Editing Mario Party 8

{{italic title}}
{{game infobox
|image=[[File:MP8Box.png|250px]]<br>North American box cover
|developer=[[Hudson]]<br>[[CAProduction]]<br>[[Nintendo SPD Group No.4]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|release='''Original release:'''<br>{{release|USA|May 29, 2007|Belgium|June 20, 2007|Netherlands|June 20, 2007|Europe|June 22, 2007|Australia|July 19, 2007|Japan|July 26, 2007|UK|August 3, 2007|South Africa|February 1, 2008|HK|July 12, 2008|ROC|July 12, 2008|South Korea|November 6, 2008}} '''[[Nintendo Selects#Wii|Nintendo Selects Release]]:'''<br>{{release|Europe|March 22, 2013}}
|languages={{languages|en_us=y|es_es=y|fr_fr=y|de=y|it=y|jp=y|kr=y}}
|genre=[[Genre#Party games|Party]]
|modes=Single player, multiplayer
|ratings={{ratings|esrb=E|pegi=3|cero=A|acb=G|usk=6|grac=all}}
|platforms=[[Wii]]
|media={{media|wii=1}}
|input={{input|wiimote=1}}
}}
'''''Mario Party 8''''' is the eighth installment of the [[Mario Party (series)|''Mario Party'']] series on a home console, the first ''Mario Party'' game for the [[Wii]], and the thirteenth game overall in the series. It is also the last ''Mario Party'' home console game to be developed by [[Hudson Soft]] before [[NDcube]] received control of the series. It was first released in North America on May 29, 2007, and finally released in Hong Kong and South Korea on July 12, 2008, over a year later. It became a [[Nintendo Selects]] title in Europe on March 22, 2013.

''Mario Party 8'' is notable for its strong use of the [[Wii#Wii Remote|Wii Remote]] and its motion control capabilities in [[minigame]]s. Players are required to perform various gestures in lieu of traditional button/joystick controls. Common motions include pointing-and-shooting, shaking, waving, turning, and twisting the Wii Remote. Player-created [[Mii]]s are featured in this game, often showing up within crowds and even in certain minigames, such as [[Sugar Rush (minigame)|Sugar Rush]]. They may also serve as the player's character in Extra Mode. By playing regular party games, minigames, and completing the Star Battle Arena mode, players can earn [[Carnival Card]]s, which may be spent to unlock figures and game features.

''Mario Party 8'' features six boards, five of which are available from the start of a new save file. Although one board, [[DK's Treetop Temple]], features the classic formula for obtaining a [[Star (Mario Party series)|Star]] (reaching a changing [[Star Space]] and trading 20 [[coin]]s), the other five boards employ unique conditions for collecting Stars. Replacing the [[Orb]]s/Capsules from the previous ''Mario Party'' titles are [[Candy (Mario Party 8)|Candies]], which can be collected and used for a variety of purposes, including using extra [[Dice Block]]s, moving to a different space, and stealing coins from rivals.

Parts of the game, such as board gameplay, are displayed in a 4:3 ratio, fitted with borders on the left and right parts of the screen, while other portions of the game, such as the main menu, are matted to 16:9 widescreen.

==Story==
[[File:MarioParty8StarCarnivalWin.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Yoshi]] is declared the winner of the Star Battle Arena, receiving a year's supply of [[Candy (Mario Party 8)|Candy]], the title of Superstar, and the [[Star Rod (Mario Party 8)|Star Rod]].]]
In ''Mario Party 8'', the exuberant ringmaster [[MC Ballyhoo]] and his talking hat, [[Big Top]], have invited [[Mario]] and the rest of the crew to the [[Star Carnival]]. Ballyhoo holds a special event, the Star Battle Arena, in which a contestant must win five successive party duels across the five standard boards. The winner will be crowned the carnival's Superstar and receive a year's supply of [[Candy (Mario Party 8)|Candy]].

Once the player has claimed victory in all five duels, Ballyhoo holds an award ceremony to present a special reward. In addition to the year's supply of Candy, the player is promised the magical [[Star Rod (Mario Party 8)|Star Rod]]. Before the player can receive their reward, however, [[Bowser]] swoops in and steals the Star Rod before retreating to his special board, [[Bowser's Warped Orbit]]. The player and Ballyhoo then follow Bowser for one final duel.

After the player triumphs over Bowser's chosen minion (either [[Blooper]] or [[Hammer Bro]]), he begrudgingly returns the Star Rod. However, mere seconds later, Bowser changes his mind and challenges the player to a [[Superstar Showdown|final showdown]] for the Star Rod. Using the Star Rod's magical powers, the player defeats Bowser, and returns to the carnival with Ballyhoo. At long last, the player is declared the Superstar, and the credits roll.

==Gameplay==
[[File:MP8 Title.png|thumb|250px|The title screen displays the twelve characters available from the start, along with [[Donkey Kong]] and [[Bowser]].]]
Following the format of previous ''Mario Party'' titles, ''Mario Party 8'' combines the social, strategic gameplay of traditional board games with quick, action-oriented [[minigame]]s. To win a party, a player must obtain the most [[Star (Mario Party series)|Star]]s by the end of the last turn. Additionally, players collect and win [[coin]]s to trade them for Stars, buy [[Candy (Mario Party 8)|Candy]], and trigger special events on the board. Each board has a unique way of obtaining Stars, though most require finding a unique [[Star Space]] and trading a certain number of coins for one.

Before the game starts, [[MC Ballyhoo]] introduces the board, and each player rolls a [[Dice Block]] to determine the order of play. On every turn, each player rolls a Dice Block numbered one to ten to move along the game board. Prior to rolling, players may use Candy (if they possess any) and study the game board. At the end of a turn, all players participate in a randomly chosen minigame to compete for a coin prize. Typically, the prize is ten coins, given in whole to every player who wins the minigame. The minigame varieties include four-player free-for-all, 1-vs-3, and 2-vs-2. There is also a small chance that a battle minigame will be played instead of a regular one.

The color of the space that each player is on at the end of the turn occasionally determines what kind of minigame arrangement will be used. For instance, if two players are on [[Red Space]]s and the other two players are on [[Blue Space]]s, the minigame arrangement will most likely be 2-vs-2. Once the minigame is finished, and the coin prizes have been awarded, the turn is finished. After the last turn, three random [[Bonus Star]]s are awarded, if enabled during the game setup. At this point, the player will the most Stars is declared the Superstar, and wins the game. In the event of a tie in terms of Stars collected, coin amounts are relied upon.

Remaining true to similar mechanics in previous ''Mario Party'' titles, ''Mario Party 8'' features an event known as Chump Charity, which occurs once the last five turns are reached. Ballyhoo reviews the player rankings and offers the player in last place either a free Duelo Candy or a coin prize. Before gameplay resumes, coin bag pickups are placed on every red space and single-coin pickups are placed on every other space. These pickups may only be collected once, by the first player who reaches the space they are on. If two players land on the same space or cross paths, they will only duel if one player is under the effect of Duelo Candy.

If one player encounters another while under the effects of Duelo Candy, or lands on a [[Duel Space|VS Space]] (Star Battle Arena/Duel Battle only), they will duel in a 1-on-1 minigame. The winner throws a dart at a spinning wheel to determine what prize they collect from the loser. If the challenger wins, they will be able to take Stars or coins, whereas if the other player wins, they will only be able to take coins.

