While you certainly can have a party by yourself, Mario Party Superstars is a game best played with friends, family, and whichever random people nearby you can convince to join you. But, given that each game and board of Mario Party requires a decent time commitment, it pays to know which one is best for the situation before diving in. Here are my tips for the best modes and boards to play in a variety of situations and play groups.
Playing With Kids And Less Tech Capable Parents/Grandparents
Game mode: This is a group that would love a Mario Party, because it allows everyone to have a turn and isn’t too mini-game focussed.
Board: I would recommend Peach’s Birthday Cake. It says that it’s three difficulty stars, but I actually think it’s the easiest, because there aren’t as many zones to move between and the star doesn’t move.
Turn number: If it’s the group’s first time playing and you’re not sure on their attention level, go for 10 turns, which is the minimum and will take between 25-40 minutes.
Bonus Stars: Whether you leave bonus stars on or off depends on if it’s a group that would benefit from random assistance or wants the effort put in throughout the game to be the only impact on the outcome. Some people find Bonus Stars to be a great equaliser, or that they just invalidate everything that went before them.
Mini-game Help: Always.
Handicap: Absolutely give the players with lower skill levels a bit of a head start with an extra star or two. The more fun they have on their first game, the more they’ll play, and everyone has more fun when they’re winning or the game is close.
Adult Siblings Who Get Way Too Competitive About Things
This also goes for adult cousins with the same qualifier.
Game mode: Mario Party. It takes a long time, and gives plenty of opportunity for bonding and bickering.
Board: Horror Land is absolutely the board for this group. It has so many opportunities for sabotage, and the board changes enough that it keeps things interesting.
Turn number: I’m assuming you’re playing with this group of people because you’re going to be together for a while. Let chaos reign with 20-25 turns. Really settle into this game for 55-90 minutes. 30 turns may be too many.
Bonus Stars: Absolutely. Introducing an extra element of randomness will keep all of you on your toes.
Mini-game Help: Yes. Unless you have all played this game a million times, you’ll still always need the mini-game rules explained.
Handicap: No. Show no mercy, take no prisoners.
Roommates Who Just Want To Hang Out And Have A Good Time
Game mode: Head to Mt Mini Games and select a mode from there. It really depends on how many people you have on hand, but if you have two or four, head to Tag Match. Otherwise, Freeplay and Coin Battle are excellent choices.
Board: No board, just mini-games.
Stars To Win: 3-5 gives you a decent amount of playing time, without getting sick of the mini-games. If you’re wanting something that goes a bit longer, you might be better off just having a traditional Mario Party.
CPU Difficulty: This depends on your group, but if you’re wanting to have fun, stick with normal or easy. Hard is for sadists.
Mini-game Help: Unless you’ve played together a lot, always leave this on.
On A Second Or Third Date
No.
Solo, Either For Fun Or In Preparation Of Competition
Game mode: Survival or Daily Challenge at Mt Minigame. This puts you playing random mini-games online with random challengers and is a good way to improve your mini-game skills.
With Your Spouse Who Doesn’t Play Games As Much As You, But Still Has A Good Time
Game mode: Mario Party
Board: Either Peach’s Birthday Cake or Woody Woods. Woody Woods is particularly good if you enjoy a double entendre, but Peach’s Birthday Cake is a more forgiving board.
Turn number: 20 turns will take about an hour, and is the right number for Woody Woods. But you’d be better off with 15 for Peach’s Birthday Cake, just because it can get a bit repetitive.
Bonus Stars: This depends on your skill levels, but I would say yes. It’s a good alternative to the handicap, which would come off as being condescending.
Mini-game Help: Always.
Handicap: Probably not, unless they ask for it. Don’t assume on this one unless you’re sure.
At A Dinner Party Over Cake And Coffee
Game mode: Mario Party
Board: Peach’s Birthday Cake. You’re already eating cake, it’s perfect.
Turn number: 10-15 turns, depending on how much you like them and how soon you want them to leave your home.
Bonus Stars: If they have a similar skill level to you, no. If they have a lower skill to you, or it’s unknown, go for yes. It’ll add a bit more mystery and mean they’ll come away feeling like they had more fun if they lost badly during the game and got some bonuses at the end.
Mini-game Help: Yes.
Handicap: This is a tough one to gauge. Normally I’d say no when playing against adults who are familiar with games and controls. But if one of them doesn’t play many games, or if they seem a bit uncertain about playing, ask if they’d like a head start. But make sure to come off as friendly and helpful and not condescending. Remember, your aim is to make sure everyone has a good time and feels supported, not to crush your enemy. Dinner party politics are challenging at the best of times.
Mario Party Superstars is currently available on Amazon for $68. We also have this handy guide to keep track of the cheapest copies going around.
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