Mario Party 8

I done went and bought it. I have to say, in the face of all the negative reviews, there are some real positive points for the game. The mini-games (aren't these the point of the game?) are incredibly fun. The Wiimote replaces button-mashing with wanking a glossy white remote. The non-mashing, or else randomized, games are innovative as well. My favorite are the cheesy racing games. The steering with the Wiimote makes driving a go-kart a heck of a lot more fun than the analog stick.

However, many of the negative reviews were right on a few points. First of all, 16:9 televisions make the game look like utter shit. You will have to go into the Wii Settings and set your screen to 4:3 to avoid the nasty patterned bars down both sides of the screen. After doing that, the game doesn't even look particularly nice. Also, there is the problem of some of the boards. About half of them are really, really fun but the others are about as fun as trying to sterilize yourself with a toilet seat.

Playing with friends is really fun. Mario Party 8 also makes it easier for non-gamers to join in with how simplistic the control scheme is. But, if you tend to be a hyper-competitive jerk, Games Radar has a guide for you to ensure your kicking of asses at any and all mini-games.

Overall, if you set your Wii to 4:3 (or your screen is already that aspect ratio!) this is a great game to play with a few close friends.