Mario Party 6

Last updated

Mario Party 6
Mario Party 6 Coverart.png
North American box art
Developer(s) Hudson Soft
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Shuichiro Nishiya
Producer(s)
  • Atsushi Ikeda
  • Hiroshi Sato
Composer(s)
  • Hironobu Yahata
  • Shinya Outouge
Series Mario Party
Platform(s) GameCube
Release
  • JP: November 18, 2004
  • NA: December 6, 2004
  • EU: March 18, 2005
  • AU: September 15, 2005
Genre(s) Party
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Mario Party 6 [lower-alpha 1] is the sixth installment in the Mario Party series of board game-style party video games by Nintendo and is the third game in the series made for the GameCube and was released in Japan on November 18, 2004; in North America on December 6, 2004; in Europe on March 18, 2005; and in Australia on September 15, 2005. It is the first GameCube game to make use of a microphone add-on. [1]

Contents

Mario Party 6 received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the day-and-night system, boards, and minigames, but was criticized for the microphone feature and its perceived lack of originality.

Mario Party 6 is followed by Mario Party Advance and Mario Party 7 .

Gameplay

Mario battling Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi in the "Verbal Assault" minigame Mario Party 6.jpg
Mario battling Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi in the "Verbal Assault" minigame
Mario Party 6 was the first game to make use of the GameCube Microphone. GameCube-Microphone.jpg
Mario Party 6 was the first game to make use of the GameCube Microphone.

In Mario Party 6, up to 4 players take turns moving on board game-style stages, often playing multiplayer minigames to earn coins and stars. The object of the game is to amass the most coins and stars before completing a set number of turns. This is the first game to take out the coin bonus star, replacing it with the Orb star, which is awarded to the player that used the most Orbs. On multiplayer boards, the sun will periodically set or rise (every three turns), producing different effects. Changes include spaces moving, different characters appearing, and changes to minigames. This is reflected in two new characters, Brighton and Twila, representing the sun and moon respectively.

All 10 playable characters from Mario Party 5 return in this game: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, Toad, Yoshi, Koopa Kid, and Boo. Toadette is also playable as a newcomer. There are 82 minigames in total.

Brighton and Twila, the sun and the moon who watch over the Mario Party world, argue over who is more popular. Mario suggests they collect as many Stars as they can to end this.

This was the last game in the Mario Party series to have the autoplay capability in Party mode (where all players can be manually set to AI, thus enabling the game to "play itself" without any human player). Every Mario Party game after this will not allow there to be less than one active human player at any time, unless a code is used.

Orbs

Orbs are special items players can either collect on the board or buy with coins at the Orb Hut. They can be used in many ways to give a player an advantage, such as stealing coins from rivals, hampering a rival's progress, or quickly obtaining stars. In Mario Party 5, these were called capsules. Unlike in Mario Party 5, the player does not have to pay to use Orbs on his or herself and may find coins in Orbs. How Orbs are used is determined by the Orb's type. These are: Self, Space, Roadblock and Special. Roadblock type Orbs are one-use only and trigger when passed. Space type Orbs transform a space into a character space and only work if a rival lands on the space. If a player stops on their own character space, they gain five coins. Self type Orbs add buffs to the player that used them such as additional Dice Blocks. Special Orbs are used automatically to protect players' coins or stars from being stolen from Pink Boo and Chain Chomp, occurrences exclusive to certain boards.

Solo Mode

Solo Mode is where a single player embarks on a special single-row board with a set number of spaces to collect minigames. The player may also choose a teammate (for 2 vs 2 minigames). Also the player plays minigames with the computer-controlled Red, Green, and Blue Koopa Kids. The dice block for Solo Mode only has the numbers 1–6 on it, unlike Party Mode where the dice blocks have numbers ranging from 1–10. At the end of the board, there is an exclusive rare minigame space, where the player receives a rare minigame without needing to play it. If the player goes past the rare minigame space, they fall off the board and lose all of the minigames they have acquired. To win, the player must land on the rare minigame space, or quit (without getting a rare minigame).

