Mario Party 10 [Wii U]

What is it? Mario Party 10 is the latest instalment of the popular party game for Wii U. Up to 5 players (4 using Wii Remotes, 1 using the GamePad) can participate in this charming couch-friendly digital board-game.

Mario Party is easily dismissed as a kiddies game and it’s unfortunate that most gamers won’t dare to be seen spending an evening with friends in the vibrant and innocent world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario Party is straightforward clean fun and anybody can pick up a controller and battle their friends in the huge variety of mini-games and modes.

Mario Party 10 is exceptionally well polished and as the first HD title in the series the characters and games burst with colour. Everything seems less cluttered than previous versions and the use of simple animations and instructions before a mini-game makes the objective and controls clear to players of all skill levels.

Most of the mini-games that build up the core of Mario Party are thoroughly enjoyable and offer a good amount of replayability. Furthermore the option to disable all games which require nothing more than luck is a welcome sight for competitive players.

Disappointingly the Amiibo side of Mario Party 10 falls short of expectations because of a continuous feeling of confusion and way too much tapping of the Amiibo on the GamePad for actions that the Wii Remote could have performed.

Nintendo remains king of local multiplayer party games and nothing on the market can compete with Mario Party 10. Unfortunately the most difficult part will be convincing your friends to join you for an evening of violence-free video gaming.

Available Exclusively for Wii U  |  Metacritic 66/100