Mario Party 1 and Mario Party 2 Comparison

Scoring Note: What? Oh, I never said anything about comparisons? Well, tough! I will be comparing two similar Mario games in this one. Fields will receive scores out of 20, the number of coins it takes to buy a Star, and I will also make it clear as to which game I like better in each field. At the end a recommendation will be made. This was originally written to satisfy a school assignment, and has only been modified slightly, so if you find it too formal, blame my teacher, Mr. Waleis.

The Mario Parties, both being of the same line, are very similar to each other; however, I do not know any other games like them. In both games, players can choose to be one of six characters: Mario, the famous plumber, Luigi, Mario’s less-famous brother, Peach, the princess, Yoshi, the bipedal dinosaur, Wario, Mario’s evil second cousin, and DK, short for Donkey Kong, the ape. (Originality: MP = 20, MP2 = 19)

The game takes place on an adventure board, and you play just like in a board game: you hit a block like a die to move, and something will happen depending on where you land. In both games, you are competing to have Mario Land named for you. The goal is to move around the board to your “friend” Toad, who will sell you a Star each time you meet him for 20 coins. The winner, or Super Star, is the one who has the most Stars at the end of the game. Players must also try to avoid the evil Bowser, who likes to steal coins and occasionally Stars.

Each turn in both games, after every player takes their turn, they compete in a mini-game to earn coins. Depending on where players landed that turn, that game will either be a four-player free-for-all, a one-on-three game, or a two-on-two game. Some of the mini-games are very interesting, and I will discuss some of them as I delve more into each game.

Now that I have discussed the similarities between the two games, I will begin to discuss the differences. Although there are many, please keep in mind that the two games are not as divergent as they seem here, because the differences are in minor details, and the similarities are in the gameplay and the entire focus.

The first difference that I spotted between the two games is that Mario Party has more courses than Mario Party 2 does. Mario Party has seven boards, two of them secret, and the sequel has only 6 boards, one of them loosely secret. However, the boards in Mario Party 2 are larger than the boards in the original game, and I find they are a lot more fun to explore. A full game can take two or three hours anyway, so I do not really miss the one board in Mario Party 2, and since I feel its boards are better than those in Mario Party, I would have to say that Mario Party 2 has better course selection. (Terrain: MP2 = 18, MP = 16)

Another difference is the spaces that appear on the game boards. In Mario Party, there are seven different kinds of spaces to land on. The blue space yields three coins. The red space costs three coins. The question mark space causes something weird to happen; the exact occurrence depends on the board being played. The Bowser space causes Bowser to appear and cause some trouble. The star space starts a one-player mini game, which allows for a coin opportunity. The Mushroom space could give an extra turn or cost one. Finally, the exclamation space causes a chance game in which players can steal or lose coins or Stars. In Mario Party 2, the boards consist of mostly the same spaces as in Mario Party, but there are also three additional spaces, and there is no star space or Mushroom space. The lightning space causes the players to pool some of their coins into a pot, and then players compete in a special mini-game for it. When a player passes the bank space, they must pay five coins to the bank, but if they land on the bank space they collect all the money in the bank. When a player lands on an item space, if they do not already have an item, they play in a one-player mini game with an item as a prize. Since Mario Party 2 has a greater variety of spaces, and includes nearly all of the spaces in Mario Party, I can only conclude that Mario Party 2 has the better, and more interesting, spaces. (Spaces: MP2 = 19, MP = 15)

A third difference is the various things players pass on their trek around the board. In Mario Party, players can meet Toad and buy a Star for 20 coins. If they meet Boo, a ghost, they can steal coins from an opponent for free, or steal a Star for 50 coins. If they meet Bowser, they will have to pay some coins, and may lose a chance to meet Toad. Mario Party 2 is similar, but certainly not the same. Toad still charges 20 coins, but Boo charges five coins to steal an opponent’s coins; he does, however, steal more coins than before. Bowser is no longer on the board, but players can pass his henchman, Baby Bowser. Baby Bowser is much less dangerous because he only takes five coins and occasionally he’ll mess up and award you five coins. However, on rare occasions, Baby Bowser can become Bowser, and if you meet Bowser, you’ll lose all of your coins. Players can also pass item shops, where they can purchase an item. Each course in Mario Party 2 also has a special building players can stop at. Activities at such buildings include calling a hootenanny, changing day to night, and cursing an opponent. With such variety, I again must say that Mario Party 2 has the better boards. However, the Bowser threat in Mario Party 2 is a little too dangerous for me. I’ll take the safer Bowser in the original Mario Party any day. But, at least the Bowser in Mario Party 2 is witty, and it is fun to read what he has to say. In Mario Party, Bowser is just nasty. (Extras: MP2 = 18, MP = 16)

