Mario Party Superstars: First Thoughts

By Conor Spencer 30 October 2021

Image Courtesy of Nintendo

This week saw the return of Nintendo’s beloved party game series Mario Party, with its newest entrant Mario Party Superstars hitting digital and physical shelves on October 29th. Essentially a ‘Mario Party greatest hits’ album, Mario Party Superstars attempts to intertwine the present success of the Nintendo Switch console with the historical popularity of the Mario Party franchise and convert it into dollar signs.

Overview

Mario Party Superstars reaches into the archives and remasters five boards from the Nintendo 64 console the series debuted on 23 years ago. Peach’s Birthday Cake, from the very first Mario Party, has been plucked from the serenity of the Nineties and dragged kicking and screaming (as Peach so often is) into the anarchy of 2021.

In addition to the new boards, Nintendo revealed that the game will contain 100 minigames from across the series, enabling you to fall out with housemates on a scale never previously seen on a Nintendo home console.

Finally, Nintendo has provided the game with comprehensive online support to ensure that even self-isolation cannot protect you from the anguish of having Lakitu steal a star from you on the final turn and seal your best friend’s unjustified victory.

Assessment

There is plenty to be excited by in Mario Party Superstars. Firstly, the game looks absolutely stunning and retains all those little details that give the series so much charm. The 25% increase in minigames goes to great lengths to prevent repeating minigames in a single playthrough, as well as increasing long term replay-ability. Moreover, despite Mario Party Superstars pulling most of its content from games that came out two decades ago, it retains 2018’s Super Mario Party user interface and adds the option for button controls, so the game will feel familiar and accessible from the word go. There is also evidence of Nintendo yielding to popular demand with the return of Birdo as a playable character after her nine-year absence.

The Bigger Picture

Mario Party Superstars is a prime example of Nintendo’s ability to profit on nostalgia. However, the game is also evidence of the company’s willingness to listen to its fans and produce games that bring people together after extended periods of separation. It is simultaneously an illustration of what Nintendo can do for a videogame and what a videogame can do for a community. It signifies that better days are ahead because nature is healing, and Birdo is back.