I’ve been playing the Mario Party series since it started i??n 1998. My mother and I used to play the stick-rotation mini-games with the palms of ou??r hands. We both got blisters. We tried to call a truce and outlaw the practice, but in the heat of competition, someone would break, and it would be back to blister-city.

The series is something I can play with my parents and family. Because Mario Party is 80% luck, 15% cruelty, and 5% skill, winning isn’t a foregone conclusion for me. Even with my decades of exte?nsive experience, my victory isn’t ??guaranteed, so it’s more fun for everyone. I may never be able to pay my parents back for my upbringing, but I will not hesitate to rip a star from their grasp.

The series has had its ups and downs. Even if we could glean fun from any entry you can name, some are more beloved than others. Super Mario Party, we weren’t too hot on. It had four boards, and you hit the bottom of it way too soon. I always hoped we’d get DLC for Mario Party Superstars, and was a bit disappointed when Super Mario Party Jamboree was announced. My skepticism was unwarranted: this is the best Mario Party has ever been.

Super Mario Party Jamboree (Switch [Reviewed])
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: October 17, 2024
MSRP: $59.99

If you’re not familiar with the Mario Party series, it’s a cross between a board game and a video game. You pick a character from the Mario series, roll dice, and take them around the boa?rd. The goal is to gather coins that you can trade for stars and other items and events. The person who ends with the most stars, wins.

When everyone completes their turn, you’re all taken into a short mini-game to compete. These are all very simple, sometimes involving direct competition, whereas others have you collect as many coins as possible. Some spots on the board will also start mini-games that have players put their coins down in a winner’s pot, and others are duals between two players. Win?ning mini-games doesn’t guarantee you’ll win, however. It’s all about the st??ars. If you have 200 coins and no stars, the person who has one star will cinch the win. On the other hand, if two players have the same number of stars, the most coins decide who wins the tie.

To win, you really have to play the board. You have to be locked in on reaching stars before anyone else and take advantage of every opportunity to steal them from others. There are optional bonus stars at the end, rewarding players for sometimes random accomplishments, giving players one last opportunity to steal the game. There are lots of opportunities to screw over other players; Mario Party can be extremely vicious.

One thing I really want to stress is that this variation of Mario Party doesn’t really follow the deviations made for Super Mario Party. Character-specific dice aren’t included, and it reverts to the 1-10 dice blocks. However, rather than the old standard 20 turns, the default is now 10. You can pick up Jamboree buddies, which we’ll get to, but they’re not quite like the allies you could gain in Super Mario Party. Instead, they only stick wit??h you for three turns and can cause a lot of stuff to trigger twice, such as buying a star or even suffering Bowser’s wrath.

Super Mario Party Jamboree feels a lot closer to the original format, which is probably the intention after Superstars. There are board gimmicks, but they don’t entirely overshadow the central formula. If there’s one thing I’m glad they kept, it’s the amount of characters from Super Mario Party. Somewhere no??rth of 20. I mean, I’m always going to play as Luigi, regardless of who gets added, but it’s nice to have a bigger cast for variety’s sake.

There are also superfluous side modes, like one where you cooperate to fire cannons at Bowser and a few motion controller activities. There’s also a weird story mode where you explore under-construction boards and help with their setup. They’re okay distractions, but I don’t th??ink they’re going to distract from the standard Mario Party mode. That’s fine. I’d probably be upset if it felt like resources had been taken from the board gameplay, but considering how strong it is, the side activities are just a bonus.

Speaking of motion controls; they’re optional. That’s not to say that every mini-game can be played without them, but rather that you can just toggle them out of c??irculation. Th?is reduces the pool of games that might come up in any given round, but at least it means that you can play on a Switch Lite or Pro Controller if that’s your preference.

Speaking of “pro�there’s a “pro mode�in Jamboree that should ease things for anyone who hates the luck aspect of Mario Party. What it ??does is set a number of factors to be more static. For example, there are no hidden blocks that would randomly award somebody a star or coins. When you send out a Boo to rob a player, they always return with 15 coins, but you can still pay them to steal a star. There’s only one bonus star at the end of the game, and its criterion is announced at the beginning of the game. There is a limited number of stock at the item stores. A game is also locked to 12 rounds.

I’m no doubt forgetting to mention a few rules, but the important takeaway is that it’s a mode for people who want to take things more seriously. As I said, there’s? still an aspect of luck when dice rolls are involved, but there’s less to get in the way of any strategizing. It’s a welcome inclusion for anyone frustrated by random chance and want their skill to play a more prominent role in their victory.

And speaking of skills, if there is one thing that bothers me about Jamboree, it’s the fact that a lot of the Jamboree Buddy games rely on skills that my family can’t match me at. Unlike Super Mario Party, you don’t gain allies simply by landing on a designated spot on the b?oard. They appear occasionally, and once you reach them, it begins a mini-game where everyone competes. The victor gets the buddy, regardless of who actually reached them on the board. The person who triggered the mini-game does get an advantage, but it’s not so immense that it’s insurmountable for every??one else. It would be less fun if it was, I suppose.

But the problem is that many of these mini-games are much longer than standard ones and involve reflexes for platforming or rhythm. Not to brag, but my family can’t compete with my expert-level Rock Band skills and Champion’s Road honed platformi??ng. Not in the same way that they can in games about cutting a steak perfectly in half. I normally win the most mini-games anyway, even if that doesn’t mean I always win the game, but this feels like I will always have the best chance at companionship.

