From time to time my fiancé and I like to play a round of Mario Party. Most of the gaps in the Mario Party collection have now been filled. Of course, the existing games also include the very first Mario Party for the Nintendo 64. This year I gave it to her for her birthday, not long after that the old Nintendo console was pulled off the shelf, plugged in and the virtual party fun began. Or not? In truth, some things are surprising that were still commonplace in the first part.
What it used to be: The start of a series that has lasted for many years. And a game concept that has run through (almost) all parts to this day. Four players compete against each other on different game boards to collect coins and use them to buy stars. Whoever has the most at the end is the new superstar.
Designed in the form of a board game, Mario Party is perfect as a game for smaller get-togethers of up to four people. Various characters such as Mario, Luigi, Peach and Co. are available and the number of rounds and individual rules can be individually adjusted.
If you play part one these days, you can tell that there were some design decisions that were (thankfully) discarded for later games, while new ideas were swept up elsewhere. For example, there would be the punishment of the players. Sure, even in the newer parts you occasionally lose coins if you come to a red field or are unlucky with Bowser. But part one takes an enormous amount of coins, even after mini-games. Good thing they thought about it and scrapped that for later games, sometimes that really feels like a slap in the face when you’re already behind.
Apart from the missing items, there are already many things that make the Mario Party series so entertaining. The different game boards and characters, numerous mini-games, the concept itself. It is also pleasing that since the second part there has been the possibility of trying out mini-games in advance. That’s not possible in the debut title and it throws you in at the deep end.
The first Mario Party is notorious for individual mini-games that… shall we say intensive make use of the analog stick of the N64 controller. The result was blisters, minor burns from friction, and lacerations because players in some mini-games tried to turn the stick as quickly as possible with their palms instead of using their thumbs. Nintendo settled with the New York Attorney General before any lawsuits were filed. Those affected were given gloves and the state’s legal fees were paid. Given that, there hasn’t been a re-release of the game via the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console either.
What’s still going on today: Nothing has changed in the fascination for this concept to this day. The board game theme and the Super Mario characters and worlds fit together like a glove. You can really annoy your fellow players by stealing their stars and coins or by winning the mini-games. The competitive factor is definitely there and once you get the hang of the rules and controls of each mini-game, you’ll give it your all to beat the rest. Because in the end, only one of them will become a superstar!
What nobody wants anymore: The loss of sometimes quite a few coins in mini-games, in which sometimes just luck plays a role. A real low point that can sometimes rob you of the joy of the game. But luckily we don’t have to bother with that anymore, the developers fortunately gave up this idea quickly. In terms of speed, the first Mario Party is a bit more leisurely, with some successors offering noticeably less idle time or less waiting time for all players.
Inexperienced playability beyond historical interest: Mario Party can still be played quite well today. On the one hand with the original module on the original hardware, provided that both are available and you have a way of connecting the console to your television. On the other hand, in November 2022, the game was also made available to users with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. This makes it relatively easy to access and of course it can be played with several people. Graphically, that’s okay, although more recent games in the series are logically much more of a feast for the eyes.
And yes, even the old ones dangerous Mini-games are included on the switch, but this time there’s a warning at the start. And let’s be honest: With the Joy-Cons you can’t use the palm of your hand to turn the sticks in a sensible way.
