Wii Party
A party game featuring Miis and 80 minigames.
Wii Party, a 2010 party game for the Wii, was created by NDcube and published by Nintendo. Its gameplay closely follows the Mario Party formula, and it marks the first Wii series title without Shigeru Miyamoto as producer. By September 2021, it had sold 9.35 million copies globally.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- NDcube; Nintendo SPD
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Director
- Shuichiro Nishiya
- Producer
- Atsushi Ikeda; Hiroshi Sato
- Series
- Wii
- Released
- July 8, 2010 (JP)
- October 3, 2010 (NA)
- October 7, 2010 (AU)
- October 8, 2010 (EU)
- Genre
- Party
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Wii Party includes nine game modes split into three categories: Party Games, House Party Games, and Pair Games. Most modes use the game's 80 minigames, and additional modes focus exclusively on them. In Party Games, up to four players compete. Board Game Island has players roll dice to move Miis across a board, with bonus dice earned from minigame placement and spaces that can move a player forward or backward; the first to reach the top wins. Globe Trot uses numbered cards for movement; players earn coins in minigames to buy vehicle cards or travel at airports and seaports. Reaching a hot spot lets a player buy a souvenir photo for 10 coins. After ten rounds, overtime begins, and the first to reach a hot spot and take a photo ends the game, earning a bonus photo; the player with the most souvenir photos wins. Swap Meet (Mii of a Kind in PAL versions) has players swap Miis from a central pool to collect three Miis with same-colored outfits in two rows, scoring points; the highest points after a set number of rounds wins. Spin-Off involves spinning a wheel to earn, lose, or bank medals; minigame wins let players claim banked medals. After ten rounds, overtime starts, and the game ends when someone wins a Bank Battle; the most medals wins. Bingo has players mark Miis on cards matching balls from a bingo machine; a minigame ball triggers a minigame, and the winner marks a Mii of choice. The first to complete a row gets a bingo and wins.
Development
After Mario Party 8 and Mario Party DS, several key designers from Hudson Soft moved to Nintendo subsidiary NDcube. Satoru Iwata first revealed Wii Party to the public during a presentation to investors at E3 2010 on May 7, 2010. NDcube stated in an Iwata Asks interview that using Mii characters would strengthen the impression that players themselves are playing with friends, rather than using favorite characters from Mario Party. Iwata expressed hope that people would play Wii Party for years as the new standard in party game software.
Reception
Wii Party received mixed or average reviews according to Metacritic. GameSpot gave it 8 out of 10, praising the variety of minigames and modes, calling the multiplayer a blast, and stating it is faster and better than Mario Party. Nintendo World Report also gave 8 out of 10, noting that Wii Party avoids the slowdown common in Mario Party by speeding up gameplay. IGN rated it 7 out of 10, criticizing the bright and colorful graphics as not exactly pretty but commending the clear instructions. GameTrailers gave 7.9, saying aside from a few dud modes and minor control issues, there is little to fault. Phil Kollar of Game Informer gave a negative review, stating the 80-plus minigames share the uneven quality of Mario Party and that the metagames are even worse, with each game type less exciting than the last. In its first week in Japan, Wii Party sold 230,000 units and was the best-selling game that week. By October 5, 2010, it had sold 1,350,791 units in Japan. Worldwide sales reached 9.35 million copies as of September 2021. The game was later rereleased under Nintendo's Nintendo Selects collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed Wii Party?
Wii Party was developed by NDcube and Nintendo SPD.
When was Wii Party released?
Wii Party was released on July 8, 2010 in Japan, on October 3, 2010 in North America, on October 7, 2010 in Australia and on October 8, 2010 in Europe.
Who directed Wii Party?
Wii Party was directed by Shuichiro Nishiya.
More in Nintendo Games of the 2010s
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