Minigames

There are 82 minigames in Mario Party 6. No minigames from the previous installments of this series return. New to this edition are mic and rare minigames. In mic minigames, players must say words into the GameCube microphone to perform different actions. The majority of rare games are usually obtained by stopping on the space at the end of Solo Mode, although one is purchased in the Star Bank. The minigames are divided into 4-player, 1-vs.-3, 2-vs.-2, Battle, Duel, DK, Bowser, Mic and Rare.

Reception

The game received "mixed or average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [2] GameSpot cited great family and multiplayer fun, but criticized the game for having the same ideas of older Mario Party games. [9] IGN criticized the game's lack of originality and the microphone. [11] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 3 eights and a 7 for a total of 31 out of 40. [5]

Retrospectively, the game has been called by some critics as one of the best games in the series, citing the day-and-night system as an innovation that sets Mario Party 6 apart from other games in the series. [15] [16] [17] [18]

During the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Mario Party 6 for "Console Children's Game of the Year". [19]

Mario Party 6 sold 1.63 million copies, making it the worst-selling home console Mario Party game. [20] [21]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: マリオパーティ6, Hepburn: Mario Pāti Shikkusu

Related Research Articles

<i>Mario Party</i> (video game) 1998 video game

Mario Party is a party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on December 18, 1998, in North America on February 8, 1999, and in Europe and Australia on March 9, 1999. The game was targeted at a young audience. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto served as development supervisor. It received mostly positive critical reviews for its multiplayer mode, concept, and music; disapproval of its slow pacing; and mixed reviews of its graphics. It is the first installment in the Mario Party series, followed by Mario Party 2 in 1999 for Nintendo 64. The game received its first official re-release on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on November 2, 2022.

<i>Donkey Kong 64</i> 1999 video game

Donkey Kong 64 is a 1999 platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the only Donkey Kong game to feature 3D gameplay. As the gorilla Donkey Kong, the player explores themed levels to collect items and rescue his kidnapped family members from King K. Rool. The player completes minigames and puzzles as five playable Kong characters—each with their own special abilities—to receive bananas and other collectibles. In multiplayer modes, up to four players can compete in deathmatch and last man standing games.

<i>Mario Party 4</i> 2002 video game

Mario Party 4 is a 2002 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The game is the fourth installment in the Mario Party series and is the first game in the series to be released for the GameCube. Like the previous games in the series, it features eight playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Princess Daisy, and Waluigi from the Mario franchise, who can be directed as characters on 6 themed game boards. The objective is to earn as many stars as possible, which are obtained by purchase from a single predefined space on the game board. Each character's movement is determined by a roll of a die, with a roll from each player forming a single turn. Each turn is followed by a minigame in which characters compete for coins they can use to purchase items and stars.

<i>Mario Party 3</i> 2000 video game

Mario Party 3 is a party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The third installment in the Mario Party series, it was first released in Japan on December 7, 2000, in North America on May 7, 2001, in Australia on September 3, 2001, and in Europe on November 16, 2001. As with the previous installments, the player chooses between eight playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Wario, and Donkey Kong from the first two games, alongside newcomers Princess Daisy and Waluigi. The game features duel maps, where two players try to lower each other's stamina to zero using non-player characters such as Chain Chomps.

<i>Mario Party 2</i> 1999 video game

Mario Party 2 is a 1999 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The second game in the Mario Party series, it was released in Japan in December 1999 and worldwide in 2000. The game received mostly positive reviews, who praised the improvements they made to the original, the multiplayer and minigames, but criticized the lack of originality, while graphics received a better but otherwise mixed response.

<i>Mario Party 5</i> 2003 video game

Mario Party 5 is a party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the fifth installment in the Mario Party series and the second game in the series to be released for the GameCube. It was first released in North America and Japan in November 2003, followed by Europe a month later. The game is set in the fictional Dream Depot, consisting of seven game boards. The single-player "Story" mode involves the player winning multiple games against the Koopa Kids to prevent Bowser from conquering the Dream Depot. The main multiplayer game mode consists of four characters from the Mario series playing a board game, with each board having a set theme. The game also features several minigames, which are played after every set of turns. Mario Party 5 introduces the "Super Duel" mode to the franchise, which requires players to assemble and control custom made battle vehicles which can be used in combat against other machines. The game features ten playable characters, with playable debuts to the series from Toad, Boo, and Koopa Kid.

