Mario Party Advance

Last updated
Mario Party Advance
Mario Party Advance Box.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s) Hudson Soft
A.I [1]
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Shinichi Nakata
Yukinori Goto
Producer(s) Atsushi Ikeda
Hiroshi Sato
Designer(s) Fumihisa Sato
Programmer(s) Tetsuharu Takashima
Composer(s)
  • Ichiro Shimakura
  • Yoshimasa Ikeda
Series Mario Party
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
Release
  • JP: January 13, 2005 [2]
  • NA: March 28, 2005 [2]
  • EU: June 10, 2005 [2]
  • AU: September 15, 2005
Genre(s) Party [3]
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Mario Party Advance [a] is a 2005 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and A.I and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It is the first handheld game in the Mario Party series and the seventh entry in the series overall. The game was re-released on the Virtual Console for the Wii U in 2014.

Contents

Mario Party Advance differs from other titles in the Mario Party series in its focus on one single-player mode rather than several multiplayer modes. However, traditional Mario Party gameplay is present in players choosing a character from the Mario franchise, moving around an interactive game board, and playing a variety of minigames.

Upon release, the game received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom panned its single-player focus. Retrospectively, Mario Party Advance is widely considered to be one of the worst games in the Mario Party series, if not the worst, as well as one of the worst Mario games of all time. The game was succeeded by Mario Party 7 for the GameCube the same year of its release.

Gameplay

In Mario Party Advance's single-player mode, players select one of four playable characters from the Mario franchise and navigate a game board, rolling dice, using items, and winning minigames to progress. Mario Party Advance.png
In Mario Party Advance's single-player mode, players select one of four playable characters from the Mario franchise and navigate a game board, rolling dice, using items, and winning minigames to progress.

The player can choose from four different playable characters of the Mario franchise: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Yoshi. [4] The player drives a car around a game board, [5] similar to those seen in the previous Mario Party games. The player's starting area on the board depends on which character is selected. [4] The player starts with four Mushrooms. [4] Additional Mushrooms are earned by winning minigames that are played every three turns. [6] The game ends when there are no Mushrooms left. The multiplayer Party Mode that was present in all of the previous Mario Party games is no longer available, and it has been replaced by a new mode called "Shroom City". The aim of the game is to collect all the minigames and "Gaddgets" that were scattered around Shroom City by Bowser, by completing quests assigned to the player by the various inhabitants of Shroom City.

Gaddgets, invented by Professor E. Gadd, are interactive items such as a Morse code generator and a love meter. [6] The game includes over 120 minigames, including Gaddgets. Approximately 12 of the minigames can be played in multiplayer mode, with the use of a Game Link Cable. Certain Gaddgets can also be played in multiplayer mode if players control different buttons on a single Game Boy Advance system. [6] The game also included a paper game board for multiple players that could be played in conjunction with the game cartridge, used by players to roll the dice and to play minigames. [6] [7]

Development and release

Mario Party Advance was developed by Hudson Soft and A.I and published by Nintendo. [3] The game was revealed alongside Mario Pinball Land in April 2004. [8] Mario Party Advance was subsequently showcased at E3 2004, with an original release date of December 6, 2004, [9] which was later pushed back to March 28, 2005. [10] The game's initial release date coinciding with Mario Party 6 's North American release date led GameSpot 's Chris Kohler to speculate that there could be interconnected gameplay between the titles, though this ultimately was not the case. [11]

Mario Party Advance was released in Japan on January 13, 2005, in North America on March 28, 2005, and in Europe on June 10, 2005. [2] The game was re-released on the Virtual Console for the Wii U in North America and Europe on December 25, 2014, [12] and in Japan on October 28, 2015. [3]

Reception

Mario Party Advance received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [13] In Japan, four critics from Famitsu gave the game a total score of 27 out of 40. [14]

While the game contains a large number of minigames and unlockables, reviewers criticized the game's tendency to punish players based on random chance, rebuked the game for lack of innovation in the minigames, and expressed concerns about the game's limited multiplayer modes. [4] [6] Craig Harris of IGN criticized the game's "incredibly basic and rudimentary graphic and sound presentation", as well as its "slowpaced" single-player mode, its large amount of dialogue, and wrote that most of its minigames "are actually on the bland side, featuring some rudimentary platform challenges or memory games that have been done a billion times before in other games. The 2D environment must have restricted the team's creativity in providing some challenges that are imaginative and fun." [7] Frank Provo of GameSpot called the game's multiplayer modes "fairly limited and poorly organized", but said the single-player mode "is very nicely organized and offers a great deal of variety". Provo praised the "colorful" character sprites, but criticized the game's "bland" backgrounds and some of its minigames. [6]

