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Saturday 26 January, 2008
Game Log Entry #2
GAMEPLAY
The second hour of play is even more entertaining. I've started a second game with a third human player, leaving us to compete with each other and only one computer opponent. There are a rich variety and number of minigames, that are still easy to learn and play.
There is plenty of social interaction between and during challenges which adds to the fun of the game. A variety of emotions emerge during gameplay, including commraderie, happiness, frustration, and a sense of rivalry and betrayel, but all in good fun.
DESIGN
The game is very innovative in that it basically defined the "party" genre. It is trully a game designed for human interaction in virtual gaming. It provides the nostalgiac feel of a classic board game with classic Nintendo characters and new innovative mini games.
The games challenges memory, tactile skills, and employs a bit of strategy. There is an obvious finite number of spaces on each board (of which there are a variety), which allows a player to focus less on exploration and more on just having fun. Very simple game layouts also allow for that. The computer chooses challenges randomly to create a fair game. However, there are some challenges that seem to give certain player unfair advantages if the game so chooses. For example, in the "Crane Game," the computer allows the player controlling the crane to have an exceedingly easier chance of winning than the other players.
The reward structure is simple. If you beat the computer, it will reward you with coins, and if you beat your opponents it will take coins from them and award them to you. If you reach the target space on the board with the minimum coin requirement, you can trade coins for a star. The goal of the game is to collect more stars than all other players. The simplicity is welcome and contributes to the overall fun factor.
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