They’ve tried to copy it – Sega with Sonic Jam and Sony with Crash Bash – but no game company has yet to match the fun and inventiveness of the multiplayer "mini-game board game" concept as completely as Hudson and Nintendo with their long-running Mario Party series. Now a third installment is on the horizon, and I’m here to tell you whether or not it’s worth your hard-earned money.

First, though, I must admit that I am not the most qualified person to review this game. Having not played either of the previous Mario Party titles, I have no basis for comparison when it comes to new features and other additions made to this incarnation of the series. My tastes in multiplayer gaming range the gamut – I can honestly say that I enjoy four player bouts of ChuCHu Rocket, Perfect Dark, Mario Tennis, Bomberman, Worms, and several other titles equally. Why I never bothered with the Mario Party series is a mystery to me, as I’m sure that they would quickly earn their spots among my personal list of favorite multiplayer games.

Mario Party 3 adds a couple of new characters to the franchise, both of them seen recently in Mario Tennis – Princess Daisy and the new, evil Luigi, Waluigi. For younger readers, Princess Daisy first appeared in the GameBoy cart Super Mario Land, over a decade ago. Man, that makes me feel old.

A dozen game boards are on hand, each featuring several unique elements to keep players on their toes. Each game starts with several settings that must be chosen, from AI difficulty if all contestants aren’t human, to the number of rounds and whether or not bonus stars will be awarded at the conclusion of the game. Each player "rolls" a dice (in classic Mario fashion – by bonking it from below with his or her head), and then moves the resulting number of spaces on the board. The objective, unlike traditional board games, is not to move from point A to point B, but rather to collect more stars and coins than your opponents. At any given time, there is one star located on the board, which is the top priority for all players. Getting to it is a chore, however, as there are many obstacles, in the form of special board squares, standing in the way, as well as the opposing players. Some squares will relocate your character on the board, not always to your advantage. Some squares offer a Chance Game, where a random equation of Player X gives Player Y a random item can instantly change the entire balance of the game. Bowser squares also result in a randomly selected action, usually the handing over of coins to the king koopa. Finally, items are awarded via several methods during the game, and players can use them to switch places with other characters, summon a genie to take them directly to the star location, call upon a boo to steal coins or a star from another player, as well as several other equally beneficial actions.

Of course, most of the actions available to your character come at a price, and that price is in the common currency of any Mario game – gold coins. You get coins for landing on blue squares (and lose them if you land on one of the much less common red spaces). You’ll also be able to earn coins through many different actions, the most common of which is the mini-game. Mini-games take place after each round, and there are loads of them, in three main categories. 4 Player Versus mini-games are free for alls where only the winner walks away with coins. 2 Versus 2 mini-games pair up the players, and the winning teammates each reap the reward. Finally, 3 Versus 1 mini-games put one player in an advantageous position while the other 3 must try to remain in the game until the timer runs out. If even 1 of the 3-player team survives, they all get coins. If they all lose, then the single player team gets the coins. There are also battle mini-games, similar to the free for alls, but which award a higher coin prize (either 40, 80, 120 or a whopping 200 coins, with a quarter of the winnings drawn from each players purse) to the first and second placing contestants. Coins are used to buy items, stars and favors from Boo, who can be paid to steal coins or a star from another contestant.

Each game lasts a set number of rounds, with the last 5 rounds upping the ante by increasing the number of coins awarded (or lost) when landing on certain spaces, and also forcing players to face off against each other in a 1-on-1 mini-game if they land on the same square. When the game ends, the player with the most stars and coins is the winner.

Graphically, Mario Party 3 is an odd amalgamation of Super Smash Bros. quality 3D characters, and Paper Mario like 2D boards and items. The mini-games are generally completely polygonal in nature, and the graphics always retain the standard Nintendo brand of harmless, colorful cuteness.

The game plays well, and gives good instructions and the ability to practice each mini-game before taking it on for real. This is a nice touch, as it gives less experienced players the opportunity to discover the nuances of each mini-game before the real competition begins.

The sound is good, with standard music and sound effects. The voices seem a bit off to me, though. They’re not horrible, but they seem to have less character than the ones from Mario Tennis.

Mario Party 3 is a fun, engaging party game that will spark the competitive spirit of your friends. It’s best played with other humans, though, as the AI has a tendency to cheat like mad, even on the easiest setting. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the deck was stacked firmly against me while playing against three computer-controlled characters. Not to worry, as this game is meant to be played by four people, and as such is a worthy addition to any N64 owners collection.