Review HaloBlues 4/5 · Mar 27, 2025
Holds Up Well
Massive childhood nostalgia game.
In my primary school (that's elementary for you Americans, ages 4-11), there was something called the After School Club where you'd all hang out in this room if your parents were working and couldn't pick you up for a few hours. Had biscuits, juice, gaming consoles, toys, a garden, all that shit. They eventually got a …
Massive childhood nostalgia game.
In my primary school (that's elementary for you Americans, ages 4-11), there was something called the After School Club where you'd all hang out in this room if your parents were working and couldn't pick you up for a few hours. Had biscuits, juice, gaming consoles, toys, a garden, all that shit. They eventually got a Wii, and Mario Party 8 was the absolute shit. Kids were crowding around to play this together while others watched; we were only allowed to have 20 minute intervals per group so everyone could get a turn, and I remember stretching the games out as much as possible so I could use the excuse of "Just let us finish this game!" and keep on playing.
Upon remembering this game as an adult, I ended up going out and buying a Wii just for this - and it really is as fun as I remember it being. It's janky in the typical Wii motion controls way where I have to be in a very specific spot moving in a very specific way if I want it to pick up my movements properly, but this is absolutely one of my favourite Mario Party installments to this day.
Love what they did with the city/hotel board (I'm terrible with names), best gimmick in here for sure, followed up by the train board where the carriages can all rearrange. Less a fan of the randomised chance element of Boo's mansion, but it's not unenjoyable.
I'll still force any friends who are willing to play this with me.