The Bonus Stars that may be awarded at the end of a party are as follows:
*'''Minigame Star''': Awarded to the player who won the most coins in minigames, not including duel minigames. Typically, this qualifies as the player who won the most minigames.
*'''Candy Star''': Awarded to the player or team who used the most Candy. This Bonus Star is currently exclusive to this game.
*'''Green Star''': Awarded to the player or team who landed on the most [[Event Space|Green Space]]s.
*'''Running Star''': Awarded to the player or team who traveled the most spaces. Teleportation mechanics and other means of movement besides a player's dice roll do not count toward this bonus.
*'''Shopping Star''': Awarded to the player or team who spent the most coins in the [[Candy Shop]]s. Simply visiting a Candy Shop without purchasing anything does not count toward this bonus.
*'''Red Star''': Awarded to the player or team who landed on the most Red Spaces. Landing on [[Bowser Space]]s does not count toward this bonus.

==Characters==
===Playable===
[[File:Party Tent Character Selection screen.png|thumb|300px|The character selection screen showing all fourteen characters available]]
''Mario Party 8'' features a total of fifteen playable characters (fourteen in the main roster). All twelve playable characters from ''[[Mario Party 7]]'' return, alongside the introduction of Blooper, Hammer Bro (both marked with an asterisk below), and [[Mii]]s, the third of whom only being usable in the Extras Zone. This marks the first playable appearance of Blooper in the ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' franchise.

{|class="wikitable"cellpadding="0"style="margin: 0 auto;text-align: center"
![[File:MP8 Mario Icon.png|25px]] {{color-link|Mario|red}}
![[File:MP8 Luigi Icon.png|25px]] {{color-link|Luigi|darkgreen}}
![[File:PrincessPeachEmblem.png|25px]] [[Princess Peach|{{color|Peach|hotpink}}]]
![[File:MP8 Yoshi Icon.png|25px]] {{color-link|Yoshi|limegreen}}
![[File:MP8 Wario Icon.png|25px]] {{color-link|Wario|purple}}
![[File:DaisyEmblem.png|25px]] [[Princess Daisy|{{color|Daisy|chocolate}}]]
![[File:MP8 Waluigi Icon.png|25px]] {{color-link|Waluigi|indigo}}
|-
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Mario Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Luigi Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Peach Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Yoshi Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Wario Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Daisy Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Waluigi Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|-
![[File:Toademblem.png|25px]] {{color-link|Toad|darkred}}
![[File:Booemblem.png|25px]] {{color-link|Boo|steelblue}}
![[File:Toadetteemblem.png|25px]] {{color-link|Toadette|DeepPink}}
![[File:Birdobow.png|25px]] {{color-link|Birdo|MediumVioletRed}}
![[File:Dryemblem.png|25px]] {{color-link|Dry Bones|black}}
![[File:Blooperemblem.png|25px]] {{color-link|Blooper|DarkSlateGray}}*
![[File:Hammerbroemblem.png|25px]] {{color-link|Hammer Bro|DarkOliveGreen}}*
|-
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Toad Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Boo Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Toadette Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Birdo Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Dry Bones Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Blooper Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|style="background:Gainsboro"|[[File:Hammer Bro Selection Screen MP8.png|x75px]]
|}

Blooper and Hammer Bro are unlockable by defeating them in Star Battle Arena. One of the two characters will always be randomly chosen to compete against the player in the duel on Bowser's Warped Orbit. In order to avoid dueling the same unlockable character twice, it is recommended to complete the second Star Battle Arena playthrough using whichever character was unlocked during the first.

