Mario Party Superstars, the newest entry in Nintendo’s classic party game franchise, has been delivering what players want from a nostalgia-focused Mario Party, but the only thing it seems to be missing are unlockable characters and maps. Released on October 29, Mario Party Superstars is the second Mario Party game on the Nintendo Switch and, like Super Mario Party before it, focuses on the foundations that the series initially conceptualized. Mario Party Superstars features 100 minigames from the first ten Mario Party titles, plus five item minigames, two from Mario Party 2 and three from Mario Party 3.
When it comes to the board maps, Mario Party Superstars specifically takes boards from the Nintendo 64 entries in the franchise rather than creating new ones. Returning from Mario Party are Peach’s Birthday Cake and Yoshi’s Tropical Island. Space Land and Horror Land are from Mario Party 2, and Woody Woods is from Mario Party 3. Mario Party Superstars also features a star-studded playable cast of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, Rosalina, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, and Birdo.
The biggest disappointment with this all-star turnout of Mario Party maps and characters is that none of them are unlockable. All characters and boards are available to play right from the start. Admittedly, this is a big point in Mario Party Superstars’ favor when it comes to convenience. A group of friends who pick up a copy of the game to play together will have everything they need right off the bat. But players who intend to stick with Mario Party Superstars long-term may find that the game’s unlockables, such as stickers used for taunting, encyclopedia pages, and card designs, don’t offer the same satisfying sense of progression that more game-changing unlockables - such as maps and characters - give.
No matter what the game, a sense of progress not only feels rewarding, but can act as an incentive for people to keep playing. From leveling up in RPGs to skill levels in Valheim, if a player knows they are making progress, they know their hard work and time investment is paying off. The matter of most importance, though, is how these “markers” affect gameplay. Levels increase stats and skill levels power up skills, while in other genres like Metroidvanias, weapons and skills can grant access to more areas.
Conversely, rewards like achievements, which don’t affect gameplay but still directly keep tabs on progression, usually won’t keep players invested in the game by themselves. Instead, they work best when the player is already invested in the game through other means, leaving the achievements purely as bonuses for dedicated players. Mario Party Superstars unlockables, such as stickers, act more like achievements thanks to how little they actually affect gameplay. No matter how much someone plays, Mario Party Superstars will remain unchanged due to the inconsequential nature of its unlockables.
Past titles in the series, such as Super Mario Party, have had unlockable characters and maps, so it’s understandable that players may want the same from Mario Party Superstars. While characters had a bigger role in Super Mario Party thanks to their unique dice blocks, boards still provide the most impact when it comes to affecting Mario Party Superstars' gameplay. But while no unlockable characters and maps was a missed opportunity for Superstars, there’s still a silver lining: the fact that this was its biggest letdown means Mario Party Superstars really nailed everything else, making it a fantastic addition to the Mario Party franchise.
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