Super Mario Party

I have a lot of quibbles with Super Mario Party that could have drowned it, but the extras pull it up above water. 80 new minigames, most of which aren't busts, is a feat. Having a team-based mode where you can move around freely and going back to basics with the core board game (goodbye car, hopefully see you never!) was a good move. Restricting play options and easing up on the amount of boards available? Not so much.

Super Mario Party is a rousing success as I saw nothing but smiles all around during my numerous play sessions with over a dozen different people. However, those smiles were short lived as they soon faded when we realized that there were only four boards to play and the rest of the other modes were simple novelties at best. A shame as this party was one I was glad to be invited to- I just didn’t feel the desire to stick around for too long.

All in all, though Super Mario Party is by no means a perfect game, it succeeded in skyrocketing the Super Mario franchise out of mediocrity and back into the hearts of fans everywhere. With a couple of tweaks and patches and -- dare I hope -- free DLC boards down the line, the game could stand alongside series juggernauts like Mario Party 2 and 3. But even if nothing changes, Super Mario Party is a must-have for any Switch owner, and a natural fit for the console.