Every good game deserves a sequel, and the addictive, quirky
Mario Party 2 certainly fills the bill. This multiplayer party title combines the gameplay of a traditional dice-based board game with several brief action-game segments, including updated versions of 20 of the best offerings from the original
Mario Party. There are also 44 entirely new mini-game challenges that pit players against each other as they compete to collect the most stars.
Owners of the original Mario Party will be comfortable with this game from the start. Each player rolls a virtual die to advance through various board games, including pirate land, western land, space land, mystery land, and horror land. Several hidden adventure boards can be unlocked as players advance through the game as each player aims to gain the most stars and become a superstar at the end of the game. Various mini-game challenges and booby traps await gamers as they land on some strategically placed spaces on the board.
While Mario Party 2 can be played as a single-player game (against three computer opponents), this title really shines in social situations. This is the perfect game to pull out at parties--assuming you have a few extra controllers in the house. --Brett Atwood
