Topic: Pap's hot topic: How would you reinvent Mario Party?

[NWR_pap64]

I don't know why, but I've been thinking about Mario Party lately and how I was disappointed with MP 8. So I began to think of ways Hudson and Nintendo could update the franchise in order to gain back some of its fanbase. I then decided to turn it into a "hot topic" like thread to see what other people has to say.

So, post any ideas that might help the franchise along. Even if Nintendo will not listen its fun just to compare thoughts and ideas.

Here are mine:
1) Make the gameplay faster: I know that MP is a board game, and board games can be slow, with all the player taking turns and making different decisions. But in the MP games too much happens during a player's turn and when you are doing nothing it becomes a bore. The first two MP games did a good job of this. Both had less features and thus the gameplay ran a tad faster. Again, board games are slow by nature but they can make it run faster by trimming down on the extra options and just offering the basics.

2) Stop making them for a while: Its been proven that when a stale franchise goes away for a while and returns with some new ideas interests comes back in a major way. Nintendo and Hudson should stop making MP games for a while and think of new ways to reinvigorate the gameplay.

Unfortunately, with both MP 8 and MP DS being big hits I doubt Nintendo would order Hudson to stop making them for a while anytime soon.

[Nick DiMola]

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
Unfortunately, with both MP 8 and MP DS being big hits I doubt Nintendo would order Hudson to stop making them for a while anytime soon.

I agree. The only Mario Party game I could really stomach was the original game. It was so fresh and new it was exciting. Since the first the formula has remained largely the same, but has remained successful so Nintendo has no reason to revamp the series.

I would love to see them really turn the whole franchise on it's head and figure out someway to ditch the board game concept. Who cares about this dynamic of the game? Typically it results in people winning for all the wrong reasons and slows down the entire dynamic of the game. I would much rather see them focus more energy on the minigames. Create new ones (with new controls and concepts), refine the old ones, and find a way to tie them together into a game rather than having some board control the flow of the game.

Perhaps making the whole game a big race where you are navigating a maze individually (with 3D Mario controls) and after x amount of seconds everyone is dragged into a mini game where it is 1v1v1v1, or 2v2, or 3v1. All of the prize stars can essentially be the same, except the person who finishes the race first wins a star automatically. While in the maze people can fall into booby traps and come across areas that forces them into a short minigame, slowing them down, but giving the opportunity for coins. You could also buy items to attack people, run faster, etc. Most of the core concepts of the game can survive without relying on the boring board concept.  

[Plugabugz]

Speed. Focus on making it a swift game to play, but not nowhere as frantic as Wario Ware.

And don't cop out on small things like 16:9 either!

[NWR_pap64]

Yeah, I was annoyed at how rushed MP 8 was. The graphics were actually a step BACK! Really, the Wii is supposed to be a tad powerful than the GC. Clearly, they could've created some complex effects while keeping it at 60 FPS.

[NWR_insanolord]

The two biggest things I can think of are that they need to put real thought and effort into the single-player portion and that all mini-games should be unlocked from the start. The second one especially; when I play with a mix of people with different skill levels the randomness of the board is a good way to even things out, but when I play with my gamer friends we want to play just mini-games to eliminate as much luck as possible and as it is you have to unlock mini-games in the crappy single-player or the board game. I know these are common complaints but they haven't been addressed yet.

[IceCold]

Quote
Originally posted by: Plugabugz
Speed. Focus on making it a swift game to play, but not nowhere as frantic as Wario Ware.

And don't cop out on small things like 16:9 either!

Exactly. Plus make better minigames and boards. The remote opens up so many possibilities for minigames, yet the ones in 8 were weak.

EDIT: And also, less randomness for bonus stars please.

[Adrock]

Stop making them every year.

[ShyGuy]

Quote
Originally posted by: Adrock
Stop making them every year.

Q.F.T. One per generation/idea is plenty, especially with WarioWare and Wii-whatever to fill in the first party mini game quota.

