As the name suggests it is a party game but the way I see it, you will have most fun partying alone because the multiplayer is scattered all over the place. Its elaboration is sloppy, rushed and sometimes even cheap but on the other hand, it does seem that they have done an effort to make the best out of it. Included in the box, is a bonus board with paper figures which needs to be cut out in order to play. The GBA then serves as a dice and mini-game system on which four players will operate simultaneously. Same deal for the so called gadgets that are only fun if four people are playing on the same GBA and here am I thinking that a DVDA-scene is hard to accomplish! Perhaps it is not such a bad idea to have a director telling which gamer has to lie on top of the other. Hey, that means five people are busy at the same time … suddenly I have a very controversial commercial in mind for this game although it would be rated in a way that ninety-nine percent of the target audience is excluded. The other multiplayer implementation isn't any better: set a score, hand the Gameboy over to the next player and let him try to beat it. Okay, this can be fun but I guess it is hard to keep reaching adrenaline bursting levels in such a way. A party of four where you have fun when it is your turn, I think I'll pass.

Don’t worry however, partying alone can be a great deal of fun too. Do not let all that television crap spoil your minds: it is not necessary to have hundreds of friends, visiting parties three days a week and fucking somebody else every fortnight. Okay, being the so called “social type” has it advantages but there are consequences too. On the other hand, being alone most of the time is easy: you do what you want, when and how you want it and there is nobody complaining, wining or forcing you to do anything. Compare it with sex: one-night-stands can be very satisfying but there are some serious risks involved and in addition, it is not only you that has to enjoy it (unless you really are a selfish prick). Masturbating on the other hand, only has to be good for yourself and isn’t pleasing yourself the easiest thing in the world?

So, Mario Party Advance is not the mind-blowing fuck-feast but does it succeed in replacing a vibrating dildo or a rubber pussy? Well, these fabricated toys, no matter how expensive they are, never totally look or sound like the real deal. Although all the world parts and mini-games are nicely integrated, they lack that certain extra swing in order to crown them king. The animations are very basic and not all that charming, neither is the music but then again it is all a matter of perspective: compared to some other, less appreciated games they are fabulous. Put them next to the top titles and you will feel slightly disappointed.

The story is identical to the one from King of Swing: a villain, once again a crocodile based figure, stole all the games and gadgets and spreads them over some worlds and it is up to you to get them back. The world is one digital cardboard game on which you move by tossing a dice. However, you have to earn those throws by beating mini-games presented every three turns or when you end up on a game field but be careful as you can waste tosses if you lose such a challenge. Once you are out of turns, it is game over after which you can choose to restart with the same or another character. The goal of the game is to fulfil quests for inhabitants which reward you with the stolen gadgets and games. So, to succeeds in all fifty quests you will have to cross the board a lot but you will be low on throws almost all of the time so it isn’t just a series of button-bashing games. In addition, there is the seemingly endless amount (over a hundred) of mini-games that keep the unknown factor high so you will constantly be at the edge of your seat if you catch my drift.