Goatman Brigance

As with almost every other Wii title, the soundtrack is phenomenal and upbeat. It fits so perfectly with the vibe they were going for and saying they did it well is an understatement. I still find myself jamming out to each and every one of the absolute bangers of the board music, the amazing melodies of the minigames, and the simple yet funky vibe of the menu screens. While I can admit that some of the minigames have their issues, I still find them fun. I never understood why people knock it for using motion controls when they're not that bad and are implemented well. Besides, the motions controls were what MADE the Wii what it was, so it's not exactly surprising they went that direction. The host is my ABSOLUTE favorite, MC Ballyhoo and Big Top. I've heard a lot of people call him annoying or ugly, but he's so full of life. And he's the last host who was like this too. Then the rest of the series so far has been generic Yellow Toad, Toad, and Toadette. Ballyhoo's design is creative and really captures the feel of the game. He's such a fun character and I would've loved to see more of him. The setting is really fun, being a massive carnival which felt so much more in line with the Mario Party formula than just having the characters argue about who's the best. One thing no one can deny though, is the character roster. Sure, it's no Super Mario Party. But it's got Toad, Toadette, and Birdo which have been restricted to hosts now. It's got Dry Bones, Hammer Bro, and even Blooper which I thought was pretty funny. Unfortunately in the recent Mario Partys, boards have been what's suffered the most. They're bland and unexciting. Basic grasslands, basic underwater, basic bowser's castle. But 8 has six boards each with a fun and unique gimmick which means that even today, you can play the same board and have a unique experience as opposed to Mario party 9, 10, and Super's same old going around in a circle. Instead, Mario Party 8 has a SPACE STATION instead of a Bowser's Castle. While I'm not a huge fan of the board, the idea is still more creative than the normal lava formula. There's of course Goomba's Booty Boardwalk which is a linear board that can sometimes be fun for a more chill yet challenging game. There's DK's Treetop Temple for a more normal game of Mario Party while still adding many different mechanics and traps throughout. But the real fun comes from boards like Shy Guy's Perplex Express where the train cars shift around, King Boo's Haunted Hideaway which is quite literally different not just every game, but after every star. A mysterious maze you must cautiously but hastily make decisions in order to progress. There's a lot of strategy to be had in going slow and letting other players take the hit, or going faster and taking the risk to get the star. But of course, the favorite among many fans, is Koopa's Tycoon Town. There's so much strategy here. It's what Monopoly wishes it could be. Investing money in hotels to get stars is such a brilliant idea. Each borard feels so distinct from each other, which really makes me disappointed in the previous installments. I may have some bias because this game was my entire childhood, sure. But at the end of the day, I still enjoy playing this game to this day and without a doubt in my mind say it is the best in the series. And I feel like I've provided sufficient feedback to prove that. It's the last time we've seen the full potential of what I know Mario Party can truly be. And by the fact that as of writing this, my review is still the ONLY one here, I think it's safe to say this game is severely underrated.

The fact that this got a 4/10 by IGN is an ACTUAL crime. This was made by ONE guy and it's better than 90% of indie horror games these days. The way FNAF's heading? This game was better than most Triple A horror games! This game was absolutely amazing. It had cinematic shots, good lighting, voice acting, a fun and gripping plot that doesn't drag on too long, a satisfying ending, an in depth map and control scheme, I could go on. This game is great.