===Team names===
Ever since ''[[Mario Party 4]]'', players can fight in a tag-team match. In said matches, two teams are formed from two players each. In ''[[Mario Party 5]]'' and ''[[Mario Party 6]]'', team names have been chosen from specific character pairings. This is a returning feature in ''Mario Party 8'', after being absent in ''Mario Party 7''. Below are the possible name combinations in English and in French:
<div style="overflow-x: scroll">
{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=1 width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align:center; font-size:90%;"
|
!{{color|Mario|red}}!!{{color|Luigi|darkgreen}}!!{{color|Peach|hotpink}}!!{{color|Yoshi|limegreen}}!!{{color|Wario|purple}}!!{{color|Daisy|chocolate}}!!{{color|Waluigi|indigo}}!!{{color|Toad|darkred}}!!{{color|Boo|steelblue}}!!{{color|Toadette|DeepPink}}!!{{color|Birdo|MediumVioletRed}}!!{{color|Dry Bones|black}}!!{{color|Blooper|DarkSlateGray}}!!{{color|Hammer Bro|DarkOliveGreen}}
|-
|'''{{color|Mario|red}}'''||N/A||Mario Bros.<br>Les Frères Mario||Power Players<br>Les Amoureux||Fan Favorites<br>Les Vedettes||Big Sarrios<br>Les Némésis||Flower Players<br>Les Jolis Coeurs||'Stache Clashers<br>Les Faux Frères||Fungi Fun Guys<br>Les Inséparables||Soul Bros.<br>Les Connaissances||Marionettes<br>Les Marionnettes||Super Snozzios<br>Les Rocambolesques||BBQ Ribs<br>Les Implacables||'Stache Splashers<br>Les Nageurs||Heavy-Blow Bros.<br>Les Ecraseurs
|-
|'''{{color|Luigi|darkgreen}}'''||Mario Bros.<br>Les Frères Mario||N/A||Waltzing Brawlers<br>Les Improbables||Green Machine<br>Les Petits Poids||Green 'n' Greedy<br>Les Pseudo Bros.||Tango Tanglers<br>Les Discrets||Lean 'n' Mean<br>Les Inconciliables||Savage Sidekicks<br>Les Imperturbables||Scaredy Pants<br>Les Fantastiques||Cha-Cha Chasers<br>Les Inattendus||Samba Smashers<br>Les Swingueurs||Cry Bones<br>Les Peureux||Blooper Scoopers<br>Les Aquariophiles||Longtime-Foe Bros.<br>Les Vieux Ennemis 
|-
|'''{{color|Peach|hotpink}}'''||Power Players<br>Les Amoureux||Waltzing Brawlers<br>Les Improbables||N/A||Kind Hearts<br>Les Chérubins||Sugar 'n' Spies<br>Les Extravagants||Damsels in Success<br>Les Starlettes||Sweet 'n' Sour<br>Les Impossibles||Loyal Friends<br>Les Mimis||Boo-for-Teas<br>Les Etincelants||High-Flair Pair<br>Les Déconcertantes||Pink Superpowers<br>Les Deux Roses||Dry Thrones<br>Les Contraires||Royal Flush<br>Les Fonds Royaux||Glamour Hammer<br>Les Marteaux Picoeurs
|-
|'''{{color|Yoshi|limegreen}}'''||Fan Favorites<br>Les Vedettes||Green Machine<br>Les Petits Poids||Kind Hearts<br>Les Chérubins||N/A||Poached Eggs<br>Les Waryoshis||Tomboy Trouble<br>Les Pitres||Scrambled Eggs<br>Les Apollons||Good Buddies<br>Les Chouchous||Hovering Fiends<br>Les Diaboliques||Flutter Friends<br>Les Petits Mignons||Egg Explosion<br>Les Oeufs Brouillés||Sky Bones<br>Les Galopeurs||Double Dippers<br>Les Baigneurs||Hungry Hammers<br>Les Affamés
|-
|'''{{color|Wario|Purple}}'''||Big Sarrios<br>Les Némésis||Green 'n' Greedy<br>Les Pseudo Bros.||Sugar 'n' Spies<br>Les Extravagants||Poached Eggs<br>Les Waryoshis||N/A||Mischief-Makers<br>Les Alliés Secrets||Double-Crossers<br>Les Imposteurs||Crazy Allies<br>Les Woads||Double-Dealers<br>Les Stratèges||Double Agents<br>Les Infâmes||Rotten Eggs<br>Les Oeufs Pourris||Dumb Skulls<br>Les Os Moisis||Drenched Stench<br>Les Malodorants||Scammer Hammer<br>Les Vandales
|-
|'''{{color|Daisy|Chocolate}}'''||Flower Players<br>Les Jolis Coeurs||Tango Tanglers<br>Les Discrets||Damsels in Success<br>Les Starlettes||Tomboy Trouble<br>Les Pitres||Mischief-Makers<br>Les Alliés Secrets||N/A||Double-Facers<br>Les Bizarres||Bloomy Shroomy<br>Les Rigolos||High Spirited Duo<br>Les Timides||Perfumed Shroomy<br>Les Cocasses||Gallopin' Gal-Pals<br>Les Enigmatiques||Daisy Pushers<br>Les Indécis||Bloopsie-Daisy<br>Les Fleurs Mouillées||Barn-Builders<br>Les Bûcheurs
|-
|'''{{color|Waluigi|indigo}}'''||'Stache Clashers<br>Les Faux Frères||Lean 'n' Mean<br>Les Inconciliables||Sweet 'n' Sour<br>Les Impossibles||Scrambled Eggs<br>Les Apollons||Double-Crossers<br>Les Imposteurs||Double-Facers<br>Les Bizarres||N/A||Half-Cranky Duo<br>Les Diablotoads||Total Creeps<br>Les Terreurs||Half-Pranky Duo<br>Les Espions||Double Scammy<br>Les Méconnus||Boneheads<br>Les Sacs d'Os||Bloop 'n' Snoop<br>Les Trouble-fêtes||Stench Henchmen<br>Les Marteleurs
|-
|'''{{color|Toad|darkred}}'''||Fungi Fun Guys<br>Les Inséparables||Savage Sidekicks<br>Les Imperturbables||Loyal Friends<br>Les Mimis||Good Buddies<br>Les Chouchous||Crazy Allies<br>Les Woads||Bloomy Shroomy<br>Les Rigolos||Half-Cranky Duo<br>Les Diablotoads||N/A||Doom 'n' Shroom<br>Les Têtes Rondes||Zoomin' Shrooms<br>Les Champi-mignons||Surprise Attackers<br>Les Inimitables||Short Ribs<br>Les Osselets||Spray Players<br>Les Anémones||Stealth Strikers<br>Les Mini-marteaux
|-
|'''{{color|Boo|steelblue}}'''||Soul Bros.<br>Les Connaissances||Scaredy Pants<br>Les Fantastiques||Boo-for-Teas<br>Les Etincelants||Hovering Fiends<br>Les Diaboliques||Double-Dealers<br>Les Stratèges||High Spirited Duo<br>Les Timides||Total Creeps<br>Les Terreurs||Doom 'n' Shroom<br>Les Têtes Rondes||N/A||Boo Duet<br>Les Faux Amis||Unfair Pair<br>Les Incompris||Scary Pair<br>Les Effrayants||Creature Feature<br>Les Blanchisseurs||Bad Vibes<br>Les Mauvais Garçons
|-
|'''{{color|Toadette|DeepPink}}'''||Marionettes<br>Les Marionnettes||Cha-Cha Chasers<br>Les Inattendus||High-Flair Pair<br>Les Déconcertantes||Flutter Friends<br>Les Petits Mignons||Double Agents<br>Les Infâmes||Perfumed Shroomy<br>Les Cocasses||Half-Pranky Duo<br>Les Espions||Zoomin' Shrooms<br>Les Champi-mignons||Boo Duet<br>Les Faux Amis||N/A||Pink Powerhouse<br>Les Fuchsias||Double Trouble<br>Les Champirex||Bloop-dee-doo<br>Les Blettes||Smash Success<br>Les Eclectiques
|-
|'''{{color|Birdo|MediumVioletRed}}'''||Super Snozzios<br>Les Rocambolesques||Samba Smashers<br>Les Swingueurs||Pink Superpowers<br>Les Deux Roses||Egg Explosion<br>Les Oeufs Brouillés||Rotten Eggs<br>Les Oeufs Pourris||Gallopin' Gal-Pals<br>Les Enigmatiques||Double Scammy<br>Les Méconnus||Surprise Attackers<br>Les Inimitables||Unfair Pair<br>Les Incompris||Pink Powerhouse<br>Les Fuchsias||N/A||Bone Chokers<br>Les Indéfinissables||What-the-Bloop<br>Les Espèces Rares||Two-Timers<br>Les Indéfendables
|-
|'''{{color|Dry Bones|black}}'''||BBQ Ribs<br>Les Implacables||Cry Bones<br>Les Peureux||Dry Thrones<br>Les Contraires||Sky Bones<br>Les Galopeurs||Dumb Skulls<br>Les Os Moisis||Daisy Pushers<br>Les Indécis||Boneheads<br>Les Sacs d'Os||Short Ribs<br>Les Osselets||Scary Pair<br>Les Effrayants||Double Trouble<br>Les Champirex||Bone Chokers<br>Les Indéfinissables||N/A||Two-Toned Duo<br>Les Rancuniers||What-the-Deuce<br>Les Mart'Os
|-
|'''{{color|Blooper|DarkSlateGray}}'''||'Stache Splashers<br>Les Nageurs||Blooper Scoopers<br>Les Aquariophiles||Royal Flush<br>Les Fonds Royaux||Double Dippers<br>Les Baigneurs||Drenched Stench<br>Les Malodorants||Bloopsie-Daisy<br>Les Fleurs Mouillées||Bloop 'n' Snoop<br>Les Trouble-fêtes||Spray Players<br>Les Anémones||Creature Feature<br>Les Blanchisseurs||Bloop-dee-doo<br>Les Blettes||What-the-Bloop<br>Les Espèces Rares||Two-Toned Duo<br>Les Rancuniers||N/A||Blooper Bros.<br>Les Maillets Mouillés
|-
|'''{{color|Hammer Bro|DarkOliveGreen}}'''||Heavy-Blow Bros.<br>Les Ecraseurs||Longtime-Foe Bros.<br>Les Vieux Ennemis||Glamour Hammer<br>Les Marteaux Picoeurs||Hungry Hammers<br>Les Affamés||Scammer Hammer<br>Les Vandales||Barn-Builders<br>Les Bûcheurs||Stench Henchmen<br>Les Marteleurs||Stealth Strikers<br>Les Mini-marteaux||Bad Vibes<br>Les Mauvais Garçons||Smash Success<br>Les Eclectiques||Two-Timers<br>Les Indéfendables||What-the-Deuce<br>Les Espèces Rares||Blooper Bros.<br>Les Maillets Mouillés||N/A
|}
</div>

==Star Battle Arena==
Star Battle Arena is the solo story mode in ''Mario Party 8''. The player chooses a character and competes against five CPU-controlled characters over five separate duels. Each of the five regular boards are played in order: [[DK's Treetop Temple]], [[Goomba's Booty Boardwalk]], [[King Boo's Haunted Hideaway]], [[Shy Guy's Perplex Express]], and [[Koopa's Tycoon Town]]. Lastly, the sixth, unlockable board, [[Bowser's Warped Orbit]], is played for a final showdown. The general rules of Duel Battle are used for all six duels (players take turns without regular minigames), and each duel has a different victory condition from the Party Tent's Battle Royale and Tag Battle. As the player progresses through the duels, their CPU-controlled opponents become more adept. If a duel runs over after 30 turns, Ballyhoo will end the game and declare a tie (like in Solo Cruise from ''Mario Party 7''). All boards are smaller in this mode.

Playing Duel Battle in the Party Tent will also allow the player to play this mode against another player or CPU.

The reward for defeating Bowser and beating Star Battle Arena mode is 200 [[Carnival Card]]s. Additionally, Bowser's Warped Orbit and the minigame Wagon (in the Fun Bazaar) will be unlocked, as well as either Blooper or Hammer Bro (if it is the player's first time completing Star Battle Arena). Replaying Star Battle Arena with Blooper or Hammer Bro (whichever was unlocked) will unlock the other character.

