Mario Party 4 - Reception

Reception

Mario Party 4 received a generally mixed to positive response from critics, with reviewers criticising the lack of originality, but praising the game's minigames. GameSpot's Ryan Davis praised the game's minigame format, although he noted that "players who have already exhausted themselves on previous Mario Party titles may not find enough here to draw them back again". Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell acknowledged the variety and thematic features of the boards, but thought they were too large, resulting in a "glacial pace" when coupled with the on-board animations. Despite this, IGN praised the boards for the thematic features on each one, which helped to "ease the tediousness". The game's controls where lauded for their compatibility with the minigames and simplicity, with most minigames requiring simple actions and button presses. New gameplay features, such as the "Mushroom" system, received a negative response from multiple critics, with frustration being expressed at not being able to enter shops or purchase stars with big characters.

The game's multiplayer was praised by reviewers, especially in comparison to the single-player "Story Mode". The multiplayer element was noted for appealing to a diverse demographic for its party game qualities and being an "'everybody' title". Conversely, "Story mode" was criticised for exacerbating issues relating to pace, which was already remarked as having "snail's pace". Additionally, the Artificial Intelligence involved was bemoaned for contributing an imbalance in the game, with the random availability of quality items giving players an unfair advantage. The "reversal of fortune" space, which initiates a minigame by which the victor would receive another player's stars or coins, was criticised for similar reasons, as it potentially penalises players who do well in the game. The minigames were mainly met with a positive reaction, with critics praising their simplicity. The grouping feature in the minigames were also welcomed for contributing a new dynamic of gameplay, although Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell commented that "It might seem a little odd to gang up with your competitors in some cases".

Most reviewers noted the game's graphical improvement from its predecessors, with the minigames' visual style in particular receiving praise. Although IGN remarked that the game was graphically a "huge improvement since we last saw the franchise", they proceeded to comment that "It's a mixed bag of good and bad". GameSpot complained that the character animations appear "a bit lifeless" and that the boards were not aesthetically pleasing. The game's audio was met with an ambivalent reaction, with critics enjoying the music but complaining about the "annoying" character catchphrases. While not memorable, the music was lauded for fitting the game's whimsical nature. Mario Party 4 won the "Family Game of The Year" award at the 2003 Interactive Achievement Awards. The game sold 1.1 million units from its release to December 27, 2007 in North America.