Yesterday, when we tested Mario Party Superstars online multiplayer in a multimedia session, we sometimes noticed that Life is like a Mario party game: No matter how hard you try, someone can overtake you without doing anything.
We said this because in a game on the most difficult board (The Land of Terror), in the end, someone who did next to nothing won. The superstar was after all a daisy who had moved little, did not win a single mini-game, who just tried badly to save coins, “damned” her opponents as much as possible and at the whim of fate she wore the last rewards that got him the victory. You can see it down here
This is Mario Party, unpredictable and sometimes grossly unfair, but incredibly funny. This result may not have been deserved, but this 10-round game was worth it as it reminded us of what makes this franchise so special.
Mario Party Superstars isn’t coming to reinvent the wheel, he’s coming to do the same thing as those old rock superstars. It’s a “Biggest Hit” of all of Mario Party’s, albeit with a particular penchant for its origins. It makes it clear the first time you open it. It tells of those who managed to become big stars, who hit the boards, relive that experience and are even better than those who won 20 years ago.
You just have to see that when playing the eponymous mode, the traditional one with dice, squares and stars, the available boards only correspond to the time of Nintendo 64 (Mario Party 1, 2 and 3):
- Yoshi’s Tropical Island (Mario Party 1)
- The Space Station (Mario Party 2)
- Peach Birthday Cake (Mario Party 1)
- The Wooded Forest (Mario Party 3)
- The Land of Terror (Mario Party 2)
There’s no denying that this selection practically embodies the best of the first three games, and that the graphical overhaul made them wonderful (Peach’s cake still makes me hungry). They are played the way they were played back then, with dice rounds, boxes with which anything can happen and with one goal that is always clear: to be the player with the most stars in the end.
This trip sounds easy to those who know Mario Party, but it’s like an obstacle course with someone accompanying you who can trip you when you least expect it. There are different types of fields that can cause certain effects depending on the field of play, you can use objects to get better throws, steal coins or stars from your rivals, or even face bowsers and steal everything you have. Each round ends with a mini game that can be team, individual or 3v1.
Nothing new about this pattern because there was no need to change it. That was exactly what the veterans had been asking for for years, and that’s what Nintendo put on the table (or board). The same crazy formula full of surprises, laughter and screams. The same one who makes me tell you the next time you meet friends with you to play Mario Party Superstars even though I’m not responsible for how you end up.
Superstars is an ode to nostalgia, it’s full of winking eyes that will haunt those who attended when the plumbing parties kicked off. But it comes up short. Only the first Mario Party already had 8 boards, so you can imagine all of them that have arrived in these more than 20 years. That there are only five to choose from isn’t enough for a game that tries to celebrate the history of the franchise. We hope that Nintendo will at least try to expand via DLC in the future.
On the other hand, their tests broaden their perspective. There is 100 mini-games in Mario Party Superstars and although a lot of emphasis is placed on the original trio, here we find a selection that ranges from the first, from N64 to the tenth, from Wii U.
All have been updated keeping their original mechanics (yes, even the one you dusted your palm with) but with a brutal tin and paint job. They seem up-to-date and even seem up-to-date, even if they are nostalgically intoxicated. A good example of how, despite the years, Hudson Soft and Nintendo knew how to find the key with their mechanics. Short, precise and, while some are worse than others, all give a quick shot of excitement and challenge. However, I advise you not to play against the CPU in expert mode. Nothing is trickier than perfect AI.
It is also clear that Nintendo has definitely avoided introducing mechanics that require a different use of the Joy-Con or the Pro Controller than the conventional ones. If you come here expecting to wave your controller, high five, pretending to shake a boat or some other gesture, forget about it. This is a Super Mario party thing, the superstars here make up their minds the old fashioned way.
A decision that many will celebrate, but of which the server is not entirely convinced. If we want to put together a suitable mix, why not really check out the entire franchise? I know how to do “The Best of Mario Party” It’s complicated, but it should cover everything and not look at the beginnings so much. Perhaps so as not to leave Switch Lite users out. Either way, being able to choose between traditional or motion-controlled mini-games while playing would have made it rain to suit everyone.
All you have to do is see how upon entering a board in Mario Party mode, several options appear, not only to determine the total number of moves or bonuses, but also to indicate the types of mini-games that will be played at the end of each round (of all kinds, for the family, action, Nintendo 64, GameCube or skill). An additional category for removing or inserting games with motion controls was entirely possible.
Is there anything other than the traditional game? Yes, but its overall relevance is not particularly remarkable. The latest thing about Mario Party Superstars is its full integration with the online game. You can step on the boards or go to Set up mini-games
Incidentally, the stickers can be expanded by purchasing them in the store with the coins earned while playing, which you can access via the ‘HUB’ that awaits you every time you enter the game. As a good homage, Superstars opens a whole catalog of songs, character files, descriptions and more, which can be unlocked at the checkout. Very little incentive to make some progress and show your user card when playing online, but nothing more. In the end, you put everything aside to focus on playing boards with friends.
Because that was, is and will be the real core of these games. As a compilation, it corresponds to what has been defined on the table: the dice, the board and the spades. It does a little homage and even shows what the boards looked like on the Nintendo 64 for comparison; But it doesn’t forget the most important thing either: to be a fun, mindless, unfair and addicting party game.
It takes more content to expand that thickness that gives it meaning, but what difference does it make when I’m looking forward to meeting again to keep beating my friends. As I said at the beginning, Mario Party Superstars is a good reminder of why Mario Party ascended the party king’s throne.
