Last Friday, I picked up Mario Party Superstars and dove into it pretty heartily. See, I used to play the Mario Party games with my friends on a fairly regular basis before I moved, so I’ve been missing it terribly for the past couple of years. With Mario Party Superstars, I thought I’d finally get to enjoy something of the older games again with my friends, and I’m happy to report that I was not disappointed!

Really, the whole game is just one big nostalgia trip right from the word go. The title screen changes just like it did for the very first Mario Party, and it even features a remixed version of the original theme! Mushroom Village looks almost exactly like it did in the first game too, though some of the buildings have different functions and are occupied by different characters. It all looks and sounds absolutely fantastic too, with graphics similar to Super Mario Party and the music being modern remixes of all the classic themes from the N64 days. You can even unlock the original songs and use them instead if you want!

The boards all look great, and they play even better too. They’re very nearly the same as they were in the original games, but a few tweaks here and there to improve their flow. It’s a little annoying that items/coins are so abundant and there’s a ton of useless dialog to slow everything down, but they play rather well otherwise. Heck, even Peach’s Birthdays cake feels good to play now, and that’s saying something! Nintendo’s lackluster online service will often put a damper on the experience, but otherwise it’s great.

They’ve also managed to give Mario Party Superstars a top-tier minigame roster too. Not all of everyone’s favorites will be here, but most of them are! Even infamous games like Tug ‘o War are here, so be prepared to burn those palms like it’s 1996 all over again! I don’t like that there’s no separate category for battle games in this one, but at least we have some battle spaces again. Add in all the modes in Mt. Mingame and you’ve got everything you need to enjoy them without even playing the main board game.

It’s not perfect, but Mario Party Superstars is basically exactly the game fans were hoping for. It’s got the games, it’s got the boards, it’s got the modes and it even has a bunch of fun unlockables for players to chase. You can even show-off your greatest Mario Party achievements to the world thanks to the new player cards and title system. Really, this game is fantastic! It might not be a must buy for those who don’t already have a group to play with (online with randoms is fun, but not the same), \but those that do should definitely make a plan to pick it up and Mario Party it up!

—

What do you think of Mario Party Superstars? Think you’ll give it a try? What is your favorite minigame?

Image captured by Hatmonster