===Winning conditions===
{|class="wikitable"style="text-align:center"
! Board !! Conditions
|-
|[[DK's Treetop Temple]] || The player must collect two Stars before their opponent does.
|-
|[[Goomba's Booty Boardwalk]] || The player must reach [[Captain Goomba (Mario Party 8)|Captain Goomba]] with at least 50 coins before their opponent does.
|-
|[[King Boo's Haunted Hideaway]] || The player must collect two Stars before their opponent does.
|-
|[[Shy Guy's Perplex Express]] || The player must give 50 coins to [[Holly Koopa]] before their opponent does.
|-
|[[Koopa's Tycoon Town]] || The player must collect four Stars before their opponent does.
|-
|[[Bowser's Warped Orbit]] || The player must steal all of their opponent's Stars. If cleared, [[Bowser]] will challenge the player in the "Last" minigame [[Superstar Showdown]].
|}

==Boards==
[[File:Party Tent Stage Selection screen.png|thumb|300px|The board selection screen.]]
''Mario Party 8'' contains six unique boards.
{|class=sortable cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"
|-
!class="unsortable" width=15%|Image
!width=17%|Board Name
!class="unsortable" width=68%|Description
|-
![[File:DKTT.png|100px]]
|align=center|[[DK's Treetop Temple]]
|Players move across this board to get a star in a random location in this board. Stars always cost 20 coins each, and whenever a player obtains the star on the board, another star appears in a different location. Landing on a DK space in this board causes DK to throw the player directly towards the star, and landing on a Bowser space will cause the star to warp to a different location. To win in Star Battle Arena or Duel Battle, the player must collect two stars before their opponent does, and the stars are 20 coins each.
|-
![[File:GBB.png|100px]]
|align=center|[[Goomba's Booty Boardwalk]]
|Players move through this linear board to get to the end. At the end, [[Captain Goomba (Mario Party 8)|Captain Goomba]] gives the star to the player for free, as a reward for reaching this far. After receiving the star, the player will get transported back to the start via gulls carrying a wooden plank. Dolphin Expresses in the course can take the player closer to Captain Goomba by paying a fee. The fee depends on what place the player is currently in, with first place having to pay the most while fourth place must pay the least. Landing on a DK space will give the player a chance to earn coins, while landing on the Bowser space will give the player a chance to lose coins. To win this board in Star Battle Arena or Duel Battle, since the player's goal is to get one star from Captain Goomba costing 50 coins, the player must have that number of coins and reach him first for the star, before their opponent does.
|-
![[File:KBHH.png|100px]]
|align=center|[[King Boo's Haunted Hideaway]]
|Players move through a mansion to try to find [[King Boo]] and get a star from him. Out of three rooms in the house, King Boo is in one of them. If the player stumbles in other rooms where King Boo is not hiding in, [[Red Boo]]s come and toss the player in a hole, thus making the player go back to the start of the mansion. King Boo offers the star for ten coins once the player reaches him. After paying for that, everyone is taken out of the mansion for another shuffle with different rooms in the mansion. If the player lands on a DK space, DK will cover up the hole and offer the player who comes to an empty room a free star; if the player lands on a Bowser space, Bowser will cover up the hole and will steal a star from the player who comes to an empty room. In Star Battle Arena or Duel Battle, the winning condition required is to acquire two stars from King Boo for 10 coins each by finding him two times.
|-
![[File:SGPE.png|200px]]
|align=center|[[Shy Guy's Perplex Express]]
|Players move through a train to get to the conductor of the train, who will offer a Star for 20 coins. The train board is linear, and therefore, there are no branching paths. After being offered for the star, the player travels on top of the train and back to the start (unlike Goomba's Booty Boardwalk, where the player instantly travels back to the start). If someone lands on a DK space, DK will be in charge of the train and offers a free star to anyone who the first player who reaches him. If someone lands on a Bowser Space, Bowser will take over the train and steal a Star from the first player who reaches him. In Star Battle Arena or Duel Battle, in order to win the game, since there is only one star and it is worth 50 coins, the player must obtain that amount and reach Holly Koopa (not the conductor, who will give the player 10 coins instead) for the star before their opponent does. 
|-
![[File:KTT.png|100px]]
|align=center|[[Koopa's Tycoon Town]]
|In this board, players invest money in hotels in order to earn stars. If a hotel has 20 coins invested into it, it upgrades and makes the number of stars it can offer increase to two. If a hotel has a total of 50 coins invested, it can offer three stars. When a player lands on a Donkey Kong space, Donkey Kong will come and help invest coins. Adversely, when a player lands on a Bowser space, Bowser will take coins away from a selected hotel. In Star Battle Arena or Duel Battle, the player has to get four stars by investing in hotels in order to win.
|-
![[File:BWO.png|100px]]
|align=center|[[Bowser's Warped Orbit]]
|There are no stars in this board, and so players are given five stars at the start on Battle Royale (in a team on Tag Battle, they are given ten stars). Players must use the [[Bullet Candy]] and [[Bowser Candy]] (which are exclusive to this board) to steal stars from opponents. The board is also linear; no branching paths exist (if one does not count the random branching paths in some parts of the board that the player cannot choose to take). In Star Battle Arena or Duel Battle, the player and their opponent start off with three stars. The winning condition is to reduce their opponent's stars to zero stars by eating candy to steal stars from them. This board is unlocked by completing the entire Star Battle.
|}

==Spaces==
{|class=sortable cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"
|-
!class="unsortable" width=10%|Image
!width=17%|Space
!class="unsortable" width=68%|Description
|-
![[File:Blue Space Tutorial MP8.png]]
|align=center|[[Blue Space]]
|Players who land on this space get three coins. The space shape varies by board; sometimes, it's a quadrilateral shape and sometimes, it's the classic circular shape. Unlike the preceding games, there is no bonus on the last five turns that can increase the number of coins a blue space gives. Just like the preceding games, they are the most common space to be encountered.
|-
![[File:Red Space Tutorial MP8.png]]
|align=center|[[Red Space]]
|Players who land on this space lose three coins. The space shape varies by board; sometimes, it's a quadrilateral shape and sometimes, it's the classic circular shape. Unlike the preceding games, there is no bonus on the last five turns that can increase the number of coins a red space takes. They are uncommon, but it is usually more common than other spaces on the board. A bonus star can be earned if the player lands on the most red spaces.
|-
![[File:Green Space Tutorial MP8.png]]
|align=center|[[Event Space|Green Space]]
|If a player lands on this space, this space triggers an event. The event varies by board and location, and it sometimes helps or hinders a player. They are the third most common space on the board. Landing on a Green Space also contributes to earning the bonus star, the Green Star, at the end of the match.
|-
![[File:DK Space Tutorial MP8.png]]
|align=center|[[DK Space]]
|If a player lands on this space, [[Donkey Kong]] will appear and will cause a positive effect. The actions he does varies by board. Donkey Kong spaces will always be available at the start of every party, but after the event has occurred, it will turn into a Bowser Space.
|-
![[File:Bowser Space Tutorial MP8.png]]
|align=center|[[Bowser Space]]
|If a player lands on this space, [[Bowser]] will show up and cause a negative effect. In some instances, however, when the player does not have any stars or coins, Bowser gives the player 10 coins instead. Bowser spaces only appear if another player previously landed on a DK space. This is also noteworthy that Bowser only does one event and will not make the players play a Bowser Minigame, unlike the previous ''Mario Party'' games. After the event has occurred, it will turn into a Donkey Kong space.
|-
![[File:Lucky Space Tutorial MP8.png]]
|align=center|[[Lucky Space]]
|If a player lands on this space, the player will be taken to a lucky area. In this area, the spaces are all blue spaces, and each Blue Space has three coins. Each lucky area contains either a free star or a way to more easily access a star (e.g. the lucky area in King Boo's Haunted Hideaway contains a direct warp to King Boo, but the player must still purchase the star). The only exception is the lucky area in Bowser's Warped Orbit, which instead contains three [[Candy Space]]s that always give out [[Bullet Candy]] or [[Bowser Candy]]. The lucky area varies by board. Uniquely, sparkling particles rise up from the space.
|-
![[File:Vs. Space Tutorial MP8.png]]
|align=center|[[Duel Space|Vs. Space]]
|Only appearing in Star Battle Arena or Duel Battle, the space starts a Duel Minigame between both players. Just like Duel Minigames from the previous ''Mario Party'' games, the loser of the minigame gives coins to the winner.
|-
![[File:Challenge Space Tutorial.png]]
|align=center|[[Challenge Space]]
|Only appearing in Star Battle Arena or Duel Battle, the space starts a Challenge Minigame. If the player wins the minigame, they can throw a dart at a wheel to earn 5, 10 or 20 coins. This is the only way a player can obtain the Challenge Minigames.
|}

