Mario Party Superstars is a step in the right direction for a series that has been misguided for well over a decade. Ever since NDCube took over the franchise from Hudson Soft, the quality of the games has dropped entry after entry and that was far too obvious in 2018's Super Mario Party which felt like a husk of the former games. However, this game has really brought the series back and I am finally seeing it get the respect it deserves as the chaotic party game it was always meant to be.
The presentation of the game is actually really nice, even compared to previous entries. Most Mario games go for a toy-looking art style that makes everything look like plastic and ugly but the direction of this more realistic art style has looks much better. But the music is really where this game shines, as every track has been remixed to add new, modern flare to each board and minigame, with the old tracks being optional to change after beating each board. It all sounds and looks just how it should for a simple party game.
Of course, no one comes to Mario Party for its stunning visuals, and luckily the gameplay does not suck this time. The return of the classic 1-10 dice, along with a grab-bag of classic minigames without any gimmicks added to them makes this a Mario Party that feels fresh to new players, and like a true return to form for veterans. The game is finally playable in handheld mode, which was not possible in the other Switch Mario Party and the selection of boards and minigames doesn't suck like the other anniversary title. And, the addition of stickers just adds that little thing that doesn't need to be there but is just fun to have when its not your turn. Also, a solid multiplayer mode! In a first party Nintendo game! Who would've thought? This is genuinely just a solid entry all around.
Although, there are some things lacking that do make me wonder if this game was rushed out the door a bit too fast. The lack of any kind of singleplayer content is a little disappointing since my personal favorite entry is Mario Party DS and that comes with an entire campaign, but also just a mission mode would have been nice. Additionally, the lack of modes for the main board game feels a little bit weird. No 2v2 mode, no partner mechanics, no special dice blocks depending on your character all feel like weird things to be excluded from, but I assume this was to focus on the main game, since NDCube does have a habit of overstuffing their titles with modes that lack any depth. Although, the limited character selection and only 5 boards is a little disappointing, and the boards chosen aren't really stand outs. The fact that Birdo got a slot over like Bowser Jr is a little weird, and Peach's Birthday Cake is a pretty boring map. All in all, I just wish that more content had been taken from the Gamecube titles and MP8 over the N64 titles, since it feels like those titles really got shelved in terms of inspiration.
This is decisively the best Mario Party in a long time and I absolutely want to get more chances to play this with friends because its just a fun time, with that added bit of Mario Party chaos back into the game.
The presentation of the game is actually really nice, even compared to previous entries. Most Mario games go for a toy-looking art style that makes everything look like plastic and ugly but the direction of this more realistic art style has looks much better. But the music is really where this game shines, as every track has been remixed to add new, modern flare to each board and minigame, with the old tracks being optional to change after beating each board. It all sounds and looks just how it should for a simple party game.
Of course, no one comes to Mario Party for its stunning visuals, and luckily the gameplay does not suck this time. The return of the classic 1-10 dice, along with a grab-bag of classic minigames without any gimmicks added to them makes this a Mario Party that feels fresh to new players, and like a true return to form for veterans. The game is finally playable in handheld mode, which was not possible in the other Switch Mario Party and the selection of boards and minigames doesn't suck like the other anniversary title. And, the addition of stickers just adds that little thing that doesn't need to be there but is just fun to have when its not your turn. Also, a solid multiplayer mode! In a first party Nintendo game! Who would've thought? This is genuinely just a solid entry all around.
Although, there are some things lacking that do make me wonder if this game was rushed out the door a bit too fast. The lack of any kind of singleplayer content is a little disappointing since my personal favorite entry is Mario Party DS and that comes with an entire campaign, but also just a mission mode would have been nice. Additionally, the lack of modes for the main board game feels a little bit weird. No 2v2 mode, no partner mechanics, no special dice blocks depending on your character all feel like weird things to be excluded from, but I assume this was to focus on the main game, since NDCube does have a habit of overstuffing their titles with modes that lack any depth. Although, the limited character selection and only 5 boards is a little disappointing, and the boards chosen aren't really stand outs. The fact that Birdo got a slot over like Bowser Jr is a little weird, and Peach's Birthday Cake is a pretty boring map. All in all, I just wish that more content had been taken from the Gamecube titles and MP8 over the N64 titles, since it feels like those titles really got shelved in terms of inspiration.
This is decisively the best Mario Party in a long time and I absolutely want to get more chances to play this with friends because its just a fun time, with that added bit of Mario Party chaos back into the game.