[Stogi]

As much as I love the board game set-up, they need to go for more direct competition ala super monkey ball. I only say this because I cried tears of joy playing that game (the original) last weekend and Mario Party could easily top those mini-games.

[Crimm]

You steppin' all ova my grill son?

A: Take them from Hudson.  Start over.

[Ian Sane]

I haven't played a Mario Party game is so long that I don't really have any idea what the current games are like (the last one I played was on the N64).  I think they just need to cut back on them.  Make them once a console like Mario Kart.  At least then Mario Party becomes an event instead of just Nintendo's answer to Madden and Tony Hawk.

I think a "Best of Mario Party" game that takes all the best mini-games and puts them in one package would be good as a closer to the annual releases.  Hype it up big as the last Mario Party game so that everyone pays more attention to it.  Then years later on a new console Mario Party returns and recreates interest since everyone has had a break and isn't burned out on the series anymore.

Hudson is really bad for this sort of thing.  Bomberman for example is an awesome series but due to being oversaturated with it I don't care at all about new games in the series anymore, and haven't for about 10 years.

[Magik]

Quote
Originally posted by: Adrock
Stop making them every year.

QFT

Having literally one game every year is just wrong and screams 'cash-grab'.  Nintendo seriously needs to space out the next iterations but sadly that isn't going to happen since it'll be the same people buying it over and over.  I wouldn't be surprised if 5 years from now we'll be on Mario Party 12 on the Wii and Mario Party DS 5.

[ThePerm]

Ian really not much has changed. I really like the Mario Party games, and actually board games in general. That being said their getting pretty generic and the innovation is quite low.

1 more characters
2 more unlockables
3 more game modes, current mario party is kinda like Candy Land, there are some monopoly-like levels, i would like to see a risk mode.

[Tanookisuit]

I think one way to speed it up is to have control MORE like an actual board game.  You should be able to pick up and move your character to their next spot.  The little walking animations just aren't interesting, ad they slow things down tremondously.  This would work perfectly on the Wii.  Dice rolling should be handled through gestures too.

[ThePerm]

I know nobody has really competed well with Nintendo, but actual Parker Bros and Milton Bradly games are more fun than mario party itself. It would be interesting to see a well made version of these in a packet.
Also, upon research Hasbro actually owns both companies

[Guitar Smasher]

I know it would be expensive and time consuming, but I would like to see the minigames expanded into small parts from other games.  For example, a mario kart race or a super mario level would become the new competitions.  Sort of like a big collection of demos tied into a common formula.  Expand it to 'Nintendo Party' and treat it like Smash Bros.  Not only would this refresh the series, but it will also advertise other Nintendo games, even revivals (Kid Icarus, Pilotwings anyone?).  If it's too much you could simply limit it to 2D games, it could even pull levels from VC games.  Nintendo has so much history and Smash Bros is only one method of exploring it.  It's pretty much a fanboy's dream so you can be sure it'll never happen but whatever.

[NWR_insanolord]

Quote
Originally posted by: Guitar Smasher
I know it would be expensive and time consuming, but I would like to see the minigames expanded into small parts from other games.  For example, a mario kart race or a super mario level would become the new competitions.  Sort of like a big collection of demos tied into a common formula.  Expand it to 'Nintendo Party' and treat it like Smash Bros.  Not only would this refresh the series, but it will also advertise other Nintendo games, even revivals (Kid Icarus, Pilotwings anyone?).  If it's too much you could simply limit it to 2D games, it could even pull levels from VC games.  Nintendo has so much history and Smash Bros is only one method of exploring it.  It's pretty much a fanboy's dream so you can be sure it'll never happen but whatever.

I think this idea is fantastic and the poster should be immediately hired by Nintendo to flesh it out.

[mantidor]

Its very simple, use the damn remote! galaxy had such creative ways of using it in certain parts and they were pretty awesome.

[UncleBob]

As been said before, speed it up!

The only reason I don't whip out some Mario Party whenever people are over is because it takes so long... And then there are those who want to practice and practice the minigame over and over...