Speaking of Bowser, I feel I need to discuss what he does when a player lands on the Bowser space. In both games, a player may be forced to pay coins. Or, a player may be forced to play Bowser’s Chance Time, where some one gets to pay coins. Or, he might choose Bowser’s Revolution, in which everyone pools all their coins into one pot and split it evenly; no coins are lost, but players can lose, or perhaps gain, an edge. Each Party has one difference for the Bowser space. In Mario Party, players may be forced to play a mini-game in which no coins are earned, but all the losers have to pay Bowser. This can actually be good for the player who landed on the space, if he or she is good at mini-games. In Mario Party 2, Bowser may “multiply” Toad. There will be two Toads on the board, but one is a fake. Buy a Star from the fake Toad, and you get a fake, useless Star, and Baby Bowser laughs at you. However, if you buy a Star from the real Toad, the fake Toad vanishes, and there is no harm done. Bowser is very similar in both games, but I like his mini-games better than his Toad trick, so, finally, the original Mario Party will receive some credit for having the most innovative Bowser. (Bowser: MP = 19, MP2 = 18)

The next category, items, will give a severe knock to Mario Party, however. Mario Party 2 has a variety of items that can be used to gain a special edge. These items can be purchased, or, with some luck and some skill, they can be earned for free on the item spaces. The items help you get to Toad faster; sometimes Toad can not be reached without an item. The items are not perfect; you can only have one item at a time, they are easily stolen, and one item, the Bowser Bomb, changes the safe Baby Bowser into the dangerous Bowser. Since Mario Party has no items at all, there is no comparison in this category. Items are a great addition to Mario Party 2, and I love to use the Genie to warp straight to Toad. (Items: MP2 = 19, MP = 0)

This next category also has no comparison: costumes. In Mario Party 2, the six main characters wear costumes that relate to the board they are on. Costumes include pirate hats for Pirate Land, cowboy suits for Western Land, spacesuits for Space Land, coats for Mystery Land, and magic paraphernalia for Horror Land. Mario Party has no costumes, so it is an added plus for the sequel. However, some of the characters don’t look very good in costume, especially Peach, who always wears the same pink dress. Also, there are no costumes for Bowser Land; I guess the game designers didn’t want Mario to wear a Bowser suit. (Costumes: MP2 = 18, MP = 0)

Finally, Mario Party wins a battle of no competition. Mario Party has a guide who leads you around the board. The guide’s name is Koopa Troopa, and he’ll award ten coins each time a player gets around the board. For each multiple of ten, such as the twentieth trip around, he gives out a bonus. Mario Party 2 has no such guide, although Koopa Troopa is still in the game as the bank manager and as Bowser’s victim. Koopa is funny, so Mario Party gets the point. (Guide: MP = 19, MP2 = 0)

Both games have hidden blocks that occasionally appear when a player lands on a certain space. In Mario Party 2, the blocks appear for free, and they net either 20 coins or a Star. In Mario Party, a fee must be paid before blocks can appear, and, when the block is hit, a player may earn 20 coins, be forced to pay 20 coins, or have Boo brought to them. Since you have to pay for the blocks in Mario Party, and since they are not necessarily beneficial, I would have to say that Mario Party 2 has better and more game-effecting hidden blocks. (Hidden Blocks: MP2 = 18, MP = 15)

Both games have opening credits, but Mario Party 2 has more of a story, with better music and sound effects. After hearing the opening credits for Mario Party a few times, I became tired of them. However, I still enjoy watching the opening credits for Mario Party 2, although I often skip them to get to the game. The award for most interesting credits goes to Mario Party 2. (Intro: MP2 = 20, MP = 17)

