After several years of mixed reception,Mario Partygot its groove back on the Switch withMario Party Superstars. This title collects five of the most famous boards from the first threeMario Partytitles, as well as one hundred minigames from across the franchise. Complete with a character roster made up of N64 regulars plus Rosalina and Birdo as well as a decent online mode,Mario Party Superstarsfelt like the return that fans had been waiting for.
The game just has one major issue, and it’s one that was evident from its launch.Mario Party Superstarsis light on replayable content compared to otherMario Partygames, especially those in the GameCube era. Sporting only ten characters, five boards, and no major side modes, there isn’t much to do besides replay the same boards. WithMario Kart 8 Deluxereceiving DLC years after its launch and mostMario Sportstitles getting months of support, fans have been hopeful thatMario Party Superstarswill also receive some DLC. If more boards aren’t in the cards, then some additional characters could break the monotony if handled right.
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There’s Plenty of Room For New Characters In Mario Party Superstars
The basic playable roster ofMario Party Superstarshits all the main bases, but there’s still a ton of characters missing.Mario Partytitles from3onward made a point of building out the playable roster, especially once Donkey Kong was relegated to his own special space.IconicMariocharacterswho once served as set dressing or hosts like Toad, Toadette, Goomba, Shy Guy, Boo, Hammer Bro, and so on were represented as the series went on. This is most evident inMario Party Superstars' predecessor,Super Mario Party.
While opinions are mixed on the full package,Super Mario Partyhad the series’ largest roster and used it well. Every character had their own dice block with different results from this entry’s standard one-through-six blocks. Some could grant or take away coins, while others broke the number limits and could roll 0’s or 10’s while risking other undesirable results. To build on this,Super Mario Partybrought backMario Party: Star Rush’s buddy system, allowing players to gain allies from special spaces. Buddies not only provided their special dice blocks, but also participated in certain minigames, added small rolls to the players own, and could contribute to specific bonus stars.
DLC Could Add A New Way To Use Mario Party Superstars' Cast
Mario Party Superstars' best chance at expanding its content with minimal work would be to bring this system back. It could be its own side mode, added in either a free update or as part of character pack DLC. Not only would this allow players to see some new faces in the game, but it would also drastically change how they’d approach the various boards. Introducing new dice blocks on top of the existingCursed and Custom die itemswould add a new layer of strategy to the game, and the partner spaces could even lead to slightly remixed boards.
One part of the buddy system that may not return fromSuper Mario Partyis the modified minigames. While gaining a bonus star through collecting allies or rolling high with a special dice and partner assistance are well and good, minigames including buddies could be a mess. Even thoughSuper Mario Party’s minigame selectionis small, enough games are still designed around the potential presence of many participants that the system is noticed.Mario Party Superstarsjust repurposes classic minigames, and only some could support the crowds that buddies can build up. It would be a shame to miss out on one of the partner system’s mechanics, but adding new minigames in character-focused DLC is a big ask. Still, there’s enough going on elsewhere that adding it in addition to several new faces could still revitalizeMario Party Superstars.
Mario Party Superstarsis available now for Nintendo Switch.
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