Mario Party 5

Mario needs a new party trick. This one is as old as a fly in the soup or a lampshade on the head. Everyone knows how much fun a party hosted by our favourite plumber can be, but five near-identical versions of the same game is too much for even the biggest Nintendo fan to bear. The marvelous fast-paced mini-games in Nintendo’s own Wario Ware make this party look as old fashioned as a Blue Light Disco.

Hudson has always had the knack of producing simple yet entertaining mini-games, and the 70-plus new additions in Mario Party 5 are no exception. There are (still) too many button mashing affairs, but the skilful contests are terrific fun. Your competitive instincts will ensure intense battles with friends. Some of our favourites include ice skating, guiding chomp chains, boat racing, toobin’ down the slopes, a bazooka duel, baseball and mech combat.

A new story mode attempts to make solo play more interesting. Instead of collecting stars, you eliminate three opponents by relieving them of their coins. But while the pace is appreciably faster (the mini Bowsers have turns simultaneously) competing against drones remains a poor substitute for giggling with mates, and there is still plenty of passive waiting. In fact, we have always found all the waiting time between mini-games like rolling dice and watching the same animations over-and-over gets tedious even when playing with your best friends.

The unusual Super Duel lets players use mini-game points to purchase different machine parts and construct a tank-like vehicle to use in battle. It is a close cousin of Mario Kart’s battle mode, but with a slower pace. Bonus mode also adds some long-term appeal, with more fully-fleshed mini-games like fun two-on-two Beach Volleyball and Ice Hockey. There’s also Card Party, a dreary little boardgame version of Mario Party but without the action segments. Stripping out what makes Mario Party fun must have seemed like a smart idea to someone, but they should be sacked immediately. Same goes for whoever produces the horrendously cheesy background muzak, which makes the sound of a dentist drill enticing.

Verdict: 6

Always fun with mates, but the series is stale.

Pros:
- More than 70 new mini-games
- A laugh with friends
- New bonus games

Cons:
- Fails to innovate
- Slow paced
- Boring alone