Kristan Reed of Eurogamer gave the game a score of 1/10, writing that it was "practically the dictionary definition of awful", noting that "most - if not all - of its hundred odd mini games are among some of the most insultingly undemanding and badly-designed efforts you'll ever see associated with the beloved franchise". Reed said "a typical game within Mario Party Advance is often tedious, badly designed and completely lacking in any endearing qualities at all. [...] Animation is virtually non existent, the tedious chatty exchanges that take place between characters lacks any imagination at all and the whole project just smells like something thrown together to meet a contractual obligation". Reed concluded: "And if you haven't got the message yet, Mario Party Advance is possibly the worst videogame Nintendo has had the misfortune to publish. Avoid at all costs; this is disgracefully bad." [4] Karen Chu of 1UP.com wrote, "Though I'm open to new possibilities and reinterpretations of Mario Party, playing this game made me want to just jump on my Gamecube and play the original console versions -- even if I have to play against 3 CPU players because frankly, being the only player on a board game that's advertised as a party is just disheartening." [5]

Retrospectively, Mario Party Advance is widely considered to be one of the worst Mario Party games, if not the worst. [22] The game's Metacritic score of 54 out of 100 is the worst for any Mario Party title, [23] as well as any Mario game. [24] In 2015, IGN listed the game at the bottom of its list of "Best Mario Party Games", writing, "Mario Party Advance is the black sheep of the Mario Party series. This handheld version forwent the classic style of four players collecting stars and coins in favor of a single player focused mode. The heart of the Mario Party series lies in its multiplayer, so while this new approach brought a few interesting ideas, it never achieved what made all the other games so enticing." [25]

In 2022, Digital Trends placed Mario Party Advance 16th in its ranking of 18 Mario Party games. [26] In 2023, TheGamer listed the game just above Mario Party-e in its "Every Mario Party Game, Ranked" list, complimenting its minigames while criticizing its focus on a single-player experience. [27] In 2024, Nintendo Life listed Mario Party Advance second-to-last in its ranking of every Mario Party game, excluding Mario Party-e and the arcade games. [28]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: マリオパーティ アドバンス, Hepburn: Mario Pāti Adobansu

Related Research Articles

<i>Mario Kart: Super Circuit</i> 2001 kart racing video game

Mario Kart: Super Circuit is a 2001 kart racing game for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). It is the third Mario Kart game and retains its predecessors' gameplay: as a Mario franchise character, the player races opponents around tracks based on locales from the Super Mario platform games. Tracks contain obstacles and power-ups that respectively hamper and aid the player's progress. Super Circuit includes various single-player and multiplayer game modes, including a Grand Prix racing mode and a last man standing battle mode.

<i>Dr. Mario</i> 1990 video game

Dr. Mario is a 1990 puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy. It was produced by Gunpei Yokoi and designed by Takahiro Harada. The soundtrack was composed by Hirokazu Tanaka.

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

Mario Party is a 1998 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. 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 and was followed by Mario Party 2 in 1999. The game received its first official re-release on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2022. Content from this game was remastered as part of Mario Party: The Top 100 for the Nintendo 3DS, Mario Party Superstars and Super Mario Party Jamboree for the Nintendo Switch.

<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 six 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 5</i> 2003 video game

Mario Party 5 is a 2003 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. 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 10 playable characters, with playable debuts to the series from Toad, Boo, and Koopa Kid.

<i>Sonic Advance</i> 2001 platform video game

Sonic Advance is a 2001 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and Dimps and published by Sega for the Game Boy Advance. It was the first Sonic the Hedgehog game to be released on a Nintendo console with Sonic Adventure 2: Battle on the GameCube, and was produced in commemoration of the series' tenth anniversary. The story follows Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy as they journey to stop Doctor Eggman from taking over the world. Controlling a character, players are tasked with completing each level, defeating Eggman and his robot army, and collecting the seven Chaos Emeralds.

<i>Mario Party</i> Video game series

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. Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto ,and directed by Kenji Kikuchi, the games are currently developed by Nintendo Cube and published by Nintendo, being previously developed by Hudson Soft. The series is known for its party game elements, including the often unpredictable multiplayer game modes that allow play with up to four, and sometimes eight, human players or CPUs.

<i>WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!</i> 2003 video game

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!, known as WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania in the PAL region, is a minigame compilation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The debut title in the WarioWare series, the game is about rapid completion of "microgames", short minigames given to the player consecutively and with increasing speed per each game complete. The game's concept was inspired by the "Sound Bomber" mode of Mario Artist: Polygon Studio for the Nintendo 64DD. The music and sound effects were recycled from Wario Land 4. The game was produced by Takehiro Izushi and directed by Hirofumi Matsuoka. Matsuoka was also the director of Polygon Studio. Mega Microgames! was released in 2003; in Japan in March, in North America and Europe in May and in Australia in June.

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

Super Mario 64 DS is a 2004 platform game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch game for the Nintendo 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 Kart DS</i> 2005 video game

Mario Kart DS is a 2005 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was released in November 2005 in North America, Europe, and Australia, and on December 8, 2005, in Japan. The game was re-released for the Wii U's Virtual Console in North America and PAL regions in April 2015 and in Japan in May 2016. The game is the fifth main entry in the Mario Kart series, and the first to be playable via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection online service. Like other games in the series, Mario Kart DS features characters from the Mario series and pits them against each other as they race in karts on tracks based on locations in the Mario series.

