Super Mario Party Review

Super Mario Party: Does the Switch have enough to refresh the rules of the game?

After a Mario Party: The Top 100 which competed without danger by offering a compilation of the best mini-games of the Mushroom Kingdom, the real new episode of the series is finally here. Dedicated to the Nintendo Switch, it offers up to four buddies to compete in unprecedented events where low shots are encouraged. So it’s off for a ride for Mario and his cronies. It remains to be checked whether this suite served on a platter has all the boxes it needs in order to avoid going too far in circles.

PARTY AT ANY PRICE

Over the Mario Parties released since the arrival of the first episode 20 years ago now, players have been able to compete in a thousand events all more extravagant than each other. Things have been going on in two decades, but rather than wanting to reinvent its goose game concept stuffed with mini-games, Nintendo consolidates its choices and even returns to the source. No strange vehicle to steer on the set or Bowser mode where you have to chase Peach and his friends, Super Mario Party returns to basics with 80 new events and four boards on which to progress thanks to a few well-rolled dice rolls. Remnants of a certain era, amiibo only unlock a few bonuses ranging from stickers to music tracks.

In its main game mode, soberly titled “Mario Party”, four players evolve on universes cut into boxes giving both bonuses and penalties. The goal is to collect as many stars as possible as well as a large number of coins before the arrival of the final round. As in previous episodes, it is always possible to exchange a few coins in exchange for a star flight at a competitor, or to buy a certain number of items to facilitate the advance. We especially remember the pipe that leads in a snap of the fingers to the active star of the ground. The colors of the boxes on which the characters are at the end of each round determine the teams in the mini-games. For example, if poor Peach is the only one to fall on a red square, she will find herself in an event against the three other competitors in the minutes that follow. When the last three rounds arrive, the rules vary slightly. Indeed, a player receives a boost, the blue boxes bring more coins (but the red ones get more), and Kamek makes his own by transforming the “bad luck” tokens into a “disaster”.

Super Mario Party is therefore very efficient and unadorned. The bonus stars awarded at the end of the game at the time of the accounts always remain potentially unfair, since they reward achievements never specified during the game. Thus, the player who has the most allies or who has traversed a large number of boxes can find themselves generously rewarded, when it is not simply a game of chance which determines obtaining a final star. bonus.

In addition to the “Mario Party” mode, the title offers an alternative to play in cooperation, subtitled “In duets”. Two teams of two participants compete on sets in which movement is more free, in fact similar to those of Mario + The Rabbids Kingdom Battle. The rules are roughly laid out for the occasion. In order to vary the pleasures, Nintendo adds a “Rafting excursion” mode where players must sail together on rapids while participating in cooperative mini-games arranged on the course, as well as a “Rhythmic scene” mode chain a few rhythm-based events to the Wario Ware. Nothing revolutionary or deeply original, but the proposal at least has the merit of existing. This episode is in any case particularly well thought out. There is always a useful interface element displayed on the screen, recalling for example the place of a star on the board, or the box determined by the die roll when there are several possible paths.

RAS THE GAME ROOM

Super Mario Party: Does the Switch have enough to refresh the rules of the game?
The quality of the boards is fine, but the interest of a Mario Party lies above all in the quality of its mini-games. These are accessible via a dedicated mode locally as well as online. These are accessible via a dedicated mode locally as online. The world games are made through a succession of five mini-games to renew at will. It is unfortunate, however, to note that only one player per console is invited to have fun online, and that lag can sometimes be present. The 80 new tests take into account, for the most part, the recognition of movements of the Joy-Con. Some missions require you to make small reels to move forward (Epic Tricycle, Paddle Paddle), where others require to handle your Joy-Con like a pan in order to grill all sides of a meat die (And that jumped up). There are also missions based on the vibrations of the joysticks (smart loot) which remind us of the game of marbles of 1-2 Switch (Shake of the jar). In the middle of the missions based on the detection of movements, we find tests of skill (Popcorn rain, magnetic UFOs), reflexes (Crossed melee, Mechanical scrambler), of rhythm (Rhythmic cross-references, Horse racing rhythm), but also of observation (Train of Toads, Personal plots, Fruity sets, In search of heart). The latter are excellent, in addition to being simple to understand and well executed. In short, the mini-games are varied and funny to many, whether they bring together friends in cooperation, each for himself, one against all, or two against two.

The rules are simple and do not require spending too much time on the tutorial page before each game session. It is also possible to practice directly on the rules screen, which is very convenient. This selection also has the good taste of offering no pure chance event, as well as few sports games. If some games look like dusted versions of events already encountered in the past (Popcorn rain, In the foreground, Clash of spheres), everything is diverse enough to ensure warm evenings this winter. Finally, Toad's game room delivers four little experiences (baseball, tank, puzzle and observation) more or less anecdotal, thought for one or two consoles, placed on a table. Although fun, they act as a quickly played, quickly forgotten bonus.

The notes
+ Positive points
Varied, accessible, immediately understandable tests
No mini-game of chance, little sport
Playable locally and online
The Switch is particularly suitable for this series

-Negative points
Very classic challenges
Some disguised repetitions
Toad's playroom, anecdotal
The title is not playable with the Joy-Con attached to the screen

The Mario Parties follow each other and return to basics. Super Mario Party on Switch abandons the idea of strange vehicles and confronts players on trays filled with traps and mini-games with up to four players, in joy and good humor. The detection of movements as well as the vibrations of Joy-Con are particularly used in the course of the 80 new mini-games offered, which sometimes fall into repetition, often in the classic. Easy to access, well thought out and funny to many, this episode does not revolutionize the formula but at least has the merit of going precisely towards the requests of the fans. An easy victory, but a victory nonetheless.