Mario Party Superstars brings back classic boards from the series’ past, and most of them land with real charm. Nintendo’s Switch remake collects six boards from earlier games, each packed with familiar mini-games and new twists, and it mostly succeeds at giving players a reason to gather around one screen.
Trailer, via Sebzouy18.
Six Boards, One Screen
The core loop remains simple: roll a die, move across a board, play a mini-game, repeat. Each board carries its own theme and pace. Some feel tight and fair, while others lean on luck over skill, a trade-off that shows up across the whole package.
Mini-Games Carry the Weight
The best moments come from the mini-games themselves. Nintendo dug through the series’ history and pulled out some of the sharpest tests from older games, and those stand out as the strongest reason to keep playing. They range from quick reaction tests to puzzles that demand real thought, and they hold up better than the boards sometimes do.
Multiplayer Is the Point
This is a game built for a room full of people, not a solo player. It rewards gathering friends together and punishes anyone trying to play alone, since most boards are built for four players at once. That design choice is both a strength and a limit, since it narrows who can enjoy the game outside a group setting.
Where the Boards Fall Short
Not every board holds up as well as the mini-games. A few feel stretched thin, with too much filler space between checkpoints, and some rules get explained poorly. These rough edges keep the game from being perfect, but they don’t sink it either.
Presentation and Sound
The boards look clean and colorful, and the music pulls from older Mario Party games with a light touch. Nothing here feels dated, even when the ideas underneath are plainly borrowed from earlier titles.
Modes and Replay Value
Mario Party Superstars includes several modes beyond the standard board play, including a mode that cuts down the boards to smaller rounds. None of them add much beyond the core loop, though they give players a reason to return once the main game starts to feel worn.
Key Facts Box
- Platform: Switch
- Boards included: 6
- Players supported: 1-4
- Critical score: 7.9/10
Play Order
| Mode | Players | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Board Play | 1-4 | Varies |
| Mini-Game Mode | 1-4 | Quick |
| Party Play | 1-4 | Quick |
Mario Party Superstars doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. The best mini-games, set against a solid selection of boards, make for a game that still feels worth gathering around. It won’t satisfy everyone, but it delivers on what it promises: a fun, chaotic night spent rolling dice and losing friends.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