In both games, when there are five rounds remaining in game play, your guide tells you the stats, meaning each player’s coin and Star count. In Mario Party, Koopa gets the honor. In Mario Party 2, Toad performs the ceremony. In both ceremonies, there is a guess made on who is going to be the Super Star. However, in Mario Party 2, you never know who’s going to guess, plus whoever is chosen gets a ten coin prize. In Mario Party, Koopa always chooses, and there is no prize. In both games, the guesser is almost always wrong. Still, because it is funnier than the original, Mario Party 2 gets the award for this ceremony. (Guess: MP2 = 19, MP = 18)

Once the last five rounds hit, the game goes into super mode. Blue and red spaces net and cost six coins instead of three. In Mario Party 2, however, there is an additional change: the ever-popular Duel Game goes into effect when two players land on the same space. The Duel Game is a one-on-one mini-game that is related to the adventure board being played. Personally, it is my favorite part of the game, especially when I win. Duels include a sword fight, shootings pistols, defusing a bomb, psychic attacks, making “Mushroom Brew”, and Mario, Peach, Bowser, an offtake of Rock, Paper, Scissors. The Duel Games are very creative, and are nearly enough in themselves to put Mario Party 2 on top. (Last Five: MP2 = 20, MP = 16)

Once the game is done, the ending ceremony takes place and the Super Star is announced. However, Mario Party 2 has a much better cinema scene, in which Bowser terrorizes poor Koopa Troopa, the Super Star appears but is unrecognizable, then the Super Star becomes illuminated and somehow defeats Bowser, and then Toad congratulates the Super Star, who then cheers in triumph. In Mario Party 1, the Super Star uses the Stars they collected to restore peace to the board (Bowser is only injured in two of the seven boards), something bad happens to the player who finished in last place, and the Super Star cheers in triumph. The Mario Party 2 ending can be annoying because the text scrolls by nearly too fast to read. However, it is still very creative, so Mario Party 2 gets the award for best ending. (Ending: MP2 = 19, MP = 17)

The end credits, which you earn in both games for completing the last board, are a separate issue. Both look good and have nice music, but I find that the end credits in Mario Party 2 just drag on for a long time, and get boring before too long. Despite everything else I’ve said, I would have to say that Mario Party has the more gratifying ending. Plus, for a small fee, you can see the ending of Mario Party at any time. That is not the case in Mario Party 2, where you can only see the ending, like it or not, after completing Bowser Land. (Credits: MP = 20, MP2 = 18)

That takes care of all the differences I can think of between the two Parties except for one: the mini-games!

The mini-games are the most important part of both games, and that is why I have left them for last. Players do not need to win in every mini-game, but, despite the great amount of luck that occurs during gameplay, the Super Star is nearly always the player who collected the most coins throughout all of the mini-games. Before I get into some specific mini-games, I will make the point that Mario Party 2 has the better games, overall, mostly because Nintendo perfected what was in their original game, especially the ones where you had to rotate the control stick... ouch! Many of the mini-games in Mario Party returned in an altered form in Mario Party 2. Nearly all of the new games are very creative and imaginary, and are a lot of fun to play. Of the more-than-60 mini-games that appear in Mario Party 2, I dislike only two of them; I happen to feel the game is unfair with those two. The others, which include an arcade game, cake building, archery, a controller jumbler, Red Light Green Light, Russian Roulette, and a penguin race, are all terrific, and make the Party what it is. With more mini-games that are more creative that its predecessor, Mario Party 2 wins this very important category. (Mini-Games: MP2 = 20, MP = 18)

As you can see, Mario Party 2 won in nearly all of the categories, and most of those in which it lost was by a close decision, or else a matter of my personal opinion. This is to be expected because Mario Party 2 is the sequel to Mario Party, and a respectable company such as Nintendo should always improve their games. In conclusion, if you liked Mario Party 1 I would say you should definitely buy the sequel, although at the same time I'd say don't go for it if you didn't like the first because they really are very similar. If you never played either of them, what are you waiting for? It's not an adventure or an RPG, but it is still a great way to kill some time (your choice of how long), and it is excellent if you have friends over... then you can steal from each other! (In the game, of course.) If you are new to the series, I'd suggest you just buy Mario Party 2 because it's better. If you like it so much you want to see the original, you can always get that too. (Overall: MP2 = 19, MP = 17)