==Candy==
{{main|Candy (Mario Party 8)}}
Much like [[Orbs]]/Capsules, there are single-use power-up items in ''Mario Party 8'', referred to as Candy. Players can purchase Candy from a Candy Shop for coins or collect it freely from random Candy spaces on the board. Each board provides a different, partial subset of the 14 candy types (in the Candy Shops and on the board itself). Candy may only be used before a player's dice roll. It cannot be placed on the board, unlike in previous ''Mario Party'' titles. Players can hold a maximum of three Candy items.

===Red Candies===
These Candy items involve changes related to the [[Dice Block]].
{|class=sortable cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"
|-
!class="unsortable" width=15%|Image
!width=17%|Candy
!class="unsortable" width=68%|Description
|-
![[File:Twice Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Twice Candy]]
|When used, the Twice Candy adds a dice block to the player's roll. The only advantage it has over the Thrice Candy is that it is cheaper and more common. Adding a second dice block to the roll can help the player reach the star closer or other techniques used to help the player. It is very much like the [[Mushroom Orb]] and other similar items from the previous games or the [[Double Dice Set]] from ''[[Mario Party DS]]''. Also, if the player rolls the same number on both Dice Blocks, they get 10 coins (or 30 coins for two "7's").
|-
![[File:Thrice Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Thrice Candy]]
|When used, the Thrice Candy adds a second and a third dice block to the player's roll. Even though the player can travel farther if rolled correctly than a player who used the Twice Candy, the candy is a tad more expensive and rarer than the Twice Candy. It does have similar benefits to the Twice Candy, though. It can be compared to the [[Super 'Shroom Orb]]s from the previous games or the [[Triple Dice Set]] from ''[[Mario Party DS]]''. If the player rolls the same number on all three Dice Blocks, they get 30 coins (or 100 coins for three "7's").
|-
![[File:MP8 Slowgo Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Slowgo Candy]]
|When used, the Slowgo Candy slows down the dice block roll, very much like the [[Sluggish 'Shroom Orb]], but it limits the dice block roll to 1-5 instead of 1-10 (similarly to the [[Poison Mushroom|Cursed Mushroom]] and [[Halfway Dice Block]]). The Slowgo Candy can be used for landing on specific spaces that the player wants to land on. It costs slightly more than a Twice Candy, but less than a Thrice Candy.
|}

===Green Candies===
These Candy items transform the player for a very brief time, allowing them to perform a specific action using the dart wheel.
{|class=sortable cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"
|-
!class="unsortable" width=15%|Image
!width=17%|Candy
!class="unsortable" width=68%|Description
|-
![[File:Springo Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Springo Candy]]
|If the player uses it, they will transform into a spring-version of the character. The player can warp to another player's space via the dart wheel and move after they made it to their destination. If used in a Tag Battle, the player can only warp to one of the opposed team players instead, and can't warp to their team player.
|-
![[File:Cashzap Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Cashzap Candy]]
|If the player uses it, they will transform into an electric version of the character. The player can destroy half the coins an opponent has, chosen by the dart wheel. If used in Team Battles, the player will just zap a random member of the other team's coins. Note that this just removes half of the player's coins and the player who used the candy will not earn any coins.
|-
![[File:Vampire Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Vampire Candy]]
|If the player uses it, they will transform into a vampire version of the character. They can take coins from other players chosen by the Dart Wheel. Unlike the Cashzap Candy, the player will actually take coins from the other players. The number of coins taken ranges from 1, 5, and 10 (5, 10, and 20 in Star Battle Arena or Duel Battle). After the player takes the coins from their opponent, the coins that they stole from their opponents get deposited into their bank.
|}

===Yellow Candies===
These Candy items cause players to transform for the duration of their dice roll. Once the player's turn has finished, they will transform back.
{|class=sortable cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"
|-
!class="unsortable" width=15%|Image
!width=17%|Candy
!class="unsortable" width=68%|Description
|-
![[File:Bitsize Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Bitsize Candy]]
|If the player uses it, they will transform into an 8-bit version of the character. Upon moving, the player will collect 3 coins from hitting a [[Coin Block]] every time they take a space. Since the player moves 1-10 spaces, they can earn up to 30 coins and a minimum of 3 per roll. This rare candy cannot be found in shops; it can only be found by moving through Candy Areas.
|-
![[File:Bloway Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Bloway Candy]]
|If the player uses it, they will transform into a tornado version of the character. The player can warp any opponent they pass back to the start of the board. It can be useful for boards such as Goomba's Booty Boardwalk. 
|-
![[File:Weeglee Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Weeglee Candy]]
|If the player uses it, they will transform into three tiny clones of themselves and steal any candy an opponent has by just moving past an opponent. If the opponent happens to have no candy, nothing will happen. Like Bitsize Candy, it can only be found by moving through Candy Areas.
|-
![[File:Bowlo Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Bowlo Candy]]
|If the player uses it, they will transform into a ball version of the character. The player can steal ten coins (20 coins in Duel Battle) from any player they pass. Note that any player in a Bowlo form will pass by shops, but not stars, unlike items from previous games that can make the player pass by stars as well as shops.
|}

===Blue Candies===
These candies are offense-oriented. Much like Yellow Candies they cause the player to transform until the end of their die roll.
{|class=sortable cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"
|-
!class="unsortable" width=15%|Image
!width=17%|Candy
!class="unsortable" width=68%|Description
|-
![[File:Thwomp Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Thwomp Candy]]
|If the player uses it, they will transform into a stone version of the character's head. The player can make any player they run into lose half of their coins. Note that this does not steal half of the player's coins; it just makes them lose half of the coins they owned. This candy also makes the player pass by shops, like the Bowlo Candy.
|-
![[File:Bullet Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Bullet Candy]]
|If the player uses it, they will transform into a Bullet Bill version of the character. The player can roll three dice blocks, but it can only steal one star from another player if they pass a player while in that form. The candy is only hidden in the board [[Bowser's Warped Orbit]], where it is mandatory to steal someone's stars to win.
|-
![[File:Bowser Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Bowser Candy]]
|If the player uses it, they will transform into a Bowser version of the character. The player can only roll two dice blocks, unlike the Bullet Candy, but it can steal two stars from another player if they pass a player while in that form. The candy is only hidden in the board [[Bowser's Warped Orbit]], where it is mandatory to steal someone's stars to win.
|-
![[File:Duelo Candy.jpg|100px]]
|align=center|[[Duelo Candy]]
|If the player uses it, they will transform into a fiery version of the character. The player can roll two dice blocks and if they pass an opponent, they will start a duel minigame with that opponent. The loser of the minigame gives coins or stars to the winner. Duelo Candies are also rewards from MC Ballyhoo in Chump Charity. After the player completed the minigame, they will land on the same space as the other player, instead of continuing their dice moves.
|}

