Honestly, Super Mario Party Nintendo Switch is a bit of a weird one. It’s been out since 2018, yet people still argue about it like it launched yesterday. You’ve probably been there. One minute you’re laughing over a drink, and the next, your best friend has stolen your Star with a Lakitu, and you’re genuinely considering blocking their number. That’s the magic—or the curse—of this franchise.
It’s the eleventh main installment. Nintendo really went back to basics here. After years of everyone being stuck in that weird "car" mechanic from Mario Party 9 and 10, which literally nobody asked for, they finally let us walk around the board freely again. It felt like a homecoming. But it wasn't a perfect one.
The game sold over 20 million copies. That’s a massive number. It’s one of the best-selling titles on the console, yet if you talk to "hardcore" fans, they’ll give you a list of grievances longer than a Waluigi leg.
The Joy-Con Requirement Is Kind Of Annoying
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first. You cannot play this game with a Pro Controller. Seriously. It’s 2026, and we’re still talking about this because it remains a point of friction for new Switch OLED or Switch 2 owners trying to revisit the classics.
The game relies entirely on the tech inside the Joy-Cons. We’re talking HD Rumble and those motion sensors. Because of this, Nintendo basically sidelined anyone who prefers a traditional controller or owns a Switch Lite without extra peripherals. It’s a bold move. It makes the mini-games feel unique, sure, but it’s a barrier to entry that feels a bit dated now.
Some mini-games, like "Sizzly Stakes," where you flip a cube of beef in a pan, actually use the haptic feedback to tell you when the meat is cooked. It’s tactile. It’s clever. It’s also why you’re stuck holding a tiny plastic rectangle sideways for three hours.
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Character Dice Blocks Change Everything
In previous games, everyone rolled a standard 1-6 die. Simple. Fair. In Super Mario Party Nintendo Switch, every character has a unique "Special Die." This is where the strategy—and the salt—really comes from.
- Wario has a die with four 6s on it, but two sides that make him lose two coins. It’s high risk, high reward.
- Daisy is the queen of consistency, with a die that’s mostly 3s and 4s.
- Donkey Kong can literally roll a 10, but he also has sides that give him +5 coins while moving zero spaces.
If you’re playing to win, you don't just pick your favorite character. You pick the die that fits the board. It adds a layer of depth that wasn't there in the N64 era. You’re calculating probabilities. You’re thinking about whether to use the standard 1-6 or your character-specific roll to land on that exact shop space.
Why The Board Design Divides The Fanbase
If there’s a genuine "failure" in this game, it’s the maps. There are only four. In a world where Mario Party Superstars (the 2021 follow-up) gave us five classic boards, starting with only four felt a bit stingy.
Whomp’s Domino Ruins is your standard starter board. King Bob-omb’s Powderkeg Mine has some neat "path-changing" mechanics. Megafruit Paradise is just... frustrating. It’s split into four islands, and if you get stuck in a loop because of a bad pipe transition, you’re basically out of the game for five turns.
The boards are also smaller than they used to be. Stars only cost 10 coins. In the old days, they were 20. This makes the game much faster. It’s more chaotic. You see more Stars changing hands, which keeps kids engaged but makes some veterans feel like the "economy" of the game is broken. You can go from last to first in a single turn. Some people love that randomness; others think it’s a slap in the face to strategy.
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Partner Party and the Grid System
One thing this game doesn't get enough credit for is the Partner Party mode. This is where the game becomes a tactical RPG. You’re on a team of two, and you can move anywhere on a grid. You aren't locked to a linear path.
You and your partner roll dice together and combine the total. If you roll a 7 and a 3, you have 10 spaces to share. You can split up to grab items or converge on the Star. It’s honestly the best way to play if you have four people who actually want to use their brains instead of just relying on luck.
The Toads Recoomendation
Nintendo finally added a full online mode years after launch. It was a weird, silent update that changed the game's longevity. You can play the full board games online now, not just the mini-games. However, playing with strangers is a gamble. People quit. The lag can ruin a rhythm-based mini-game. If you’re going to play Super Mario Party Nintendo Switch online, do it with friends over Discord.
The Mini-Games Are Actually Great
Despite the board complaints, the 80 mini-games are some of the best in the series. They are categorized into:
- Free-for-all: Everyone for themselves.
- 2 vs 2: Teamwork-based chaos.
- 1 vs 3: Usually involves one person in a giant machine trying to crush the others.
- Co-op: Everyone working together to paddle a raft or pop balloons.
"Slaparazzi" is a personal favorite. You’re all trying to be in the center of a photo while punching everyone else out of the frame. It’s visceral. It’s simple. It’s exactly what Mario Party should be. Then you have the rhythm games. "Strike a Pose" or "Baritone Bingo" require actual timing. It’s a nice break from the button-mashing that defined the GameCube entries.
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Is It Better Than Mario Party Superstars?
This is the big question every Switch owner asks.
Superstars is a "Greatest Hits" collection. It has better boards and supports all controllers. But Super Mario Party Nintendo Switch has more soul. It has the character dice. It has the motion controls that make your grandma laugh because she's accidentally throwing her arm out trying to flip a pancake.
It also has the "Ally" system. If you land on an Ally space, another character joins your team. They add 1 or 2 to every roll you make for the rest of the game. They also help you in certain mini-games. Getting three allies makes you feel like an unstoppable god of the board. It’s unbalanced, sure, but it’s fun.
Actionable Tips For Your Next Session
If you’re booting this up this weekend, keep these things in mind to actually win (or at least not come in last).
- Pick Bowser or Wario: Their dice are statistically superior if you’re trying to move large distances. Bowser has a 10 and two 8s. He also has two sides where he loses 3 coins, but coins are easy to get. Movement is king.
- The Golden Pipe is OP: It costs 10 coins (usually) and teleports you directly to the Star. Always keep one in your inventory.
- Don't ignore the Allies: Landing on an Ally space is worth more than a Star in the first five turns. The extra movement points add up over a 15-turn game.
- Check the Bonus Stars: At the end of the game, Kamek gives out bonus stars for things like "Most Spaces Moved" or "Most Items Used." If you’re behind, start spamming items. It might save you.
- Practice the Motion: Before a mini-game starts, you can practice on the loading screen. Don't skip this. Some of the Joy-Con gestures are finicky and require a specific flick of the wrist.
Super Mario Party Nintendo Switch isn't a perfect game. The boards are too small and there aren't enough of them. But the character dice and the motion-controlled mini-games offer a specific kind of local multiplayer fun that newer entries haven't quite replicated. It’s a game of high highs and "I’m never speaking to you again" lows. And really, isn’t that what Mario Party is all about?
Grab some Joy-Cons, pick a character with a risky die, and try not to throw your controller when the Hidden Block gives the person in last place a Star on the final turn. It’s going to happen. Just accept it.