<i>Mario Party</i> Party video game series published by Nintendo

Mario Party is a party video game series featuring characters from the Mario franchise in which up to four local players or computer-controlled characters compete in a board game interspersed with minigames. The games are currently developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo, being previously developed by Hudson Soft. The series is known for its party game elements, including the often unpredictable multiplayer modes that allow play with up to four, and sometimes eight, human players or CPUs.

<i>Super Mario 64 DS</i> 2004 video game

Super Mario 64 DS is a 2004 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was a launch game for the DS. Super Mario 64 DS is a remake of the 1996 Nintendo 64 game Super Mario 64, with new graphics, characters, collectibles, a multiplayer mode, and several extra minigames. As with the original, the plot centers on rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser. Unlike the original, Yoshi is the first playable character, with Mario, Luigi, and Wario being unlockable characters in early phases of the game.

<i>Mario Party Advance</i> 2005 video game

Mario Party Advance is a party video game developed by Hudson Soft and A.I and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. Released in 2005, it is the first handheld game in the Mario Party series, and differs from other titles in that the game is mostly single-player. Mario Party Advance was followed by Mario Party DS for the Nintendo DS in 2007, and was re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2014.

<i>Mario Superstar Baseball</i> 2005 video game

Mario Superstar Baseball is a 2005 sports video game developed by Namco and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The game was created in the vein of other Mario sports games such as Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Power Tennis. A sequel, Mario Super Sluggers, was released for the Wii in 2008.

<i>Banjo-Kazooie: Gruntys Revenge</i> 2003 platform game for Game Boy Advance

Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge is a 2003 platform game by Rare for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance (GBA). It is the third instalment in the Banjo-Kazooie series and takes place between the events of the Nintendo 64 (N64) games Banjo-Kazooie (1998) and Banjo-Tooie (2000). In Grunty's Revenge, the evil witch Gruntilda travels back in time to prevent the events of Banjo-Kazooie from happening, and the bear Banjo and his bird friend Kazooie set out to stop her. Grunty's Revenge retains the focus on collecting items and most of the other game mechanics from its predecessors, but is presented in 2D rather than 3D. Aside from the main game, players can also access minigames such as fishing and target shooting.

<i>Mario Party 7</i> 2005 video game

Mario Party 7 is a party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the GameCube in November 2005. The seventh main installment in the Mario Party series, it makes use of the microphone peripheral introduced in Mario Party 6, and features twelve characters, including two new unlockable characters: Birdo and Dry Bones. Koopa Kid was omitted as a playable character, after being playable in the two previous games.

<i>Mario Party 8</i> 2007 video game

Mario Party 8 is a 2007 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the eighth main installment in the Mario Party series, as well as the first title in the series to be released for the Wii.

<i>Mario Party DS</i> 2007 video game

Mario Party DS is a 2007 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the second handheld game in the Mario Party series, as well as the last game in the series to be developed by Hudson Soft, as all subsequent titles have been developed by NDcube. The game was later released on the Virtual Console for the Wii U in April 2016.

<i>Mario Party 9</i> 2012 video game

Mario Party 9 is a 2012 party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The ninth main installment in the Mario Party series, it was announced at E3 2011 and released in Europe, North America, and Australia in March 2012, followed by Japan a month later. It was the first game in the series not to be developed by Hudson Soft, which was acquired and dissolved by Konami on March 1, 2012, the day before the game's European release. Instead, development was taken over by Nintendo studio NDCube. This was also the final Mario game to be released on the Wii.

<i>Wii Party</i> 2010 party video game published by Nintendo

Wii Party is a party video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game heavily borrows game play elements from the Mario Party series, another Nintendo franchise. It is also the first game in the Wii series that Shigeru Miyamoto did not produce. The game was released in Japan on July 8, 2010, in North America on October 3, 2010, in Australia on October 7, 2010, and in Europe on October 8, 2010. Wii Party was revealed by Satoru Iwata in a Financial Results Briefing on May 7, 2010. It received mixed to positive reviews from critics and sold 9.35 million copies worldwide as of September 2021. A sequel, Wii Party U, was released for the Wii U on October 25, 2013.