===Appearances===
{|style="text-align: center; width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; border-collapse: collapse;"border="1"cellpadding="1"cellspacing="1"
|-style="background:yellowgreen"
!Board
![[Twice Candy]]
![[Thrice Candy]]
![[Slowgo Candy]]
![[Springo Candy]]
![[Cashzap Candy]]
![[Vampire Candy]]
![[Bitsize Candy]]
![[Bloway Candy]]
![[Weeglee Candy]]
![[Bowlo Candy]]
![[Thwomp Candy]]
![[Bullet Candy]]
![[Bowser Candy]]
![[Duelo Candy]]
|-
![[DK's Treetop Temple]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
![[Goomba's Booty Boardwalk]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
![[King Boo's Haunted Hideaway]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
![[Shy Guy's Perplex Express]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
![[Koopa's Tycoon Town]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|-
![[Bowser's Warped Orbit]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:X mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]{{footnote|main|1}}
|}
{{footnote|note|1|Only obtainable via [[Chump Charity]].}}

==Other features==
===Minigame Tent===
[[File:Minigametent.png|thumb|The Minigame Tent]]
In the Minigame Tent, players can play all of the [[minigame]]s they have unlocked in the [[Party Tent]] or [[Star Battle Arena]]. Duel and Challenge minigames can only be unlocked in the Star Battle Arena during solo play, or in the Party Tent when using a [[Duelo Candy]] or playing Duel Battle. Completing minigames earns the player cards for the player to spend at the Surprise Wagon. There are a total of five ways to play the minigames, as detailed in the sections below.
{{br}}
====Free Play Arcade====
[[File:MP8 Free Play Arcade.png|thumb|Free Play Arcade]]
{{quote|Welcome to Free Play Arcade! You can play any minigame! Any you've previously seen on the party boards, that is! So many minigames! So much fun! Let your minigame mania run wild!|MC Ballyhoo|Mario Party 8}}
Free Play Arcade is a game mode where the players can freely choose any minigame to play. However, minigames will first need to be unlocked by playing in Party Tent or Star Battle Arena, or purchasing them from the Minigame Wagon at the [[Fun Bazaar]]. In this mode, [[Mii]]s often appear as spectators, often replacing species like [[Goomba]]s and [[Koopa Troopa]]s.
{{br}}

====Crown Showdown====
[[File:MP8CrownShowdown.png|thumb|Crown Showdown]]
{{quote|Crack open Crown Showdown yet? Head there to see who's truly the minigame champion!|MC Ballyhoo|Mario Party 8}}
Crown Showdown is a game mode that involves players trying to win the most minigames. At the beginning, the player can choose between 4-Player minigames and Duel minigames. If the player chooses the 4-Player minigames, they can then choose to play between 4-Player minigames, 1-vs.-3 minigames, 2-vs.-2 minigames, or random. The player also can choose how many wins are required to win the showdown from 3, 5, or 7. Each time, the game randomly selects a minigame that the player has already unlocked. Whoever wins the game receives a point, and whoever reaches 3, 5, or 7 points first is the winner.
;In-game rules
"''In Crown Showdown, you'll race to win a set number of minigames before competitors do it first! What type of minigames? Up to you! Or select Random and leave it to chance!''"
{{br}}

====Flip-Out Frenzy====
[[File:FlipOutFrenzy.png|thumb|Flip-Out Frenzy]]
Flip-Out Frenzy is a game mode set in a small pond with a 6×6 board containing thirty-two gray squares and four black ones. The objective is that players must compete in minigames and color the entire board. Once a player wins a minigame, they get to pick which squares they want to flip over to match their emblem/color. When a player picks a square, the horizontal and vertical rows of the square next to it get colored as well. If more than one player wins a minigame, or a tie occurs, no one gets to pick. After all the squares are colored, MC Ballyhoo turns two black squares at random into normal squares. Once those ones are colored, the game mode ends, and the player with the most squares of their emblem/color wins.

Players can color over other players' colored squares as well, but cannot flip squares if one of the horizontal or vertical rows has a black square.
;In-game rules
"''To win Flip-Out Frenzy, you must own the most tiles by game's end. Each time you win a minigame, you'll pick a tile. It and tiles in all four directions will flip to show your mark. There's a late-game shake-up, too!''"
{{br}}

====Tic-Tac Drop====
[[File:TicTacDrop.png|thumb|Tic-Tac Drop]]
{{quote|Found your way to Tic-Tac Drop yet? Go there to face off against a rival in a twisted spin on the classic!|MC Ballyhoo|Mario Party 8}}
'''Tic-Tac Drop''' is a game mode similar to {{wp|tic-tac-toe}}, except it is played with minigames, and the balls that are put into the board drop into place, rather than staying in the middle or top rows. The game begins with MC Ballyhoo initiating a random duel minigame, after which the contestants compete to win the minigame. The winner of the minigame gets to drop a ball into the board in the location of their choice. Additional minigames will continue to be played until a winner is eventually declared. The first player to form a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row with their respective colored balls wins the game.
;In-game rules
"''To win Tic-Tac Drop, you must make a line up, down, or diagonally by dropping balls through the board's slots. You'll get one ball for each minigame win. If you reach a stalemate, you can start a fresh game.''"
{{br}}

===Test for the Best===
{{main|Test for the Best}}
In Test for the Best, the player competes for the best score by playing ten minigames. The player has to unlock certain minigames to play this and they must buy in from the Surprise Wagon at the Fun Bazaar before playing it. It is similar to the Minigame Decathlon from previous ''Mario Party'' games, except only one player can play at a time.

===Extras Zone===
{{quote|Before us lies a zone of extras! A realm of more! A state of surplus! They're minigames seen only here!|MC Ballyhoo|Mario Party 8}}
[[File:Extras Zone External.png|thumb|The Extras Zone]]
[[File:Extras Zone Internal.png|thumb|left|The select menu in the Extras Zone]]
The Extras Zone is a tent where players can play one of eight minigames with either ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' characters or [[Mii]]s that they have created on the [[Wii]]'s Mii Channel or by using the default guest Miis. Initially, only four of eight minigames are available. The other four need to be purchased in the [[Fun Bazaar]] in order to unlock them. Up to four players can play in this mode, but only one minigame allows up to four players to play. Another will allow only a single player.
{{br}}

====Extras Zone minigames====
*[[Star Carnival Bowling]] (up to 4 players)
*[[Trial by Tile]] (up to 2 players)
*[[Flagging Rights]] (up to 2 players)
*[[Canyon Cruisers]] (up to 2 players)
*[[Table Menace]] (unlockable, up to 2 players)
*[[Puzzle Pillars]] (unlockable, up to 2 players)
*[[Chomping Frenzy]] (unlockable, single player)
*[[Moped Mayhem]] (unlockable, up to 2 players)
{{br}}

===Fun Bazaar===
{{main|Fun Bazaar}}
The Fun Bazaar is a place where the player can exchange cards for items, modes, and minigames or check records. 
*'''Records Board''': The player can view minigame sets or the best records here. The player can also view the Staff Records after they bought them from the Surprise Wagon.
*'''Minigame Wagon''': Minigames can be bought here using Carnival Cards. The wagon is only accessible after completing the Star Battle Arena.
*'''Carnival Wagon''': The player can view any Carnival Figures they collected and watch them in a Carnival Parade.
*'''Surprise Wagon''': The player can trade Carnival Cards for various items such as Sound Tests, Extra Minigames, Carnival Figurines, and other stuff. Unlike what the instruction booklet says, it's always available.
*'''Carnival Calliope''': The player can listen to music, sounds, and voices by accessing here. Some features must be bought at the Surprise Wagon first before listening to it.