<i>Mario Party 6</i> 2004 video game

Mario Party 6 is a 2004 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Party series, the third title in the series for the GameCube, and the first GameCube game to make use of a microphone add-on. The game 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.

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

Mario Party 7 is a 2005 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the seventh main installment in the Mario Party series, as well as the fourth and final game in the series to be released for the GameCube. The game was first released in North America and Japan in November 2005, and was released in the United Kingdom and Europe in early 2006.

<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 Nintendo Cube. The game was re-released on the Virtual Console for the Wii U in 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 by NDcube 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: Island Tour</i> 2013 video game

Mario Party: Island Tour is a 2013 party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. The third handheld installment in the Mario Party series, the game was first announced during a Nintendo Direct in April 2013, and was released in North America in November 2013, in Europe and Australia in January 2014, and in Japan in March 2014.

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

Mario Party: Star Rush is a 2016 party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the fourth handheld game installment in the Mario Party series and the second game in the series to be released for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was released in Europe, Australia, and Japan in October 2016, and in North America the following month.

<i>Mario Party: The Top 100</i> 2017 video game

Mario Party: The Top 100 is a 2017 party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the fifth handheld game in the Mario Party series, as well as the third and final Mario Party game for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. The game was first released in North America in November 2017, and was released in PAL regions and in Japan in December 2017.

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

Super Mario Party is a 2018 party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the eleventh main installment in the Mario Party series, and the first for the Nintendo Switch. 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. The game was released worldwide on 5 October 2018, and sold 1.5 million copies by the end of the month.

<i>Super Mario Party Jamboree</i> 2024 video game

Super Mario Party Jamboree is a 2024 party video game developed by Nintendo Cube and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the thirteenth home console installment in the Mario Party series, the third on the Nintendo Switch, and a sequel to Super Mario Party, albeit with many similarities to Mario Party Superstars.

References

  1. ↑ "株式会社エーアイ 開発実績". Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2023. Translated: "Mario Party Advance: Responsible for mini-game part only"
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Mario Party Advance". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on October 6, 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Koopman, Daan (January 9, 2015). "Mario Party Advance (Wii U) Review Mini". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reed, Kristan (July 7, 2005). "Mario Party Advance". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 Chu, Karen (April 5, 2005). "Mario Party Advance". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Provo, Frank (March 31, 2005). "Mario Party Advance Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on March 8, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 Harris, Craig (March 25, 2005). "Mario Party Advance". IGN . Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  8. ↑ Harris, Craig (June 18, 2012) [April 1, 2004]. "Two Mario Games for GBA". IGN . Archived from the original on October 9, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  9. ↑ Harris, Craig (June 30, 2016) [May 11, 2004]. "E3 2004: Mario Party Advance". IGN . Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  10. ↑ Harris, Craig (June 17, 2012) [January 10, 2005]. "GBA 2005 First-Half Line-up". IGN . Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  11. ↑ Kohler, Chris (August 26, 2004). "Mario Party 6 to use microphone controller". GameSpot . Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  12. ↑ Rose, Bryan (December 26, 2014). "Nintendo Download - December 25, 2014". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Mario Party Advance for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 2018-12-29. Retrieved 2014-10-23.
  14. 1 2 "マリオパーティ アドバンス". Famitsu . January 2005.
  15. ↑ Vasconcellos, Eduardo (March 30, 2005). "GameSpy: Mario Party Advance". GameSpy. Archived from the original on December 1, 2005. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Mario Party Advance". NGC Magazine . June 2005.
  17. ↑ Sleeper, Morgan (2015-01-08). "Mario Party Advance Review". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  18. ↑ "Mario Party Advance". Nintendo Power . Vol. 191. May 2005. p. 92.
  19. ↑ Leigh, Chris (July 16, 2005). "Mario Party Advance Review". PALGN. Archived from the original on December 29, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  20. ↑ Bemis, Greg (April 27, 2005). "Mario Party Advance Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on May 7, 2005. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  21. ↑ Campbell, Craig (May 1, 2005). "'Mario Party Advance'". Detroit Free Press . Archived from the original on May 3, 2005. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  22. ↑ Douglas, London (May 10, 2022). "Every Mario Party Game, Ranked". Game Rant. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  23. ↑ Caballero, David (July 3, 2021). "Every Mario Party Game, Ranked By Metacritic". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  24. ↑ LaGioia, Stephen (July 31, 2021). "The 15 Worst Mario Games Of All Time (According To Metacritic)". Game Rant. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  25. ↑ Koczwara, Michael (March 23, 2015). "The Best Mario Party Games". IGN. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  26. ↑ Lennox, Jesse (April 21, 2022). "The best Mario Party games, ranked from best to worst". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  27. ↑ Alvarez, Daniel (May 11, 2023). "Every Mario Party Game, Ranked". TheGamer. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  28. ↑ Hagues, Alana; Nintendo Life Staff (July 5, 2024). "Best Mario Party Games Of All Time". Nintendo Life . Gamer Network . Retrieved September 17, 2024.

Booklets

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.