity
    - Smooth Controls / Gameplay (FPS)

Cons:

    - Lackluster Minigames
    - Dated Graphics (if not using converters / adapters)

My Rating for Mario Party 7 (on GameCube):

4 / 5


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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.



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