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Mario Party 7

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Mario Party 7
Packaging artwork, depicting all 12 of the game's playable characters (Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Princess Daisy, Waluigi, Toad, Boo, Toadette, Birdo, and Dry Bones) and several of the game boards
Packaging artwork
Developer(s)Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Shuichiro Nishiya
Producer(s)Hiroshi Sato
Composer(s)Hironobu Yahata
Shinya Outouge
SeriesMario Party
Platform(s)GameCube
Release
  • NA: November 7, 2005[1]
  • JP: November 10, 2005[1]
  • UK: January 27, 2006
  • EU: February 10, 2006[1]
  • AU: June 8, 2006
Genre(s)Party[1]
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Mario Party 7[a] 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, Europe, and Australia in January, February, and June of the following year, respectively.

Like most installments in the Mario Party series, Mario Party 7 features characters of the Mario franchise competing in an interactive board game with a variety of minigames, many of which make use of the microphone peripheral introduced in Mario Party 6. Mario Party 7 also introduces game modes and minigames that involve up to eight players competing simultaneously. The game features twelve playable characters (two of whom are unlockable), six game boards, and more than eighty minigames.

Mario Party 7 received mixed reviews from critics, who generally praised its minigames and eight-player mechanics, though criticized its single-player modes. The game has sold more than two million copies worldwide, making it the 11th best-selling GameCube video game. Mario Party 7 was succeeded by Mario Party 8 for the Wii in 2007.

Gameplay

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See also: Mario Party § Gameplay
Mario Party 7 features eight-player minigames, in which eight players can compete in four teams of two. Here, Princess Peach, Mario, Boo, Luigi, Toad, Wario, Princess Daisy, and Waluigi simultaneously attempt to jump rope in the minigame "Grin and Bar It".

Like most games in the Mario Party series, Mario Party 7 is a party video game in which players share the goal of gathering more Stars than their opponents, with each game board requiring a different method of doing so. For the first time ever in the Mario Party series, eight players may participate in either Party Cruise or Deluxe Cruise (the 8-player equivalent of the Mini-Game Cruise).[2][3] Players are split into teams of two and are required to share a controller, with the first player using the L button and the Control Stick in mini-games, while the second player uses the R button and the C-stick.

While a mode for a solo player itself isn't new to the Mario Party series, this game's take is very different from any of the six previous home console games. One player competes against another (controlled by either a human or artificial intelligence), trying to complete the set objective on the board map before the other can. Tasks range from collecting a set number of stars to having a set number of coins on a space. Up to 10 slots of different characters with different phrases may be saved. Once a player has completed all six boards, they are added to the rankings section, where it shows the players who took the least turns to complete them.

There are 88 minigames in Mario Party 7, the most in the series up to this point. Like all except Mario Party 2, no minigames from previous editions appear. There are nine types of minigames in the game: 4-player, 1-vs.-3, 2-vs.-2, Battle, Duel, 8-player, DK, Bowser, and Rare. For 4-player and 1-vs.-3, there are an additional five minigames that can be played with the microphone. In 8-player minigames, one player uses the Control Stick and L, and the other player uses the C stick and R. The minigame controls range from pressing a button repeatedly to using the control stick and several buttons. There are extra minigames which the player must purchase in-game to unlock.

Another new addition to this game is "Bowser Time!". This is an event that only occurs every five turns during a Party Cruise match. After each minigame, the meter on the screen will increase by 20% and when the meter is full, Bowser will appear and hinders the players depending on which board that the characters are currently playing. Based on the board, Bowser may destroy bridges, take stars from players, or change star locations. On almost every board at some time, Bowser may take a photo as a "memento" of the vacation and take the players' coins. At other times, he may open a shop that sells the players useless and expensive items, which are then taken by Koopa Kid. "Bowser Time!" may only occur once, or up to nine times, depending on the number of turns played.

Plot

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While taking his morning walk, Mario runs into Toadsworth, who informs him that he is planning a luxury cruise around the world and invites Mario to come along. Excited at this news, Mario accepts the invitation and goes to spread the word about the trip. Bowser later finds out about this and is furious about not being invited, so he and his sidekick, Koopa Kid, plot revenge.

