Description:

All the old favourites including Mario, Luigi, Peach and Yoshi are back in this latest Mario Party installment, along with a couple of new faces, such as Blooper and Hammer Bro, who previously appeared for the first time in the original Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Players must move around the board by throwing a dice and at the end of each turn they are faced with a humorous yet challenging mini-game. This really is the perfect game to play against friends and family thanks to the multiplayer mode which allows you and your friends to team up against each other in both two versus two and one against all challenges.

Combine this zany board game action with the Wii Remote and Mario Party 8 makes for a highly-charged, dynamic experience, with unique and exciting gameplay styles on offer for each mini-game. Such mini-games include a snowboard race, a race on a tight rope, a boat rowing race and even a cake decoration contest. The Wii Remote adds a new level of comfort and novelty to gameplay as some mini-games require holding the Wii Remote vertically, sideways and even like a TV remote pointing at the screen. It also enables the player to cruise seamlessly through the game's numerous different modes. What's more in certain modes, players can use their very own personalised Mii characters within specific mini-games.

The game's main mode, Party Tent, challenges players to take on the computer or up to three friends in a turn-based battle. Each board features different challenges but as a general rule, players have a set number of turns to collect as many stars as they can. Mini-games played in party mode vary depending on the number of players.

If you just can't get enough of the many mini-games, you can devote your time entirely to playing them in the Mini-Game Tent, moving from game to game and honing your skills. Elsewhere players can put their skills to the test in the Star Battle Arena where they must take on and defeat the computer. Other zones include the Extras Zone and the Fun Bazaar all of which add fun and diverse elements to the classic game.

In addition, aspiring Mario Party 8 masters can use the game's multiplayer capabilities to play with up to three other people. Friends and family can battle it out in Party Tent mode, Mini-Game Tent and the Extras zone.

• Play with motion control: Players row their way through a river race, punch a statue to pieces, steer race cars, mopeds and go-karts and handle a balancing pole while walking a tightrope
• Play using the Pointer: Shoot at Boos in a haunted house, rag and drop toppings in a cake-decorating competition, select the correct answers in game show challenges.
• Play using the Wii Remote's buttons: Players jump and pummel their way through a football brawl, hop and run across a field of spinning platforms
• Mario Party 8 also includes dozens of new mini-games, six new party boards and many new game modes.
• Players can transform their characters into many forms, such as player-smashing boulders and coin-sucking vampires.
• Includes "extra-large" mini-games like Star Carnival Bowling and Table Menace.
• One to four players can play Mario Party 8, each with a Wii Remote.

• Mario Party 8 (Nintendo Wii)