One of Nintendo’s more interesting recent releases is a simple card game, called Mario Party-e. For a low price of $9.99, you get a deck of 64 cards, a thick paper play mat, and an instruction booklet. As the “e” in the name denotes, Nintendo’s e-Reader can be used during the game; swiping certain cards during play allows you to play simple mini-games that can affect the game’s outcome. The e-Reader is certainly not required; you can substitute a coin-flip for e-Reader games at any time.

The style of play will be somewhat familiar to anyone who’s played a collectable card game before. The rules are fairly simple: Start with five cards in your hand and on your turn, you draw a card and then play or discard a card. You have an “In Play” area on your side of the game board, where you play “Coin” cards and “Item” cards. Some cards cost coins to use, so maintaining a healthy supply of coins in play is part of the strategy of the game. The goal is to put one of each Item card in play (the Superstar Shoes, Hat, and Clothes), and then play a final Superstar card to win the game.

Like any collectable card game, some cards will have instructions that can modify or change the way the game is played. These cards can allow you to trade cards with an opponent, steal in-play cards, and alter the flow of the game in other ways. In some cases, the e-Reader can be used to compete in a mini-game “Duel” with your opponent, or to avoid paying the coin cost with a “Free Challenge” card. There are 11 of these special “e-Challenge” cards in the game, with some being a test of reflexes or skill, and others being a simple random choice.

Fans of the Mario Party series of console games know that part of what makes the game so fun is that much of the game is left to chance. Any number of events can change the pace of the game, and it helps keep the playing field somewhat even for experienced and casual gamers alike. The card game is very much in the same vein. There is some strategy involved, but for the most part, players of any skill level can enjoy and WIN this game.

There really isn’t much else to say about such a simple game without going into excruciating detail about each of the cards. Frankly, none of that really matters, since finding the best use for each card is a matter of personal preference. As with any collectable card game, not everyone is going to play the same way. The use of the e-Reader in the game is interesting, and is the only thing that really sets the game apart. If you like collectable card games, but not necessarily spending ridiculous amounts of money on the cards, you should give Mario Party-e a try.