<i>Mario Party 10</i> 2015 video game

Mario Party 10 is a 2015 party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Wii U video game console. It is the tenth home console release in the Mario Party series and a part of the larger Mario franchise. Featuring gameplay similar to the prior series entries, players compete against each other and computer-controlled characters to collect the most mini-stars, traversing a game board and engaging in minigames and other challenges. There are multiple game modes, including one where players traverse a board in a vehicle, sabotaging each other and making choices to collect the most mini-stars by the end. Mario Party 10 adds two modes over its predecessors: Bowser Party, where four players compete in a team against a fifth who controls Bowser on the Wii U GamePad, and Amiibo Party, where players use Amiibo figures. Their gameplay is interspersed by over 70 minigames with various play styles.

<i>Mario Party: Star Rush</i> 2016 video game

Mario Party: Star Rush is a party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the fourth handheld game in the Mario Party series. The game features a new party mode known as Toad Scramble which deviates from the normal Mario Party series in its removal of turn-based gameplay in favor of the ability to move at will, simultaneous with other players, and without set paths on the game board.

<i>Super Mario Party</i> 2018 video game

Super Mario Party is a party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. The eleventh main entry in the Mario Party series, the game was described as a "complete refresh" of the franchise, bringing back and revitalizing gameplay elements from older titles while also introducing new ones to go along with them. It was released worldwide on 5 October 2018 and sold 1.5 million copies by the end of the month. As of September 30, 2023, the game has sold more than 19.66 million copies worldwide, making it one of the top ten best-selling games on the system. Mario Party Superstars, a game featuring maps remastered from earlier entries and a return to the original formula, was released in 2021.

<i>Mario Party Superstars</i> 2021 video game

Mario Party Superstars is a 2021 party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the twelfth home console installment in the Mario Party series, and the second for the Nintendo Switch following Super Mario Party (2018). It was released on October 29, 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 Kohler, Chris (August 26, 2004). "Mario Party 6 to use microphone controller". Gamespot. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Mario Party 6 for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  3. ↑ EGM staff (February 2005). "Mario Party 6". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 188. p. 114.
  4. ↑ Gibson, Ellie (July 4, 2005). "Mario Party 6". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "New Famitsu scores ....BURINKUSU > *". NeoGAF. November 10, 2004. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  6. ↑ Miller, Matt (February 2005). "Mario Party 6". Game Informer . No. 142. p. 117. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  7. ↑ Bro Buzz (December 3, 2004). "Mario Party 6 Review for GameCube on GamePro.com". GamePro . Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  8. ↑ Gee, Brian (December 22, 2004). "Mario Party 6 Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on May 22, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  9. 1 2 Davis, Ryan (December 6, 2004). "Mario Party 6 Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  10. ↑ Williams, Bryn (December 6, 2004). "GameSpy: Mario Party 6". GameSpy. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  11. 1 2 Schneider, Peer (December 8, 2004). "Mario Party 6 Review". IGN . Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Mario Party 6". Nintendo Power . Vol. 188. February 2005. p. 113.
  13. ↑ "RECENT RELEASES". Detroit Free Press . February 13, 2005. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  14. ↑ Hill, Jason (October 6, 2005). "Fresh and engaging". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on July 18, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  15. ↑ "The 7 Best Mario Party Games (& The 8 Worst)". Game Rant. December 23, 2019. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Mario Party: Ranking Every Game From Worst To Best". TheGamer. June 14, 2017. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  17. ↑ Koczwara, Michael (March 23, 2015). "The Best Mario Party Games". IGN. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  18. ↑ Clark, Ashley (August 21, 2020). "Mario Party Games Ranked from Worst to Best". High Ground Gaming. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  19. ↑ "2005 Awards Category Details Console Children's Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Nintendo 2005 Annual Report" (PDF). p. 37. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  21. ↑ Ben Parfitt. "Pokémon hits 100m milestone". MCV . Archived from the original on April 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.