During the game's single-player campaign, the player progresses through every stop by collecting more Stars than another player on each board: Grand Canal, Pagoda Peak, Pyramid Park, Neon Heights, and Windmillville. Once all of these boards have been cleared, Bowser invites the player to the sixth and final board in the game: Bowser's Enchanted Inferno.

In the final board game, Toadsworth informs the player that they must collect a Star in order to confront Bowser. After collecting the Star, the player engages in a final boss minigame against Bowser, who is defeated and ends up stranded on a small island with Koopa Kid. As the player mocks him in the distance, an angered Bowser vows revenge again.

Development and release

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Like all of its predecessors, Mario Party 7 was developed by Hudson Soft[4] and published by Nintendo.[1] A demo for the game was showcased at E3 2005, featuring six playable minigames, multiple playable characters, and both the four-player and eight-player modes. The game's aesthetics and gameplay were compared to those of Mario Party 6.[5][6] The game's earliest release date was revealed in August 2005.[7]

In October 2005, Nintendo announced that a new bundle including a GameCube, two controllers, a microphone, and a copy of Mario Party 7 would be made available in the United States on November 7, the same day of the game's release in North America. The bundle cost $99.99,[8] while the game on its own cost $49.99.[9][10]

Mario Party 7 was first released in North America on November 7, 2005, and was released in Japan three days later.[1] It was later released the following year in the United Kingdom on January 27, in Europe on February 10,[1] and in Australia on June 8.

Reception

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Critical response

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The game received "mixed or average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[11] IGN gave the game a 7 out of 10, stating solely it was "a slumber party".[20]

Sales

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As of 2006, the game had sold 1.86 million copies worldwide.[22] As of December 31, 2020, worldwide sales had reached 2.08 million units, making Mario Party 7 the 11th best-selling GameCube video game.[23]

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: マリオパーティ7, Hepburn: Mario Pāti Sebun

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Daugherty, Josh (November 28, 2005). "Mario Party 7 Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  2. ^ Shirley, Jeff (May 19, 2005). "Mario Party 7". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  3. ^ Williams, Bryn (May 18, 2005). "Mario Party 7". GameSpy. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  4. ^ Surette, Tim (May 17, 2006). "Mario Party goes for 7". GameSpot. Los Angeles: CNET. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  5. ^ Castro, Juan (June 30, 2016) [May 19, 2005]. "E3 2005: Mario Party 7". IGN. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Graves, Robert (November 7, 2005). "Mario Party 7 Breaks Out". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  7. ^ Casamassina, Matt (June 16, 2012) [August 22, 2005]. "Mario Party and Strikers Dated". IGN. Archived from the original on September 29, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Casamassina, Matt (May 18, 2012) [October 10, 2005]. "Mario Party 7 Bundle". IGN. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  9. ^ Surette, Tim (October 12, 2005). "Mario's Party-in-a-box". GameSpot. CNET. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  10. ^ Surette, Tim (November 7, 2005). "Party on, Mario". GameSpot. CNET. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Mario Party 7 for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  12. ^ Rea, Jared (December 14, 2005). "Mario Party 7". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  13. ^ EGM staff (January 2006). "Mario Party 7". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 199. p. 125.
  14. ^ Gibson, Ellie (February 1, 2006). "Mario Party 7". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  15. ^ Juba, Joe (December 2005). "Mario Party 7". Game Informer. No. 152. p. 178. Archived from the original on January 17, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  16. ^ "Mario Party 7". GamePro. January 2006. p. 80.
  17. ^ Davis, Ryan (November 11, 2005). "Mario Party 7 Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  18. ^ Kosak, Dave (November 29, 2005). "GameSpy: Mario Party 7". GameSpy. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  19. ^ Fischer, Russ (April 5, 2006). "Mario Party 7 review". GamesRadar+. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Casamassina, Matt (November 7, 2005). "Mario Party 7". IGN. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  21. ^ "Mario Party 7". Nintendo Power. Vol. 199. January 2006. p. 110.
  22. ^ "Nintendo 2006 Annual Report" (PDF). Nintendo. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  23. ^ 2020CESAゲーム白書 (2020 CESA Games White Papers). Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association. 2020. p. 241. ISBN 978-4-902346-42-8.
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