A Decade Of Partying
Back in the heyday of the Nintendo 64 when couch co-op reigned supreme, a party game was released. It featured classic Nintendo characters and board-game style gameplay interspersed with mini-games. On December 18th, 1998, Mario Party became the first in a long-running series that would inspire joy and frustration among countless fans.
Until October of this year, aside from handheld releases, there have been 10 Mario Party games. Announced at E3 2018, Super Mario Party looked to be a return to form for the series. While a few modern changes were implemented, some features were removed to bring it back to its roots and focus on its strengths.
To date, this has the largest collection of playable characters in any game in the series. It includes classic dice-rolling Mario Party mode, a new Partner Party mode, a slew of new mini-games, and with a fancy new console to play it on, Super Mario Party is one of the strongest entries in the series to date. While a shortage of game boards and a lack of online functionality hold it back from greatness, this game is four-friends-on-the-couch multiplayer at its finest.
A Pretty Party
From the start, the graphical upgrade from 2015’s Mario Party 10 is immediately obvious, and very welcome. While the Switch can’t compete with other consoles in terms of raw horsepower, Nintendo has proven that they can create stunning games with limited resources. Characters are rendered in HD, with a clean-cut and colorful look that pleases the eye. Animations are brimming with personality; the characters’ movements are just as recognizable as their design.
Running at a smooth 60 fps, the game never stutters in offline play. Online suffers from occasional slow-down, but remains playable. The game’s graphics truly shine in certain mini-games; particularly Sizzling Stakes. The lighting effects and textures of the frying pans, combined with highly realistically rendered steaks and bubbling hot oil create an unexpected level of realism for a Mario game.
Sound design is one of Nintendo’s strengths, and Super Mario Party doesn’t disappoint. The sound effects are bright and punchy, and the characters’ catch-phrases and grunts are pure nostalgia in audio form; even though they become a bit repetitive. The music is well-produced, staying chipper and catchy without becoming annoying.
A Few Additions
One of the game’s new modes, Sound Stage, is a collection of rhythm-based mini-games utilizing the Switch motion controls. Unfortunately, as is the case with many games that dabble in rhythm-based gameplay, there is no setting for audio/video sync. The game is fairly generous in terms of scoring for this mode, but it’s immediately obvious that the audio is not in sync with the game’s action. It’s a glaring error when the controller vibrates along with the tempo, and sometimes falls behind before catching up.
Aside from Sound Stage, there are several other modes in addition to traditional Mario Party. Partner Party allows for cooperative play with a partner, and selective movement on the game board. This is the highlight of the added modes, and provides a unique experience with plenty of replay value. Competitive players will appreciate the greater control over their success or failure, something which the series notoriously lacks.
River Survival is essentially a river rafting mini-game interspersed with more mini-games. It provides a shallow-but-fun experience that grows old a little too quickly. Toad’s Rec Room is a collection of unique mini-games, some of which require two Switch consoles. This mode plays a bit like a tech demo for multi-console capabilities, but there’s definitely some fun to be had.
Main Game, Best Game
Fans of the earlier Mario Party games will be happy to learn that in the main game mode, characters are once again roaming the board as individuals, rather than together in a car. Additionally, players can choose to roll either the standard 1-6 die, or use one that’s character-specific. This adds a valuable layer of strategy to gameplay; choosing a die with zeros or higher numbers turned the tide in a number of rounds for me. That being said, the fact that a character’s special die isn’t shown in the character select screen is a major oversight. The die is essentially the one gameplay difference between characters, and should be known when choosing between them.
The new ally system is a highly enjoyable addition to the series, and throws a monkey wrench into the main game as well as mini-games. Any time a player lands on an ally space, they gain an AI-controlled minion. The ally rolls a die that goes up to 2, which means having several allies allows for some game-changing high rolls.
In certain mini-games, allies join in the fun and create some hilariously chaotic moments. Having a few computer-controlled minions to do one’s dirty work makes winning that much easier, and losing that much more embarrassing for one’s competitors.
The Bad
The number of available game boards is disappointing. The game starts with only three available, and after beating them, a fourth board is unlocked. They’re all unique in terms of looks and gameplay, but the limited selection definitely ramps up the sense of repetition.
The game’s biggest flaw is the lack of online functionality. Super Mario Party is a game that screams for online play. Those who were hoping to steal stars from friends online will be sorely disappointed. The only online component is Mariothon, which is a marathon of mini-games. There are 80 mini-games in total, with plenty of variety; but not having the main game playable online is a major letdown.
A Good Party, But Not Perfect
Super Mario Party is the definitive Mario Party experience. The main game is an emotional roller-coaster that can make or break friendships (particularly when bonus stars are awarded). The addition of custom dice and allies makes for a more versatile experience, and the mini-games are some of the best in the series. The game’s randomness remains in full force, though it feels less unfair than some previous entries.
Unfortunately, the small number of game boards and lack of online functionality bring the replay value down significantly. This game is perfect for times when a few friends come over looking for a casual challenge with high-stakes results; but not much else. Super Mario Party gets a good-but-not-great 3.5 out of 5.
Join the party! If you’d like to party Mario-style yourself, Super Mario Party is available as of October 5th, 2018. You can pick it up for $59.99, exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
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