This will probably be the last game featuring Mario and his friends for the Nintendo 64. When Nintendo's new system comes out, expect to see even more of the company's main mascots, but right now, enjoy their final outing. I thoroughly enjoyed playing the first two Mario Parties, and the third party is just as good, and maybe better.

     Mario Party 3 is just like the other two games in that the graphics are cheesy and the music is even worse, BUT the game itself is fun to play and worth the money you will shell out. Even if you don't have friends, you can enjoy the single story mode, which has you going from one board to another battling your favorite bosses. However, the game is the most fun when you have three friends with you to do battle against.

     The four-player mode is a board game with a twist. You roll the dice, move a number of spaces and either lose coins, gain coins or set off some kind of event. After everyone has gone, all four competitors compete in a mini-game where they battle one another or team up against another team to earn coins that can be used to buy items. Some items give you extra turns, some allow you to steal coins, and some even allow you to steal or teleport to a star. You want to buy stars if you have an opportunity to do so, because those and the coins contribute to the outcome of the game.

     While the board game is fun, it's the mini games that are the strong point of this game. You can compete in a Tetris-style game, golf, fishing, and others. There are so many different styles of games to play that no one has a clear-cut advantage. Sometimes, it is wit that helps you pull off a victory and not skill. When you aren't playing the board games, you can just play the mini-games and have some fun.

     Badseed's Bottomline: 5 out of 5. This whole series of games kicks butt. Kids will love it. Daisy, and Waluigi join Donkey Kong, Wario, Princess Toadstool, Luigi, Mario, and Yoshi. This is a great game for family and friends and if you just want to have fun without violence or gore, Mario Party 3 is the game for you.

     Send your comments and or questions about this article to Badseed@ybfree.com.