==Minigames==
[[File:AtChompWash.png|thumb|[[At the Chomp Wash]], one of the minigames in ''Mario Party 8''|260px]]
{{main|List of Mario Party 8 minigames}}
''Mario Party 8'' has a total of seventy-three minigames, most of which make use of the [[Wii#Wii Remote|Wii Remote]] and its motion control capabilities, though some also require the controller to be held in a more traditional way. Unlike other ''Mario Party'' games, all minigames, rather than a randomized select few, are displayed in a single, large roulette corresponding to what type of minigame they are.

==Quotes==
{{main|List of Mario Party 8 quotes}}
*"''Mario Party 8!''" &ndash; ''Mario Party 8'' cast
*"''Welcome to the [[Star Carnival]]!!''" &ndash; [[MC Ballyhoo]]
*"''Calling all winners! Calling all losers! We've got a shake up coming!''" &ndash; [[Big Top]]
*"''Get ready for a reversal, ya crooks! Let's do the crime warp again! Bwahaha!''" &ndash; [[Bowser]]

==Differences from other ''Mario Party'' games==
*This is the only installment in the ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' series:
**without either [[Koopa Kid]] or [[Bowser Jr.]] in it.
**to show all minigames from a selected category on the roulette wheel, instead of only three, four, five, or six.
**in which the design of the spaces varies from board to board to fit their surrounding aesthetics better.
**to have the minigame win/loss/tie themes on an infinite loop.
**to use different framerates for different parts of the game: menus and most minigames run at the regular 60fps/50fps, while the boards and final results run at 30fps/25fps.
*This is the first ''Mario Party'' game that does not have the minigames rules hosted by the host of the board/game, instead put as a separate section in the minigame rules screen. From ''[[Mario Party]]'' to ''[[Mario Party 7]]'', the minigames were all hosted by the hosts of the board and/or the game.
*This is the first ''Mario Party'' game to not count out star and coin totals before the final results announcement.
*In Party Mode, players retain their player colors based on what player they were prior to the turn order decision, regardless of turn order number.
*This is one of two ''Mario Party'' games where the players' stats while playing in a board are not shown in the four corners of the screen; in this game, it is shown in a column in the top right corner instead. Similarly, ''[[Super Mario Party]]'' shows the players' stats in a row in the top right corner.

==Staff==
{{main|List of Mario Party 8 staff}}
The game was directed by Shuichiro Nishiya, who previously worked on ''[[Mario Party 6]]'' and ''[[Mario Party 7]]'' in the same role. Steven Grimm voiced the announcer and [[Stephan Weyte|Steven Weyte]] voiced MC Ballyhoo. [[Satoru Iwata]] and Hidetoshi Endo, president of Hudson Soft at the time, are credited as executive producers.

==Reception==
As with most ''Mario Party'' games, reviews have been mixed. Common criticisms for ''Mario Party 8'' included the lack of Wi-Fi, limited graphics, and absence of widescreen for the main game. Matt Casamassina of IGN referred to the single-player mode as "torture" and commented on the visuals as "graphics don't even impress as a [[Nintendo GameCube|GCN]] title".

Andy Myers of ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' gave the game a 7.5/10.<ref>''[[Nintendo Power]]'' Volume 217, page 92.</ref> He praises the inclusion of motion controls and how the minigames which use it each has a different approach. However, he states that the visual presentation is the weakest aspect of the game. He explains that the front-end interface is confusing, the lack of a true widescreen mode is disappointing, and the graphics leave much to be desired even though they have been slightly improved from ''Mario Party 7''. Despite these criticisms, he thinks the game takes its place alongside other party games like ''{{wp|Wii Sports}}'' and ''[[WarioWare: Smooth Moves]]''.
{| class="wikitable reviews"
!colspan="4"style="font-size:120%; text-align: center; background-color:silver"|Reviews
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6;"
|Release
|Reviewer, Publication
|Score
|Comment
|-
|[[Wii]]
|Ryan Davis, [https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mario-party-8-review/1900-6171668/ GameStop]
|6.5/10
|align=left|''Mario Party had been the only persistent minigame franchise for years, and Hudson got a little too comfortable because of it. The fact that there are more interesting minigame collections out there now, like {{wp|Rayman Raving Rabbids}}, puts that laziness in stark relief and makes it more difficult to tolerate. If you've got the patience to dig past the skill-free board game portions of Mario Party 8, there are some genuinely inventive minigames to be played. The point, though, is that you shouldn't have to dig at all.''
|-
|Wii
|Gerald Villoria, [http://wii.gamespy.com/wii/mario-party-8-/794089p1.html Gamespy]
|3/5
|align=left|''While unimpressive from a technical standpoint, and uninspired from a mini-games standpoint, the core Mario Party formula remains intact. As with any multiplayer oriented game, having a good time is always possible as long as you surround yourself with good friends. So yes, this eighth installment of the series may be worth your while if you like throwing Wii parties and have exhausted all of the Wii's better such games already. Otherwise, you're not missing much.'' 
|-
|Wii
|Mathew Kumar, [https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/mario-party-8-review Eurogamer]
|4/10
|align=left|''Mario Party 8 is a "would have, should have, could have" kind of game. With such an depressingly long list of wasted possibilities, and so many other mini-game collections available for Nintendo Wii (The excellent Rayman Raving Rabbids, for one) It would be wrong of me to say you should pick this up. Fun could be had here, but even with the most forgiving group of friends, it's going to be short-lived.''
|-
!colspan="4"style="background-color:silver; font-size:120%; text-align: center;"|Aggregators
|-style="background-color:#E6E6E6;"
|colspan=2|Compiler
|colspan=2|Platform / Score
|-
|colspan=2|Metacritic
|colspan=2 style="background-color:Gold"|[https://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/mario-party-8 62]
|-
|colspan=2|GameRankings
|colspan=2|[https://www.gamerankings.com/wii/935598-mario-party-8/index.html 62.98%]
|}
{{br}}

===Sales===
After its North American release on May 29, 2007, the game sold 314,000 units in the United States in three days, making it the best-selling home console game in the country that month.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120304154338/http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/13713/May-Video-Game-sales-Nintendo-PWNS-Everyone-Again/ May Video-Game-Sales – Nintendo PWNS Everyone Again"] ''Berardini, César A.'' (June 15, 2007). Retrieved February 19th, 2023</ref> In Japan, ''Mario Party 8'' has sold 1,239,716 copies as of the end of Q2 2008, according to Famitsu.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230219153227/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/01/22/five-million-wiis-in-japan Five Million Wiis in Japan], ''Anoop Gantayat'' (June 16, 2012). Retrieved February 19th, 2023</ref> ''Mario Party 8'' has sold 8.85 million copies worldwide, making it the 12th best-selling game on the Wii and the third best-selling game in the ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' series (behind ''[[Mario Party DS]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Party]]'').<ref>Celine (October 23, 2021). [https://www.installbaseforum.com/forums/threads/nintendo-software-and-hardware-sales-data-from-1983-to-present.170/ Nintendo software and hardware sales data from 1983 to present]. ''Install Base''. Retrieved May 9, 2022.</ref>

==Controversy==
[[File:MP8-Recalled Screenshot.png|thumb|200px|"Spastic" in the North American version of ''Mario Party 8'']]
The launch of ''Mario Party 8'' in the United Kingdom had several difficulties. Originally scheduled for release on June 22, 2007, [[Nintendo]] announced on June 19, 2007 that the UK version of the game had been delayed to July 13 of that year due to a production issue.<ref>https://www.engadget.com/2007-06-20-mario-late-to-his-own-party-in-uk.html</ref>

