Mario Party Advance
A single-player-focused Mario Party for Game Boy Advance.
Mario Party Advance, a 2005 Game Boy Advance title from Hudson Soft and Nintendo, was the series' first handheld release and its seventh game overall. It broke from tradition by centering on a single-player campaign instead of multiplayer modes. Critics gave it mixed reviews, largely criticizing this solo focus, and it is now often ranked among the worst Mario Party games.
Quick Facts
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Director
- Shinichi Nakata; Yukinori Goto
- Producer
- Atsushi Ikeda; Hiroshi Sato
- Designer
- Fumihisa Sato
- Programmer
- Tetsuharu Takashima
- Composer
- Ichiro Shimakura, Yoshimasa Ikeda
- Series
- Mario Party
- Released
- January 13, 2005 (JP)
- March 28, 2005 (NA)
- June 10, 2005 (EU)
- September 15, 2005 (AUS)
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Players choose from Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, or Yoshi and drive a car around a game board. The starting area depends on the character selected. Each player begins with four Mushrooms; additional Mushrooms are earned by winning minigames that occur every three turns. The game ends when no Mushrooms remain. The traditional multiplayer Party Mode is replaced by Shroom City, where the goal is to collect all minigames and Gaddgets scattered by Bowser by completing quests from inhabitants. Gaddgets, invented by Professor E. Gadd, include items like a Morse code generator and a love meter. Over 120 minigames are included, with about 12 playable in multiplayer via a Game Link Cable. A paper game board for multiple players can be used alongside the cartridge for rolling dice and playing minigames.
Development and release
Mario Party Advance was developed by Hudson Soft and A.I and published by Nintendo. It was revealed alongside Mario Pinball Land in April 2004 and showcased at E3 2004 with an original release date of December 6, 2004, later pushed to March 28, 2005. Its initial release date coincided with Mario Party 6's North American launch, leading GameSpot's Chris Kohler to speculate about interconnected gameplay, which did not materialize. The game was re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2014 and 2015.
Reception
Mario Party Advance received mixed or average reviews according to Metacritic. Famitsu gave it a total score of 27 out of 40. Critics noted the large number of minigames and unlockables but criticized the game's reliance on random chance to punish players, lack of innovation in minigames, and limited multiplayer modes. Craig Harris of IGN criticized the basic graphics and sound, slow-paced single-player mode, excessive dialogue, and bland minigames. Frank Provo of GameSpot called the multiplayer modes limited and poorly organized but praised the single-player mode's organization and variety, as well as the colorful character sprites, while criticizing bland backgrounds and some minigames. Kristan Reed of Eurogamer gave the game 1/10, calling it awful and describing most minigames as insultingly undemanding and badly designed, with tedious gameplay, nonexistent animation, and unimaginative dialogue. Karen Chu of 1UP.com expressed disappointment at being the only player in a board game advertised as a party. Retrospectively, Mario Party Advance is widely considered one of the worst games in the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Mario Party Advance released?
Mario Party Advance was released on January 13, 2005 in Japan, on March 28, 2005 in North America, on June 10, 2005 in Europe and on September 15, 2005 in Australia.
Who directed Mario Party Advance?
Mario Party Advance was directed by Shinichi Nakata and Yukinori Goto.
Who designed Mario Party Advance?
Mario Party Advance was designed by Fumihisa Sato.
Who composed the music for Mario Party Advance?
The music for Mario Party Advance was composed by Ichiro Shimakura and Yoshimasa Ikeda.
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