Editing Test for the Best

[[File:MP8 Test for the Best.png|thumb|250px]]

'''Test for the Best''' is the only secret [[minigame]] mode in ''[[Mario Party 8]]''. This mode is similar to Mini-Game Decathlon from ''[[Mario Party 5]]'', Decathlon Park from ''[[Mario Party 6]]'', Decathlon Castle from ''[[Mario Party 7]]'', and [[Score Scuffle]] from ''[[Mario Party DS]]'', though this mode is for one player only. The player character appears in a hot-air balloon, [[MC Ballyhoo]] and [[Big Top]] alongside them. MC Ballyhoo tells the player character that the goal is to earn [[point]]s based on their performance in 10 minigames (and be graded with an F, D, C, B, A, or A+, the last one automatically netting the player 1,000 points); every point they earn sends them a foot into the air, and so the real objective is to fly as high as possible.

It is possible to access this mode without having unlocked all 10 minigames listed below, as long as this minigame mode is bought from the [[Fun Bazaar]] first. Any minigames played here that have not yet been unlocked will be unlocked after this mode is completed.

This mode stores the best five total scores in this mode, as well as points earned, the grade received, and the title earned for each minigame within each ranking.

The 10 minigames that are played are the same ones every time. However, they are played in a random order.

The games are measured in either time or points.

Unlike the Decathlon games in previous [[Mario Party (series)|''Mario Party'' games]] where the score was the sole purpose of determining the winner, this mode also uses a grading system as it is a single-player mode, though up to 1,000 points can be earned in one minigame.

===Minigame grades===

The number of points the player earns after converting the result from the minigame determines the grade for that minigame.

! Grade !! Points awarded

| '''A''' || 900–999

| '''B''' || 800–899

| '''C''' || 700–799

| '''D''' || 600–699

| '''F''' || 0–599

The '''A+''' and '''F''' grades are '''S''' and '''E''', respectively, in the Japanese version.

 

====Titles====

! Minigame !! A+ !! A !! B !! C !! D !! F

| '''Alpine Assault''' || High-Speed Boarder || Super Boarder || Speedy Boarder || Average Boarder || Standard Boarder || Slow Boarder

| '''Ion the Prize''' || Quicksilver Separator || Superior Separator || Skilled Separator || Semi-Separator || Radio-Inactive || Complete Meltdown

| '''Kartastrophe''' || Fast-Track Titan || Supersonic Squealer || Rubber-Burning Pro || Passable Driver || Sunday Driver || Crash Dummy

| '''Pumper Cars''' || Minecart Commander || Minecart Major || Muscle Major || Muscle Minor || Slow-Mo Master || Totally Exhausted

| '''Rotation Station''' || Super Cougar Climber || Bighorn Climber || Expert Climber || Common Climber || Silly Stumbler || Fall-Down Fool

| '''Saucer Swarm''' || Titanium Defender || Silver Defender || Iron Defender || Average Defender || Sleepwalking Shooter || Spaced-Out Shooter

| '''Settle It in Court''' || Hoops Supershooter || Hoops Honcho || Expert Shooter || Basket Staller || Court Jester || Benchwarmer

| '''Snipe for the Picking''' || Eagle-Eyed Sniper || Surefire Sniper || On-Target Sniper || Sniper Wannabe || Wobbly Shooter || Foot Shooter

| '''Surf's Way Up''' || Cosmic Kahuna || Stellar Surfer || Wave Maker || Surfin' Sophomore || Surfin' Neophyte || Wipeout Kid

| '''Swing Kings''' || Home Run King || Savage Slugger || Strong Slugger || So-So Slugger || Fly Swatter || Bat Butterfingers

====Targets====

 

=====NTSC version=====

| '''Alpine Assault''' || 0:30.00 || 0:31.50 || 0:33.00 || 0:34.50 || 0:36.00

| '''Ion the Prize''' || 58 || 52 || 46 || 40 || 34

| '''Kartastrophe''' || 0:43.00 || 0:45.00 || 0:47.00 || 0:49.00 || 0:51.00

| '''Pumper Cars''' || 0:14.50 || 0:15.00 || 0:15.50 || 0:16.00 || 0:16.50

| '''Rotation Station''' || 0:35.00 || 0:45.00 || 0:55.00 || 1:05.00 || 1:15.00

| '''Saucer Swarm''' || 52 || 48 || 44 || 40 || 36

=====PAL version=====

! Minigame !! A+ !! A !! B !! C !! D

| '''Alpine Assault''' || 0:37.00 || 0:38.50 || 0:40.00 || 0:41.50 || 0:43.00

| '''Ion the Prize''' || 50 || 45 || 40 || 35 || 30

| '''Kartastrophe''' || 0:44.00 || 0:46.00 || 0:48.00 || 0:50.00 || 0:52.00

| '''Pumper Cars''' || 0:17.50 || 0:18.00 || 0:18.50 || 0:19.00 || 0:19.50

| '''Rotation Station''' || 0:40.00 || 0:50.00 || 1:00.00 || 1:10.00 || 1:20.00

| '''Saucer Swarm''' || 50 || 46 || 42 || 38 || 34

| '''Settle It in Court''' || 18 || 16 || 14 || 12 || 10

| '''Snipe for the Picking''' || 1,500 || 1,300 || 1,100 || 900 || 700

| '''Surf's Way Up''' || 800 || 680 || 560 || 440 || 320

| '''Swing Kings''' || 20 || 18 || 16 || 14 || 12

 

 

Points earned are calculated based on piecewise functions. Points rise linearly until the '''D''' grade requirement is reached, in which the points earned change in a piecewise fashion but are still linear. All decimals are truncated (e.g., scoring 53 in the NTSC version of Ion the Prize gives 916 points).

 

{| class="wikitable"

| '''Supreme Superstar''' || 10,000 || 100 Carnival Cards

| '''Beginner''' || 6,600–6,799 || Nothing

|- style="background-color:#bbb"

| '''Peewee''' || 6,400–6,599 || Nothing

| '''Groundling''' || 0–6,399 || Nothing

Test for the Best 1.png|1,000 points: two [[Paragoomba]]s

Test for the Best 2.png|2,000 points: two [[Koopa Paratroopa|Green Paratroopa]]s

Test for the Best 3.png|3,000 points: two [[Koopa Paratroopa|Red Paratroopa]]s

Test for the Best 4.png|4,000 points: one [[Flutter]]

Test for the Best 5.png|5,000 points: one [[Klepto]]

Test for the Best 6.png|6,000 points: one [[Fishin' Lakitu]]

Test for the Best 7.png|7,000 points: two [[Toady|Toadies]]

Test for the Best 8.png|8,000 points: two [[Fly Guy]]s

Test for the Best 9.png|9,000 points: one [[Magikoopa]]

Test for the Best 10.png|9,800 points: various [[Captain Shy Guy (Mario Party 8)|Captain Shy Guy]]s on the [[Moon]]