Furthermore, upon the release on July 13, 2007, the game was immediately recalled. Nintendo gave a reason for the withdrawal in a press release:<ref name=banned>https://web.archive.org/web/20160610094010/http://www.thunderboltgames.com/blog/mario-party-8-banned</ref> 
<blockquote>"[''Mario Party 8''] was launched in the UK today. Unfortunately we have discovered that a small number of games contain the wrong version of the disk due to an assembly error. We have therefore decided to recall all copies of the game from UK retailers so that this mistake can be corrected.
We will re-launch ''Mario Party 8'' in the UK as soon as possible and will announce a new launch date shortly. We very much regret any inconvenience caused."</blockquote>
The European/British retailer GAME confirmed<ref name=banned/> that the game was withdrawn from shelves because some copies included an offensive line as part of a magic spell used by [[Kamek|Magikoopa]] in the board [[Shy Guy's Perplex Express]]:
<blockquote>"[[Magikoopa]] magic! Turn the train {{wp|Spastic|spastic}}! Make this ticket tragic!"</blockquote>  
Because "spastic" has a highly negative connotation in the United Kingdom, the game was declared banned and immediately recalled. ''Mario Party 8'' was eventually re-released on August 3, 2007, with the offensive statement altered; European copies use the word "erratic" instead and American copies use a completely different statement: "Let me use my magic to make this all a little more interesting!"

Although it is unknown if ''Mario Party 8'' is the direct catalyst, several first-party Nintendo games released after it have had at least a few English localization differences between the American and British releases instead of using the American English text for all regions. A similar offense in ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'' with the word "shag" was preemptively altered for the European release.

==Pre-release and unused content==
[[File:MP8 Unused Hammer Minigame.png|thumb|Hammer de Pokari]]
{{main|List of Mario Party 8 pre-release and unused content}}
Three minigames go unused in the game's files. They do not have an English name nor a gameplay demonstration on the explanation screen. One of them is titled "Hammer de Pokari", a 4-Player minigame. It takes place on a sandcastle which does not appear elsewhere in the game. The objective is to swing a hammer at opponents by swinging the Wii Remote sideways. A coin counter is present, but it is not affected by the characters' actions. The minigame ends when one player is hit five times. The player who hit the most wins.

==Regional differences==
*The American and European versions use different fonts for text; the font used for the main text in the European version is the same as the font used from ''Mario Party 4'' to ''Mario Party 7''.
*In the English version, when starting a minigame, the announcer shouts "Go!" with the word "START" appearing onscreen. Additionally, when tying a minigame, "Tie" appears on the screen with the announcer calling that. In the Japanese version, "Start!" is shouted instead at the start of a minigame, and when a minigame is tied, "DRAW" appears onscreen with the announcer calling that.
*In the European version of the game, when one player wins a minigame, the text "Win" will appear instead of "Wins".
*In the European version of the game, there is no "×" displayed before the star and coin count in the player panels.

==Gallery==
{{main-gallery|Mario Party 8}}
<gallery>
MP8Mario.png|[[Mario]]
MP8 Blooper.png|[[Blooper]]
MP8 Hammer Bro Artwork.png|[[Hammer Bro]]
DKMP8.png|[[Donkey Kong]]
BowserMP8.png|[[Bowser]]
MP8 MCBallyhoo and Big Top Artwork.png|[[MC Ballyhoo]] and [[Big Top]]
</gallery>

==Media==
{{main-media}}
{{media table
|file1=MP8 Welcome to Mario Party.oga
|title1=Welcome to Mario Party
|length1=0:27
|file2=MP8 Haunted Hideaway.oga
|title2=[[King Boo's Haunted Hideaway|Haunted Hideaway]]
|length2=0:30
|file3=MP8 Do It, DK!.oga
|title3=Do It, DK!
|length3=0:30
|file4=MP8 How to Play.oga
|title4=How to Play
|length4=0:30
|file5=MP8 Feelin' Cyber.oga
|title5=Feelin' Cyber
|length5=0:30
|file6=MP8 Fun Bazaar.oga
|title6=[[Fun Bazaar]]
|length6=0:30
|file7=Mario Party 8 Banner.mp3
|title7=Wii Banner
|length7=0:05
}}

==References to other games==
[[File:MP8 Nossie.png|thumb|Nossie in DK's Treetop Temple]]
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'': Sprites of Mario and Bowser appear in [[Bowser's Warped Orbit]] and sprites of Mario appear at the [[#Star Battle Arena|Star Battle Arena]], printed on the toybox of [[Mosh-Pit Playroom]] and on the wrapper of [[Bitsize Candy]].
*''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'': [[Pianta]]s appear in [[Goomba's Booty Boardwalk]], with their voice clips being recycled from this game.
*''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'': The dinosaur [[Noshi|Nossie]] from [[GCN Dino Dino Jungle|Dino Dino Jungle]] appears in [[DK's Treetop Temple]]. When a player lands on a Bowser Space in Shy Guy's Perplex Express, the Bowser face on the front of the train resembles the face on the front of the [[Koopa King]], Bowser's signature kart.
*''[[Mario Power Tennis]]'': Boo's voice clips are recycled from this game.
*''[[Super Mario Strikers]]'': Hammer Bro's voice clips are recycled from this game.

==References in later games==
*''[[Mario Party DS]]'': The playable characters' profile models and some voice clips are reused in this game.
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'': [[MC Ballyhoo]] and [[Big Top]] appear as a trophy and sticker. Artwork of a [[Chain Chomp]] and [[Dice Block]] from ''Mario Party 8'' appear in this game as stickers.
*''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'': One of Yoshi's voice clips is reused. Daisy's artwork for ''Mario Party 8'' is also reused, but with her kart added to it.
*''[[Mario Party 9]]'': Some of the characters' voice clips are reused.
*''[[Super Mario Run]]'': Princess Peach and Bowser's artwork are reused.
* ''[[Mario Party: The Top 100]]'': Three minigames return in this game. A cover version of the minigame completion theme plays when completing any of the three ''Mario Party 8'' minigames. MC Ballyhoo and Big Top make a cameo in the Characters section of the Series Guide.
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'': MC Ballyhoo and Big Top appear as a [[Spirit (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)|spirit]]. Luigi and Daisy's fighter spirits use their ''Mario Party 8'' artwork.
*''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'': Dry Bones and Hammer Bro's artwork are reused in this game, and some of the latter's voice clips are reused in this game.
*''[[Mario Party Superstars]]'': Two minigames and rearrangements of their respective music return.

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=マリオパーティ８
|JapR=Mario Pāti 8
|JapM=''Mario Party 8''
|Spa=''Mario Party 8''
|SpaM=-
|Ger=''Mario Party 8''
|GerM=-
|Fre=''Mario Party 8''
|FreM=-
|Chi=瑪利歐派對８<ref>https://www.nintendo.com.hk/wii/wii_software.html</ref>
|ChiR=Mǎlìōu pàiduì bā
|ChiM=''Mario Party 8''
|Ita=''Mario Party 8''
|ItaM=-
|Kor=마리오 파티 8
|KorR=Malio Pati 8
|KorM=Mario Party 8
}}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{NIWA|StrategyWiki=1}}
*[https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/WnjIJm5FSwjb8m39oUzkZvIqkRXZ6F-I Nintendo of America Official Site]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Wii/Mario-Party-8-281859.html Nintendo of Europe Official Site]
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/rm8j/index.html Official ''Mario Party 8'' Japanese website]

{{MP8}}
{{Super Mario games}}
{{Wii}}
[[Category:Mario Party 8|*]]
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Wii games]]
[[Category:2007 games]]
[[Category:2008 games]]
[[it:Mario Party 8]]
[[de:Mario Party 8]]
[[Category:Nintendo Selects]]