Speak to any devout Mario Party fan and they’ll tell you that despite steadily chugging along since 1998, the long-running series has been a little shaky the last few years. From uninspiring minigames to unnecessary mechanics, Mario and his friends needed a serious shake-up. Super Mario Party, it seems, is exactly what the doctor ordered.
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By utilising the power of the Switch’s Joy-Cons, a healthy dose of fresh creativity has been added to the mix, most evident in the minigames. From rotating 3D shapes into place, to racing up poles, and everything in between, Super Mario Party is bound to have you and your friends chuckling and screaming together in equal measures. That said, it’s worth noting that the Joy-Cons are the only way to get involved, so if you were hoping to whip out your Pro Controller, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Watch: Super Mario Party trailer
The other peculiar decision is that there are actually only four boards on offer, but thankfully they present more branching paths than Super Mario Party’s predecessors, as well as random events that can be triggered, meaning each new game has the potential to feel different from the last. You can almost sense that Nintendo is attempting to steer the series back to the basic crux that helped popularise it in the first place. As a result, controversial features like the widely criticised car mechanic have been given the boot to focus on what matters: a mad dash for coins and the all-important stars.
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Look past the standard mode and there’s a few other options to try out as well. Team Party, for example, creates a 2v2 scenario to allow for a deeper layer of strategy and scheming, while Toad’s Rec Room, the most creative addition, ditches the television entirely in favour of linking two Switch consoles together for unique puzzles and battles. These modes certainly help pad out the Super Mario Party experience, but you’ll likely gravitate towards the classic battle all the same.
As always, Super Mario Party is a game that demands to be played in a group. Follow that mandate and you’re guaranteed an enjoyable night in. Not every element lands successfully, but it’s a step in the right direction that hopefully grants the series a new lease on life.
4/5
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Super Mario Party is now available for Nintendo Switch.
