Cute! This game is basically incomparably different from a core Mario Party title, but it's not bad by any means. Accepting that the Game Boy Advance wasn't powerful enough to make proper 4-player Mario Party work, this is a good compromise - 4 player action through mini-games, single player board game antics. Changing the focus from multiple smaller boards to a single big board in Shroom City lends itself to a lot of fun, particularly with the different recurring NPCs and subplots. I think the mechanic of trying to extend out your play by stockpiling dice is interesting. It's certainly frustrating if you run out partway into resolving a Quest between two different locations, but it's not too difficult to jump back in and keep grinding out the last few where needed. Not a game with a ton of longevity, but not a bad time overall.

And while I never got the chance to play it, it is nice that they tried to strike a compromise with the Bonus Board, at least making SOME way to play a Mario Party board game with 4 friends... even if it's a physical copy (certainly don't see that these days!).