Topic: Nintendo Reveals Mario Party 6 Details, Microphone

[StrikerObi]

I hope you like singing.

Nintendo has updated their press information with new details regarding the forthcoming Mario Party 6 game. Previous information regarding the game, which is scheduled for release on December 6th, told of the party franchise being controlled with a new peripheral instead of a standard controller.

This new information reveals that Mario Party 6 will be controlled via a brand new GameCube Microphone peripheral. The mic will be included with the game.

Mario Party 6 will include 75 all new minigames, and six new game boards. There is also a new day and night system in the game, which will affect the way the game boards and mini games behave based on the time of the day.

In addition to single and multiplayer games, Mario Party 6 will now include a new game show mode in which players will answer questions with the microphone.

[Ian Sane]

Well I'm actually now less interested in this game then I was before.  That probably wasn't their intent.  But that's just because microphone games generally always suck so past experience has swayed my decision.  I mumble too much and have a very low voice so my experience with voice recognition has always been negative.  I wonder if like Hey You Pikachu this game will be designed with kid's voices in mind and thus won't work worth crap for adults.

I'm glad Nintendo is changing up the Mario Party formula.  I'm sad they picked such a traditionally lame gimmick like voice recognition to do it.  They hyped it up as something much more interesting and original.  None of us thought it would be this and there's a reason: voice recognition is lame.  I hope this isn't any indication of the "new types of gameplay" we'll see on the Revolution.

And how is this going to work for a four-player game?  Do you take turns?  Do you need FOUR MICS?

[Bill Aurion]

I, on the otherhand, think this turned out to be better than I thought it would be...I was thinking it would turn into some Eyetoy thing(which I think is lame), and it's not...(um, using voice technology in a party game IS new)

*has no idea what Ian was expecting*

[SgtShiversBen]

Yeah, I agree with Billy Bob here.  I would have hated if they used a camera thing.  I loathe the idea of having to get up and jump around to play a damn game.  If I wanted that, I would have bought DDR.  (well, i did, but it's for my girlfriend)  At least with the microphone, I can still be a slob and sit there, just now I can't eat chips while I play the game.  DAMN YOU NINTENDO!! MY CHIPS!!

[Ian Sane]

"*has no idea what Ian was expecting*"

I wasn't specifically expecting anything.  Just something neat and creative.  I find voice recognition lame and it's been done before.  Nintendo made it out like it would be something unique like using Konga drums for that new DK platformer.  I was just expecting something legitimately interesting and this isn't, at least not to me.  It's entirely my own personal opinion though.  It's not like Nintendo is f*cked or anthing because of this.

[joshnickerson]

This... is interesting to say the least. A lot of voice recognition games in the past have failed due to many problems with the software (PS2's Lifeline, Nintendo's own Hey You Pikachu!), while others have done well (Karaoke Revolution). As long as Nintendo has ironed out all the bugs with voice recognition, it should prove to very interesting. Of course, I've never been interested in the Mario Party games to begin with, so I'll just watch and see how it does.

*sits back and waits for IGN to report about the microphone, then predict the downfall of Nintendo*

Regarding four player games... I'm wondering a bit about that too. I'm sure Nintendo remember the backlash about the GBA requirement for Crystal Chronicles, so more than likely if you don't have enough microphones, you'll probably be alternating... in fact, I'm pretty sure that'll be the case, since the mics might pick up other people's instructions and confuse your character.
I know Donkey Konga can use the standard GC controllers in place of drums, so perhaps MP6 will do something similar...  

[Perfect Cell]

Mario Kareoke Revolution....

[kirby_killer_dedede]

"Well I'm actually now less interested in this game then I was before.  That probably wasn't their intent.  But that's just because microphone games generally always suck so past experience has swayed my decision.  I mumble too much and have a very low voice so my experience with voice recognition has always been negative.  I wonder if like Hey You Pikachu this game will be designed with kid's voices in mind and thus won't work worth crap for adults.

I'm glad Nintendo is changing up the Mario Party formula.  I'm sad they picked such a traditionally lame gimmick like voice recognition to do it.  They hyped it up as something much more interesting and original.  None of us thought it would be this and there's a reason: voice recognition is lame.  I hope this isn't any indication of the "new types of gameplay" we'll see on the Revolution.

And how is this going to work for a four-player game?  Do you take turns?  Do you need FOUR MICS?"

"I, on the otherhand, think this turned out to be better than I thought it would be...I was thinking it would turn into some Eyetoy thing(which I think is lame), and it's not...(um, using voice technology in a party game IS new)

*has no idea what Ian was expecting*"

Actually, Ian, mike games have shown themsleves off this generation with Karaoke Revolution, which, as far as I know, has been immensley popular...

And Bill, going off of that Karaoke Revolution deal, party game with a mike is NOT new.

Oh, and BTW, GCA is reporting two new games have been annoucned to use the mic.  Apparently, we're getting some sort of Karaoke Revolution as well, as well as a DDR (DDR using a mic?  Weird...)

[Bill Aurion]

I don't consider karaoke games "party games" persay...

[Ian Sane]

"DDR using a mic? Weird..."


Whooo!  Let's play some DDR.  *grabs mic*  "Left! Down! Up! Up! Left and Down at the same time!"

[nickmitch]

I wonder if it'll come with a small shower to sing in. . .

[joeamis]

This is a disapointment to me.  They heralded this as something new that's easier than using a controller.  I didn't see how Mario Party could be hard, even for the most young players, especially given it only using a few buttons on the controller.  Now the requirements for multiplayer will probably require either a microphone for each person.  This is like the gba requirement for some games multiplayer.  

[Perfect Cell]

 don't consider karaoke games "party games" persay

I do... ive never heard of people playing Karaeoke Revolution by themselves... Heck Old School Japanese Karaeoke is in bars so you can make an idiot out of yourself in front of others...

I dont mind it... but i hope it gets used alot more than just Karaeoke style games...... but we will probably get Seaman 2 by Sega or something...

[MattVDB]

"Karaoke:  Japanesse for tone deaf"

Personally, I think this has potential to be great.  I own the first Mario party, and have played most of the rest, but I thought it was too rehashed for its own good.  This mike thing could potentially bring a lot of life back into it.  Then again, more than half of my friends are in bands, and singing is the norm around me...  Hmm..  I am really looking forward to this game now!

[dafunkk12]

See, the thing is that mic use in Karaoke Revolution and Seaman/Hey You/Lifeline is different.  The reason Karaoke Revolution works so well is it merely measures vocal pitch and doesn't have to do any crazy intensive voice recognition.

Anyone notice a listing for "Get On Da Floor?"  The "Get On Da Mic" game is rap game ala Karaoke Revolution but measuring rhythm rather than vocal pitch.  Anyway, I mention the former game because...  Do I sense dance pad?  (Or at least a packaged PS2-->GCN converter, I wager).

[KDR_11k]

Answering questions over voice detection? Better hope the quizmaster isn't Jack.

I see this as an attempt to bring something tnew to the table. they know they made too many Mario Parties, they know that if you don't like the new stuff the old games are still available.

[ruby_onix]

Quote
This is a disapointment to me. They heralded this as something new that's easier than using a controller. I didn't see how Mario Party could be hard, even for the most young players, especially given it only using a few buttons on the controller.

It's easier on the poor controllers.