Tag Archives: Minigames
Wario Land 4
Game: Wario Land 4
Start Date: January 7th, 2019
End Date: February 1st, 2019
Videos: 11
After having some pretty successful and fun adventures on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, Wario decided it’s time to take things to the Game Boy Advance for his 4th installment. News of a mysterious pyramid full of treasure has started to spread and naturally Wario feels that pillaging and treasure hunting is right up his alley, so another adventure awaits. We have a pretty interesting and unique adventure in front of us this though, so let’s see what it’s all about!
I had initially intended for this project to be the closer of 2018, but with some projects taking a lot longer than I had anticipated (coughFIREEMBLEMcough), I figured there was no harm in starting the new year with it. Besides, with my upcoming trip to AGDQ 2019 and the start of a new upload schedule, something quick and painless seemed like the perfect fit here. The Game Boy Advance was actually quite perfect for those types of games, now that I think about it…maybe it was the best gaming system of that generation!
Mario Party: Star Rush
Game: Mario Party: Star Rush
Start Date: January 5th, 2019
End Date: —
Videos: —
Mario Party was starting to get stuck in a funk, at least as far as faithful, die-hard fans were concerned and Nintendo didn’t really seem to have any interest in going back to the roots of what made Mario Party such hit in the first place. However, when they decided to change things up, remove the car-based gameplay, and try something new with some elements from Mario Party of old…even fans like myself, who were losing hope and interest, took notice of this new change. Say hello to Mario Party: Star Rush!
I was really happy that both Mario Party 10 and Island Tour were over with at this point, because now I could start focusing on some games where I at least had some positivity to share with people, and my first impressions of Star Rush were generally very positive. I don’t think I would take it over a majority of the original 8 installments, but it was a pretty interesting take on the Mario Party gameplay and I applaud the effort that Nintendo decided to take with this one.
Mario Party: Island Tour
Game: Mario Party: Island Tour
Start Date: January 6th, 2018
End Date: February 18th, 2018
Videos: 16
Ever since Hudsonsoft went out of business, people could make the argument that the Mario Party series started going down a very dark road. However, that didn’t stop Nintendo from continuing the series by any means necessary, even if they didn’t exactly understand what fans of the series actually wanted from a Mario Party game. Instead, they decided to take the Wii Party approach by making a bunch of minigames and doing a variety of one-off boards to feature those minigames; with no single, strict board gameplay to speak of. How did this approach pay off? Well…not a lot of people like this game, but it did manage to sell enough copies to make it as a Nintendo Selects title, so…that’s something, right?
Honestly, it’s still incredibly early for me to make a final statement on this game. I got it for free with a gift card sometime last year and haven’t had a lot of personal experience with it myself. However, from what little I have played of it, I didn’t necessarily hate the game. I just wish it would have delivered on more of what I liked as opposed to delivering on half-baked concepts that only scratched fractions of the Mario Party itch I’ve had for the last several years now. With that being said though, it is still a Mario Party game, which means I had to cover it at some point, so why not now? The year is young, lol.
Wario Ware Inc., Mega Microgame$
Game: Wario Ware Inc., Mega Microgame$
Start Date: January 7th, 2017
End Date: February 26th, 2017
Videos: 12
Mario has a lot of spinoff games. In fact, you could almost consider the Wario series to be a spinoff of the Mario series in its own right. That kind of logic will not fly with Wario however, as he’s going to do what he can to make a name for himself without that pesky Mario bro. Enter the Wario Ware series, a series that prides itself on being…strange; for lack of a better word. Even with it’s oddities though, it still has managed to crank out a smile and some enjoyment out of gamers, and that ain’t too shabby.
Since I’m once again running out of Mario Party games and since we’ve made some pretty decent progress on the Mario Kart series, I decided to try something else for this weekend project and decided to start going through the Wario Ware series, a game series I have thoroughly enjoyed since its release back in 2003. It’s a pretty fun and hilarious game that I’m very eager to share with you guys!
Mario Party DS
Game: Mario Party DS
Start Date: October 29th, 2016
End Date: December 11th, 2016
Videos: 18
Mario Party Adance wasn’t exactly the Mario Party game people were looking for when it came to a Mario Party handheld experience. However, when the DS was doing some really nice things with Mario games, attempting the true Mario Party formula with this new hardware was a really great idea becasue Mario Party DS is the definitive Mario Party handheld experience. It’s a little rough around the edges and this game does introduce the tradition of capable Mario Party games not featuring online play, but I think this game is really good and in fact better than some of the console games.
