Should you buy Mario Party Superstars?

Mario Party Superstars is everything we wanted since they created Mario Party the Top 100 for Nintendo 3DS five years prior. After Nintendo’s attempted reboot of the Mario Party series in Super Mario Party, they went back to the classic formula…and by that I mean literally with classic boards and classic minigames. Essentially, we got what we wanted since the 3DS Mario Party: A shortened best of Mario Party’s history in its boards and minigames.

Video Review:

After going through every single map and playing nearly every minigame I think it is safe to say this is one of my favorite Mario Party’s and could be the best one. Yes, I know it is a bit of a cop-out calling this my favorite when it has some of my favorite boards and a lot of my favorite minigames but it’s true! The updated graphics, the options for fast text, choosing classic or modern music, fast CPU turns, skipping their item minigames and turns in minigames (only if it is a one-at-a-time game) really gives the player a fantastic option if they want to play solo. Local multiplayer is just as fun and hectic as usual, though my one gripe with the game has to be with the amount of lucky spaces and the item selection. They brought back the Super Mario Party items rather than the classic items and I just don’t think they work as well in the classic maps as the original items did. Things like the Boo Bell technically exist, but only in Horror Land for whoever Boo thinks is going to win (usually the 4^th place person) and it just made me miss the madness of good RNG at the item shop or making plans based off what items you can get. For end of games the bonus stars make a return, but not in the classic style, it can be a bonus for nearly anything going from Minigame star, to Slowpoke or most Unlucky star! This really makes the game accessible for anyone of any skill level and is a pretty good addition for those playing with others who aren’t too familiar with the game or series. My favorite feature though has to be the ability to choose what kind of minigames you want. With this you can choose from having just Nintendo 64 minigames, Gamecube ones, skill based ones, “family” ones, or just your favorites while you play in a Mario Party match.

Mount Minigame is the other feature in this game for solo and online play besides the classic Mario Party (that’s the name of playing the boards). Mount Minigame is like Minigame island where you can play all the minigames in a free-play mode, a coin battle mode (aka who wins the most), and where you access the special sports minigames and puzzle games. I’ve always loved these games and think Nintendo did everyone a favor they didn’t have to by bringing these back in and they are just as chaotic and fun as ever. Lastly, Nintendo has a single player minigame mountain feature where you go head-to-head in Daily Challenges and minigame showdowns, though they weren’t open when I was playing at first.

For those who are wondering how the controls for the minigames felt compared to the classic games honestly, they controlled nearly the same or better in some instances! Bombs away got a huge improvement in movement, ground pounds in Mushroom Mix-up are KEY now, bumper balls doesn’t feel like a human draw machine, and everyone moves as smooth as butter. Honestly, nearly every game is improved though I think they buffed character movement too much that Dungeon Duos felt weird at first.

Overall, this game is not going to win GOTY (over Metroid Dread) but is a must-buy for not just any Mario Party or Mario series fan, but any Nintendo Switch owner. It’s the perfect game for friends and family, the online features gives solo playing a bigger reason, and who doesn’t want to get all 50 achievements from Kamek while leveling up their MP card to Level 99!