Every Party
Encyclopedia
is a party
video game developed by Game Republic
and published by Microsoft Game Studios
. It was a Japan
ese launch title
for the Xbox 360
.
in which up to four players compete to be the first to reach a goal. Each board features multiple routes, with some being shorter and riskier, while others are longer but potentially more lucrative in terms of prizes. There are a number (30+) of different mini games which can be triggered during play, similar to the Mario Party
series.
Before play begins, players select a character and customize the character with a variety of items and accessories unlocked during previous sessions. When playing online via Xbox Live
, this helps provide a unique appearance as compared to other players.
Movement is handled by spinning roulette
wheels, although players actually collect the wheels themselves during the course of the game and pick which wheel to use each turn. There are 37 different wheels, with different distributions of numbers, allowing some strategy in trying to get the desired number to come up. Players can store up to five different roulette wheels at once.
Some roulette wheels contain star spaces. If the wheel lands on one of these locations, the player is subjected to the bonus or penalty from the current square again. While this can be helpful if on a particularly beneficial square, such spaces usually have little or no movement accompanying them, and so ultimately hinder progression towards the goal.
s (frequently referred to as "coins", due to their resemblance to gold coins). These medals are used as payment to pass certain obstacles, to avoid certain negative effects, or to make purchases (often of coveted roulette wheels).
artist Momoko Sakura
, known for her work on Chibi Maruko-chan
.
Japanese review scores:
Party game
Party games are games that some people play as forms of entertainment at social gatherings. Party games usually involve more than one player. There are a large number and styles of party games available and the one selected will depend on the atmosphere that is sought to be generated...
video game developed by Game Republic
Game Republic
was an independent video game developer based in Tokyo, Japan. The company, which employed just under 300 individuals before its closure, was founded on July 1, 2003 by Yoshiki Okamoto after he departed from successful Japanese game developer and publisher Capcom. Okamoto is seen as somewhat of a...
and published by Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...
. It was a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese launch title
Launch title
A launch game, or launch title, is a video game released to consumers synchronously with the release of its respective video game console, meaning they are the only available games at the time of the console's launch. Several of these games are also packaged with the console...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Gameplay
The game plays as a board gameBoard game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
in which up to four players compete to be the first to reach a goal. Each board features multiple routes, with some being shorter and riskier, while others are longer but potentially more lucrative in terms of prizes. There are a number (30+) of different mini games which can be triggered during play, similar to the Mario Party
Mario Party
is a party video game for the Nintendo 64 game console, developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on December 14, 1998, in North America on February 8, 1999, and in Europe on March 9, 1999...
series.
Before play begins, players select a character and customize the character with a variety of items and accessories unlocked during previous sessions. When playing online via Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
, this helps provide a unique appearance as compared to other players.
Roulette wheels
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
wheels, although players actually collect the wheels themselves during the course of the game and pick which wheel to use each turn. There are 37 different wheels, with different distributions of numbers, allowing some strategy in trying to get the desired number to come up. Players can store up to five different roulette wheels at once.
Some roulette wheels contain star spaces. If the wheel lands on one of these locations, the player is subjected to the bonus or penalty from the current square again. While this can be helpful if on a particularly beneficial square, such spaces usually have little or no movement accompanying them, and so ultimately hinder progression towards the goal.
Medals
In addition to collecting roulette wheels, players also collect medalMedal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
s (frequently referred to as "coins", due to their resemblance to gold coins). These medals are used as payment to pass certain obstacles, to avoid certain negative effects, or to make purchases (often of coveted roulette wheels).
Development
The characters in the game were designed by Japanese writer and mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
artist Momoko Sakura
Momoko Sakura
, pen name , is a Japanese manga artist from Shimizu, Shizuoka Prefecture. She is the creator of the long-running manga Chibi Maruko-chan , based on her own childhood, and the more surreal fantasy anime series Coji-Coji, which ran from 1997 to 1999...
, known for her work on Chibi Maruko-chan
Chibi Maruko-chan
is a shōjo manga series by Momoko Sakura, later adapted into an anime TV series by Nippon Animation, which originally aired on Fuji Television from January 7, 1990 to September 27, 1992. The series depicts the simple, everyday life of a little girl nicknamed Maruko and her family in suburban...
.
Reception
As the title was released only in Japan, most English language review sites previewed the game but neglected to perform a full review. Positives which were highlighted included customizable online play and a unique artistic style. Negative comments focused on long load times, dated graphics, and overly-simplistic mini games.Japanese review scores:
- Weekly FamitsūFamitsuis a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
: 30 out of 40 (75%) - FamitsūFamitsuis a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
Xbox 360: 24 out of 40 (60%)