It’s the new aspect of Mario Party 9 that has shown up to be something of interest. It’s that new Car mechanism that has us raising more questions than answers. Yes, it’s a new aspect for the series; yes, it has everyone forced to take part in the game at once; and yes it’s another one of those factors that will play a very big role in this particular game. So the question then becomes, is this new innovation: going to lead Mario Party 9 into success (positive reception-wise) or doom (negative reception / complaints)?
The Car (what I’m calling it temporarily until an actual name is given for the vehicle) is likely the most important thing in Mario Party 9 because it will determine whether people will stay loyal to the series as it continues, or completely lose hope for a “better” Mario Party game compared to the previous versions. So, what exactly is the best thing about this particular mechanism? The idea of keeping everyone together from start to finish. You’ll always be forced to pay attention as you move about around the board. One main criticism given to the later installments of the Mario Party series has been complaints of waiting too long for one’s own turn to finally arrive. Assuming the Car will force everyone to work together, this problem will now finally be fixed for the better. There’s really no need for any more complaining since you must now pay close attention to what your opponents are doing as they progress across the board. If they’re trying to reach a particular destination which does not favor your desire, then you have the power to change it; however they most likely will end up being able to do the same to you. No more reasons for complaining about waiting times.
Keeping all of that in mind, being forced to be involved might be a good thing for those who can’t stand waiting a minute or two for their own turn; however it does come with a price: reduced freedom. The boards may still be large for what they usually are, but you cannot fully control movement around the board to your liking. I find this to be a very big issue that can cause more people to hate the car than like. I myself like having the freedom to move however I’d like wherever I’d like without the constant influence of the other competitors. There’s really no way to plan anything out in this manner because you are never sure of the outcome coming from the other players’ moves. This may or may not be accurate since there have only been snippets of information regarding the actual Car and its mechanics, but taking into consideration the screenshots and how gameplay will work, it’s easy to assume this to be the case.
What do I think? I think it’s a good idea, if reducing your freedom doesn’t bother you at all. It does for me. What I’m hoping is for a classic gameplay along with the Car mechanic. I won’t really enjoy a true Mario Party experience which just the Car since it’s not something I myself like (based on information present). It’s hard to say whether it’s driving the series to success or to doom for that matter, but it will depend on what type of person plays this. If too little freedom is present with the new Car mechanic, this could cause the loss of loyalty from the people who were (or still are) loyal to the series. That’s with respect to the idea of having the Car as the main part of the game. If there’s indeed a Classic mode, then this shouldn’t lead the series to doom and shouldn’t cause the loss of loyalty from players. However, those who are tired of the classic gameplay and don’t like the Car mechanic will definitely lose their trust and favoritism in the series since they would have expected something else that could fix the issue’s they find wrong with the modern installments of the series . If people end up liking the Car mechanic, this should cause an increase in positive reception for the series and might leave people wanting more. If that’s the case, then another Mario Party title will very well be out on the horizon afterwards continuing on the success Mario Party 9 could bring. We’ll just have to wait and try out Mario Party 9 when it releases to us in March and hope for the best.
What do you think of the new Car mechanic? Do you think it’ll lead the series to success or doom?