Honestly, if you ask a room full of Nintendo fans about the worst era of Mario Party, they usually point to the "car" years. You know the ones. Everyone strapped into a single vehicle, moving together, losing all sense of individual agency. It was rough. But buried in the middle of that controversial period on the 3DS was Mario Party Star Rush, a game that basically tried to fix everything people hated about the series at the time. It didn’t just tweak the formula; it threw the board out the window.
Released in 2016, Star Rush felt like a frantic apology. Nintendo realized that waiting for three other people to take their turn on a handheld screen was boring. It was slow. It made you want to close your 3DS and go do literally anything else. So, they made everyone move at the same time. It sounds like a small change, but in practice, it completely rewired the DNA of the franchise.
The Chaos of Toad Scramble
The main mode, Toad Scramble, is where the game earns its keep. You start as a generic Toad. Red, blue, yellow, green—take your pick. The board isn't a linear path either. It’s an open grid. You roll your dice and you can go anywhere. North, south, zig-zagging to grab a coin, it doesn't matter. Because everyone rolls and moves simultaneously, the downtime is effectively zero.
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But here is the catch. You’re playing as a Toad, but you want to be Mario. Or Donkey Kong. Or Rosalina. The map is littered with "Ally" characters. If you land on one, they join your team. Suddenly, you aren't just rolling one die; you’re rolling your die plus a special weighted die from your ally. Collect four allies and your turn becomes a literal stampede across the board. It’s messy and loud and feels nothing like the "classic" experience, yet it captures that same friendship-ending competitive spark.
Why the Grid System Changed Everything
In traditional Mario Party games, you’re a slave to the path. If there’s a fork in the road, that’s your only choice. In Mario Party Star Rush, the grid system introduces a weirdly deep layer of strategy. You aren't just trying to get to a Star; you’re trying to intercept a boss.
Boss Battles replace the static "buy a star" mechanic here. When a boss appears on the map, it's a literal race to get to that square. The first person there gets a head start in the minigame. If you’re lagging behind on the other side of the map, you’re mash-buttoning just to join the fight late. It creates this genuine sense of urgency that the series had been missing for a decade. You actually care where your opponents are because you can see them plotting their path toward the same goal in real-time.
The "Guest Edition" Was a Stroke of Genius
We need to talk about how Nintendo handled local multiplayer back then. Usually, you’d need four copies of the game, which is a big ask for a handheld title. Or you’d use Download Play, which usually stripped the game down to a skeleton version of itself.
With Mario Party Star Rush, they released a "Guest Edition" on the eShop. It was a free download that allowed players who didn't own the game to join a host and play the entire multiplayer experience. Not just a demo. Not just a few minigames. Everything. It was a consumer-friendly move that honestly feels out of character for Nintendo's modern "everything is $60" era. It turned the 3DS into a viable party machine for a group of friends sitting in a park or on a bus.
Not All Modes Are Created Equal
Look, I’m not going to pretend every part of this game is a masterpiece. Coinathlon is... fine. It’s basically a race where collecting coins moves your sprite forward on a track. It’s fast, sure, but it lacks the soul of the main board game. Then there’s Rhythm Recital, which is a basic music game that feels like it was tacked on in the last month of development.
The Balloon Bash mode is probably the closest thing to "old school" Mario Party you’ll find here. It uses a more traditional turn-based vibe but keeps the simultaneous movement. It’s a weird middle ground. It’s for the people who found Toad Scramble too hectic but still wanted to play together.
The Amiibo Factor
We were in the height of the Amiibo craze in 2016. Nintendo leaned into it hard here. If you have a compatible figure, you can bring them into the game as an ally from turn one. On the one hand, it’s a cool way to use those plastic statues on your shelf. On the other, it’s a massive "pay to win" mechanic. Starting a match with a high-tier ally while your friends are stuck as basic Toads is a surefire way to get uninvited from the next hangout.
How It Compares to Mario Party Superstars and Jamboree
If you’re looking at Mario Party Star Rush today, you’re likely comparing it to the Switch heavyweights. Mario Party Superstars went back to the N64 roots, and Jamboree is the biggest the series has ever been. So, why bother with an old 3DS game?
Because the Switch games still suffer from the "waiting" problem. Even with fast-forward settings, you are still watching other people play for 60% of the session. Star Rush is the only entry that respects your time. It’s built for short bursts. It’s built for the commute. It doesn't have the graphical fidelity of the new titles, but the pacing is objectively superior for anyone with a short attention span.
The Minigame Quality
The minigames in Star Rush are specifically designed for the 3DS hardware. This means a lot of stylus work and dual-screen antics. Some people hate the stylus; I think it adds a tactile layer that the Switch’s Joy-Cons can’t replicate. Games like "Leaf Leap" or the various boss fights feel more "contained" and precise. They don't feel like they were ported from a home console; they feel like they belong on a handheld.
The Verdict: A Forgotten Gem?
Is it the best Mario Party? No. That title probably still belongs to Mario Party 6 or Superstars. But Star Rush is easily the most innovative. It took a stagnant, frustrating formula and tried something genuinely brave. It solved the "pacing" issue that had plagued the series since the late 90s.
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If you still have a 2DS or 3DS kicking around, it’s worth tracking down a copy. It’s cheap, it’s weird, and it’s a glimpse into an alternate timeline where Nintendo kept experimenting with how we move across a board. It’s not a "deep" game, but it’s a fun one, and sometimes that’s all you need from a game about a plumber throwing dice.
Next Steps for Players
If you want to get the most out of Star Rush today, don't play it solo. The AI is predictably "Nintendo"—either brain-dead or cheating perfectly. The magic is in the Guest Edition. Have your friends grab their old 3DS systems, download the free launcher from the eShop (if they already have it downloaded, as the eShop is now closed for new purchases), and run a 10-turn Toad Scramble.
Focus on grabbing allies early. The game isn't won by the best minigame player; it’s won by the person who builds the biggest team. Prioritize landing on ally spaces over getting to the boss first in the early game. The cumulative dice rolls will eventually make you unstoppable.