Mario Party: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Already Mario Party 8 is being recognised by many sources in the media as a successful addition to an already flourishing brand of interactive board games, using the Mario characters we know and love to make our way through board game levels of mayhem and chaos in the form of mini games.

Everyone's got a favourite Mario Party mini game of all time, which they wish was in every version of the game (Mine is Bumper Balls! - Ed). The last version included microphone mini games on the Game Cube, allowing players to shout out numbers etc. Unfortunately the mic itself was very low quality and basic, especially considering Sony's excellent Singstar mics that were available in the same generation.

However, the latest Mario Party title goes beyond sound and button pressing. This time, you can row your boat in sync with your friends to win coins. You can lunge for a ball, and generally incorporate movement into a game which always has been and always will be not about the single player, but getting a bunch of friends into the room with you and having a right old time of it!

So far the fun element of the Wii has proven a stonking success, but the true benchmark of Nintendo multiplayer madness has yet to be revealed. When Mario Party finally arrives this June 22nd, the real test will go forward to the waiting public and we'll see exactly what the best of Nintendo crazy party action can do with the Wii's new abilities. We're excited by the prospect of four player mayhem in Mario Party style - roll on 22nd!