It seems as if Nintendo abstained from online to retain its couch co-op legacy, even if 3DS isn't the best platform for it. The lack of online play is clearly a drawback. Of course, that also means it requires multiple 3DS systems, so it's not the type of game that can be easily tried out with non-gamer friends and family. I was able to enjoy a wide variety of modes with only one copy of the game, which is an absolute must for such a casual title.

Multiplayer should be where Mario Party shines, and to its credit, Download Play is robust. While the game can often look like traditional Mario platformer, the mini-games rarely control as fluidly, making for a jarring experience. Others are outright frustrating, particularly when they try to ape the style of classic Nintendo games. While they're uniformly simplistic, a handful manage to be clever. That would be fine, except the mini-games vary wildly in quality.

Bowser's Tower is the meatiest single-player offering, but it's simply a lengthy endurance mode. You can play normal game modes against AI opponents, but none of them seem terribly bright, and they're laughably bad at the mini-games that give boosts. Single-player has never been a focus for Mario Party games, and only the most passing of attempts is given to justify it here.

Despite some efforts to compensate for the new platform, its handheld nature ultimately undermines some of the series strengths. Handheld systems are innately a singular experience, so a party game steeped in the raucous tradition of Mario Party doesn't immediately feel like a perfect fit. For a company so devoted to couch co-op, 3DS is an odd choice for Mario Party: Island Tour.

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