SlimKirby, when will you do Mario Party DS? This was the question I got nonstop for many, many years. Heck, I wish I knew the answer myself, but this was a long road of uncertainy for me. With me giving my old capture card away as a gift to someone who really wanted a DS and no idea of when I would get a new one, this project was in jeopardy. However, once I received my capture card via donations, I knew this had to be one of the first projects I did, so I made sure Mario Party DS was on the agenda. Now I am proudly happy to present Mario Party DS Board Playthroughs!
Plants vs. Zombies
Game: Plants vs. Zombies
Start Date: October 3rd, 2015
Videos: 21
In a world where Zombie video games are present and numerous, sometimes a quirky game like this can come out and surprise you. This game takes the silly scenario of fighting off zombies with your home-grown plants in perhaps one of the most addictive mobile puzzle games I’ve ever played.
Of all the games I own on Steam, Plants vs. Zombies is probably my all-time favorite. I might have more hours of playtime with Civilization V, but Plants vs. Zombies was the first game I bought on the system and is hands down my favorite. I had wanted to do a playthrough of this game for awhile, and although OCtober 2014 was pretty crazy and eventful, in 2015 I had a chance to come back and do this game properly.
Super Mario 64 DS
Game: Super Mario 64 DS
Start Date: September 28th, 2015
Videos: 25
Nintendo really wanted its newest handheld, the DS, to sell back in 2004. So what did they decide to do for one of their launch games? Remake Super Mario 64, give it some content, and show off the functionality of the DS’s dual screens with touch capabilities. So join, not only Mario, but also Yoshi, Luigi, and Wario on this classic revisitation of a world we once knew all too well.
So I was on the fence about doing a project for this game for awhile. I recognized it for being an absolutely new game with new content, but since I had done Super Mario 64 before, and since I was currently lacking a DS capture device, I figured I was going to give it a pass and move on straight to Galaxy. However, one of my good friends (who has requested to remain Anonymous), decided that he wanted to make the decision of whether or not I was going to LP the game, for me, by sending his own device for the sole purpose of Let’s Playing this game on my channel. I was honored by his gesture, it was a perfect time to do this game because I was in need of another project to do, and at the end of the day, it worked perfectly! So without further ado, let’s step into the world of Super Mario 64 again for….Super Mario 64 DS!
Thank you once again, SirBetaKnight!
Mario Party 10
Game: Mario Party 10
Start Date: June 27th, 2015
Videos: 19
After nine installments and a few handheld games, Mario Party has finally reached #10, but perhaps with results that may not appease the traditional Mario Party fan. The Wii U has brought us a lot of unique gaming experiences; those which utilize the new Gamepad and Amiibo functionality. Mario Party 10 tries to capitalize on all of these features, but perhaps in a way that will make this the most unique and “interesting” Mario Party experience yet…
I knew Mario Party 10 was coming in the months leading up to this project and even in the game’s release. However, after my first impressions of the game, I can’t exactly say I was incredibly excited for it. I’m still going to give this game my full and undivided attention and I think it’s going to have its moments as well, but as I said above, this is perhaps the biggest drift from a series in a very long time…
Mario Party Advance
Game: Mario Party Advance
Start Date: March 2nd, 2014
Runtime: 6 hours
Videos: 16
Mario Party had been a clear success on consoles, but after awhile, the developers at Hudsonsoft wanted to take the series and move it on to the Game Boy Advance, which had been a huge financial success at the time. The results were quite…different, to say the least. Anyway, Shroom City has been attacked by Bowser and he has taken all of the world’s minigames and “gaddgets.” It’s up to Mario and his three closest friends to help solve the troubles of Shroom City.
With all of the console Mario Parties being completed at this point, I knew that at some time I would need to take a trip to the handheld games, and after almost a year of no Mario Party action on the channel, I decided to give Mario Party Advance a try. Although it’s very different from the traditional Mario Party formula, even moreso than Mario Party 9, it does have its own charm and I wanted to share it with you guys.
Wario Land II
Game: Wario Land II
Start Date: January 9th, 2014
Runtime: 8 hours
Videos: 21
After his hard fought victory in the first Wario Land game, it seems our hero has gotten used to the lazy lifestyle of owning a castle and lots of treasure. However, what Wario doesn’t realize is that the same pirates from the first game are still on the move and ready to attack. This quiet morning at Castle Wario will soon be the beginning of another classic chase of Wario and pirates.
I had not intended to do an LP of this game so soon, but when one of my LP ideas didn’t pan-out correctly, I needed another idea pronto and Wario was around to pick up the slack. This wasn’t a game I was super fond of or remembered much of, but it was memorable in its own right and was another project I wanted to attempt in some way.