Super Mario Party

Game'scover

About the Game

Game: Super Mario Party
Genre: Mini game Compilation, Party game
Consoles: Nintendo Switch
Published: Nintendo
Developers: NCube
Released: October 2018

These days there are very few gaming mascots that still stay on top and continue to entertain us in various ways and media. One of them, and perhaps the most recognizable is the Italian plumber Super Mario, who first appeared in 1985. When we mention this hero, one company comes to mind and that is the one and only Nintendo. No one can dispute the impact and success of the series with thirty eight years of history. In four decades it has released various games, spin offs, collaborated with other games, animated series and comic series. It has also created collectible figures, an amusement park (Super Nintendo World (2021-)) and is preparing a highly anticipated movie to be released in 2023.

In 1998, Nintendo came up with the idea of the heroes of the Super Mario series putting their differences behind them and taking part in a tournament that would test their skills in various small challenges. The Mario Party series was first released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64 and has since become a standard series for the company which has released (to date) at least 18 games. In addition, the series left its mark in the field of gaming as a result of which other companies are trying to imitate its success with their own heroes. Finally, this IP has been considered by many as a typical game for local/couch multiplayer. With the release of Nintendo's new console, the Nintendo Switch, it was only a matter of time until a new party game was released, and that came a year later with the release of Super Mario Party (2018) created by the Nintendo NDcube team who have made the last 8 Mario Party.

Story Mode

As the heroes of the series had gathered in the square of the Mushroom Kingdom and were discussing various things, a conversation spread the panic and it was "who is the star of the kingdom who deserves all the praise?" To calm the crowd Mario suggested the idea of holding a contest that would test everyone's skills. Everyone liked the idea and Toad along with Toadette decided to be the honest judges. Bowser and his minions appeared out of nowhere to take part and to avoid negative reviews Bowser added another judge Kamek. With the judges and contestants ready, everything is ready to go.

Gameplay

Basic Gameplay

Upon starting the game, you are given the opportunity to choose whether to play with friends online or on the couch. The game is only available for Joy-cons as there is no support for the controller or Joy-con grip. If the number of available players is less than four then the game will ask you which hero you would like in the party as an AI and will suggest three random ones with different difficulty level. The next step is to choose the character (which will play a role in the available games) that you would like to own. Upon completion of this process, player #1 has the ability to walk around the park and choose which field they will compete in as the others follow him.

In front of the park entrance are five stands with giant screens representing different events with their own distinct rules. Next to the main screens is a smaller screen available only in Single Player and allows you to play online in a range of sports. Then there are two pipes, one green and one red. In the red tube you can create posters with various stickers while in the green you can play four unique games, one of which requires a second Nintendo Switch console. Finally, various heroes appear in the park randomly and after you talk to them, by choosing the right dialogue option, they may reward you by giving you new tracks or new heroes(2).

Mario Party
The most famous game mode of the series is Mario Party. The first player chooses a board track and the game begins. The objective of each player is to roll their dice and reach Toadette first who in turn rewards the first player with a gold star in exchange for ten gold coins. Every time someone buys a star Toadette takes you to another part of the map. Each hero has their own personal dice with random numbers as well as the normal(1-6). In addition each track has predetermined paths in which there are direction options.
At the start of the game the four players roll the normal dice to determine their turn. Each map has its own unique mechanism but all have in common, the colorful circles that represent a step. Blue circles give coins, red ones take away coins, green ones will either give you an assist or change something on the track, purple ones punish you and finally the specials have their own rules that will need coins. When the fourth player finishes their round, then a random mini-game will start. The circle color each player was in will determine the mini-game category (free for all, 2vs2,1vs3 etc). Blue together against red and in case of green/purple the game will automatically choose blue or red. There are 84 mni games, but all are simple and accessible to everyone. When a game is drawn the rules will appear on the screen as well as the practice round where you can try out the game before you get ready. Some games require Joy-con movement while others use the joystick. Depending on the finishing position the players are awarded with coins. The player with the most stars at the end of the last round and after the Bonus Stars re given is the winner.
Wallpaper

The Giant screen named Partner Party has the same rules as Party Mode with the main difference being that the entire game is split into two-on-two teams. All players on the team roll their dice at the same time, add up the score and then choose how to move (together or individually) on the track since there is no longer a predetermined path. The goal is again to collect the most stars but this time as a team. Last difference between the two is the fact that all games are of 2vs2 format and in case of individual games, the winner shares his points and items with his teammate.

When you're not fighting each other for Toadette's gold stars, get ready for an unforgettable boat ride. In River Survival mode you join forces to paddle and reach your destination before time runs out. There are several paths that you can follow each with their own obstacles. In the stream there are huge balloons which if touched will activate a team mini-game where the faster you finish it the more time you gain. The team paddles with the Joy-cons and plays the mini-games with either the buttons or the motion sensors.

Move to the rhythm with the company on the Sound Stage where you are invited to give an unforgettable performance. During the game you work as a team to score points in a series of strictly rhythm based games. While you are a team a little competition exists as at the end of the show the player who has contributed the most points wins the center spotlight and the praises from the audience as the others sit back and admire their friend. The games use the movement of the joy-cons as well as its buttons.

New era or the Series

Wallpaper With the release of Nintendo's new console comes a new era in the series that includes updated graphics and updated mechanics. The game on Switch looks better than ever as every track and hero is beautifully detailed with vibrant colors. Of course the models are not like Mario Odyssey(2017) and more like 3D World. Then due to the capabilities of the Switch the sound of the game is very clear and so you can enjoy the songs of the Mario series.

The games have been created with the aim of spreading moments of laughter as well as moments which will be stored in your memory for both good and "bad" reasons. As previously mentioned there are over a hundred games which when unlocked can be individually selected from the last screen and also by unlocking them all, another giant screen becomes available (Challenge Road) with its own prizes.

On the other hand, one main thing to mention is that the game is best consumed when shared with friends either near or far. A player alone will not have the same experience as someone else in the party. If there are four players there must be 4 Joy-cons which cost a lot. Another issue is that a joy-con can easily break (Joy-con drift) which creates a huge problem. Additionally, River & Sound modes have minimal games so the same games will always play in the same order. Additionally, the party mode only has four tracks which while nice eventually end up being boring. Finally, during Party Mode various events are frequently activated and freeze the game until they are completed, thus tripling the duration of the game.

Amiibo

The game does not have a particular amiibo function.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, Super Mario Party is perfect for any group that wants to play an enjoyable game where the experience doesn't add much of an advantage to anyone. With its release it brought new ideas and techniques creating a fantastic experience. Small problems and imperfections that exist in some people will seem important but to others not as much. It has to be stated multiple times that this is a party game not a single player experience. Despite its age, its one of these games that aged and it will continue to age like fine wine. Everybody can join and everybody have a fair chance of winning.