Watching the latest Mario party and when the girlfriend saw it, she recognized this one as one she played. And then suddenly..I realized I should probably buy a Mario party. I think the Wii remote for these mini games would be ass, but is hilarious watching bombers doing it but honestly it's Mario party, kinda expect not the best controls anyway.

Soooooo, which one do I get? She can use a normal controller ok so GameCube ones are on the table but Jesus how do you choose. Much difference between 8 and 9? And I heard 10 was the weird one and not that great(I know I know). My initial purchase was going to be 10 after getting a Wii U but now I'm not so sure

Please...don't do this.
I wan't you to have a happy relationship and Mario Party will just ruin everything. Your girlfriend will leave you. She will. It's not great. You'll have to sell your things to afford rent. That turntable you love so much? Gone. The Keurig that you used once and forgot about in the corner? Dunzo. And then, when you think you're at your worst, you'll have to sell your clothes. All of them. Even those socks that you saw at Target that one time and didn't know whether you liked the pattern, but screw it you need socks and who's gonna see 'em anyway right? Next thing you know you're huddled in the dark, stark naked save for a blanket, trying to shovel Chef Boyardee into your mouth to outpace the hunger. But you never will.

Anyway, if you can still get any of them on the Wii Virtual Console 1-3 are tolerable, but there is a sharp decline in quality after that. At least to me. Have a good one!

10 is probably the best choice. I was down on it at first until I realized that they had just distilled all the bullshit down. Anything that ever happened on the board was meaningless, boring, and time consuming. There are a lot of great mini games in 10, unfortunately you're not guaranteed a game after every turn. And don't worry, most of the maps end with a bunch of bullshit to maintain the sanctity of Mario Party by ensuring the game is decided by random dice rolls.

Dokapon Kingdom for the Wii, the only one worth your time

But a physical copy of Carcassonne or Ticket to Ride instead. I guarantee you a much more fun and meaningful experience

How anyone can watch a Mario Party Party and come out thinking "Yeah, I need to buy one of those games!" is baffling to me.

I'd go with 8, but that's the last one I played. I don't know how good 9 and 10 are, and to me they've always seemed like "not real Mario Party's" since they've changed so much. That's just my opinion as someone who grew up with the old board game individual movement style, so maybe 10 would be an okay choice for your needs? I remember really liking 6 a lot too if you're willing to go back to the gamecube era. If the N64 ones are on the virtual console then those are pretty great! Probably the best I'd say.

Also be prepared to maybe only play whatever you choose once or twice. Once the novelty of "lol Mario Party" wears off there's not much to enjoy. I've only put so much time into the series because it was my family's game of choice on game days back when I was a kid. I've tried playing it with significant others just for giggles and it typically just results in one person winning by a land slide and then feeling no reason to pick it up again later. You might be able to get away with breaking it out at parties though if you're a social person and you have friends who could enjoy the joke of playing a Mario Party.

I'm just gonna have to second this. Best board game game on the Wii.

If you're committed to totally ruining your life however, you probably can't go that wrong with any of them. 9 & 10 are a different format and therefore necessarily shorter, but keep in mind YOU DON'T HAVE TO PLAY 50 TURNS so the others can also be of similar time commitment. I feel like that's something we forget in our collective despair watching these mario party 'parties'.

No.

Yes it is actually a crazy question.

I liked 6. I'm also the sad guy who enjoyed playing Mario Party by myself.

I also like good games, by the way.

6 , 7, or 2. As someone who has played all of the Mario Parties, here's my concise review of each (skipping 1 and 3 since only MP2 is available on the Virtual Console, so you'd have to get a N64 for the two others):

2: Good. The game has some limitations compared to later games (can only hold 1 item for example), and some mini-games move like there's a piece of gum wrapped around the joystick. But it has some of the best boards and mini-games otherwise, and is genuinely the most fun for me.

4: Solid. It's Mario Party, no bullshit (you know... beyond the typical level), but it's also kinda... just there. You know, uneventful. Can't go wrong with it though.

5: Garbage. My least favorite of the "normal" games. It has the highest luck element by far (items randomly distributed, super-swingy board events, too many luck-based mini games, etc.). The game has a real... stiffness to it, especially the mini-games. It's like a totalitarian Mario Party, you only get to play it the way it wants. Play rock-paper-scissors instead; same random end result in way, way less time.

6: Good. Once again, it's just Mario Party. First one with gimmick boards, not everyone will like those, but the non-gimmick boards are top notch. Coming after the least strategic game in the series, this one might be the most strategic (but you have to want it to be).

7: Good. Basically the b-side of Mario Party 6, some nice additions (character-specific items for example) but nothing crucial.

8: Solid. The Wiimote does "shake" things up, and some of the mini-games are great as a result. But boards are way too linear and the controls do suck on occasion.

9 & 10: Not Mario Party. Can just not recommend if you want even a little strategy. The car-mechanic removes any agency and makes it even more luck-based (imagine that). Watch a movie instead, those are generally better scripted.

So, 2 and 3 are the best in my experience, but sidestepping my nostalgia for them I think you are most likely to enjoy 6 or 7. They're the most fully featured, they have the most content, the least bullshit, the smoothest "feel" (control-wise). After 7 the series becomes more and more soulless and streamlined (bad-streamlined, not good-streamlined) until they're essentially a glorified Yahtzee.

Fortune Street.

I've played them all at some point not by personal choice and I highly Recommend Jacbox Party. There isn't a good Mario Party game.

@finaldasa: This person knows what's good. Now to find that video of Ryan, Jeff, Vinny, and Patrick playing it.

I'd really recommend 10, since it's pretty much the only one of these where the mini-games aren't janky as fuck. It also tends to have the most decisions per roll as the boards tend to be very compressed and most have gimmicks that either give you points or make you lose them.

Don't.

That said, Mario Party 8 was okay. We'd drunkenly play it at a friend's house in München. The Wii remote added some dumb silliness. The early ones were god awful.

Good news, I don't have to buy one, because she apparently has 8, and it seems like an ok one to stick with. The n64 ones are huge turn offs because they did control like garbage, watching the guys play newer ones look like at the worst "decent" controls. Last time I really played any was n64. Looked into 9 and 10 and those do seem awkward. It's too bad because playing a big new hd has a draw to it but oh well to that.