Understandably, that’s more of a problem in my personal circumstances and isn’t going to bother everyone. Ja??mboree Buddies don’t completely skew the overall outcome of the game, as they only provide a temporary advantage to a player and can actually wind up hurting more than helping. However, it’s also strange that these mini-games are so much longer than standard ones. It feels like everyone gets dragged into them, and the game stalls temporarily. It’s almost disorienting when they happen.

Circling back to my personal circumstances, it’s important to note that if my family didn’t play Mario Party with me, Mario Party Jamboree would be effectively worthless. You can play just about everything single-player, but the series is only really exciting if you have someone to play it with. That hasn’t changed with Jamboree. You can play it online, but I feel that something is lost when you’re not in the same room as the people you’re?? stealing stars from. Torpedoing someone’s success just isn’t the same when you ??can’t hear them mope and/or scream.

If you do have a reliable group �preferably one who you already play Mario Party games with �then Mario Party Jamboree is probably going to be your new go-to. In many of the recent entries, I feel a lot was phoned in. Not enough would be changed, but some aspects would feel weaker or even unwelcome. However, while Jamboree mainly just builds off the original framework, it’s a lot tighter and more rounded than we’ve seen since the N64 days. I’ll admit it can be hard to get excited about yet another Mario Party, but this one is absolutely worth attending.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Super Mario Party Jamboree appeared first on Destructoid.

Thinking about renewing your Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership? It’s that time of year when many yearlong memberships lapse, so Nintendo has strategically announced that Mario Party 3 will be??come playable f?or Nintendo Switch owners around the world this week.

Mario Party 3 is the culmination of the original Mario Party trilogy on Nintendo’s 64-bit console. In many ways, it offered more of what the previous two entries did. There were more boards to play on,?? more minigames to ruin your thumbstick with, and more random elements to ruin your friendships.?? That said, I can’t lie; I really liked this one back in the day. Even today, I still hear many consider this one the best in the series.

With that in mind, I can sort of see why Nintendo might tempt Switch owners into another year of their subscription service with this announcement. I mean, I don’t know how many people actually use the?? online play feature of the service. But for those that do (and make it work without lag), this could make for a solid game night.

The best Mario Party?

Mario Party is one of those series that, back in the day, I didn’t get for the longest time. Don’t get me wrong; I had friends, I definitely had friends, no one can say that I did not have friends. But on the rare occasions that I played Mario Party 1 or 2 with friends or family members, I found myself getting bored before a single game was over. Mario Party 3 was th??e first entry to really grab me, and I still have my physical copy.

The Duel Mode of Mario Party 3 is what really sold me on the game. This was a 1v1 mode that had each player grinding coins, hiring classic Mario enemies as party members, and using them to fight the other player whenever you crossed paths. It? wasn’t that complex, but that slight RPG flavor of building a party captivated me. Plus, I almost never had more than one friend over at my house at once to play video games. Duel Mode offered just about everything I wanted from the series, even if it had some balance issues.

I honestly fell off the series after this point. I’ve since heard that Mario Party 6 is a standout entry, but by that point I had moved on to playing stuff like TimeSplitters 2 with friends. I was too edgy of a teenager to return to something family friendly like Mario Party. My loss, probably. Feel free to let me know if Mario Party 3 isn't actually the best game in the series.

Anyway, if you’re looking for some multiplayer nostalgia, check out Mario Party 3 when it launches on the Nintendo Switch?? Online Expansion Pack service on October 27. Friends not? included.

The post Mario Party 3 arriv??es on Nintendo Switch Online October 27 appeared first on Destructoid.

With the roaring success of Demon Slayer, Aniplex has been dipping their toes into the proverbial pool of licensed games. 2022's The Hinokami Chronicles brought the series into the hack-and-slash genre to a fairly positive reception. However, the next Demon Slayer title trades the arena battles for dice bloc??ks and minigames.

Announced as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mezase! Saikyou Taishi!, via Gematsu, players will battle one another in the classic Mario Party formula with a twist.

As shown in the trailer provided by Aniplex, up to four players will roll the dice, walk spaces around the board, and compete in minigames to win currency to use against one another. Some of the games shown include a cup-and-ball-type game, and one where the players must slash targets as they rise from the ground. Much like Mario Party, some spaces will activate events where you may get an item to turn the tides of the game.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTE19wee424

Kamado Party

After some time, the game will transition from day to night, where players will be able to take on the many demons roaming around the board. Once you encounter them, all four players will have to work together to defeat it. The Demon Slayer party game also boasts a roster of characters from all throughout the series, allowing you to c??hoose from a handf?ul of your favorite characters.

Though Aniplex hasn't announced who's going to be developing the game, Aniplex itself is producing the title. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mezase! Saikyou Taishi! is curre?ntly slated for a 2024 release on the Nintendo Switch for Japan, with no mention of other consoles.

The post The next Demon Slayer game is a bo??ard game-style Switch party appeared first on Destructoid.

CAUTION

Back in the day, folks used to rotate their palm on their Nintendo 64 controllers for Mario Party minigames, leading to injuries, and an official "glove" release from Nintendo. This time with the Mario Party 64 Switch re-releases (Mario Party 1 and 2) via the e??xpansion pack, they're just adding that warni?ng upfront.

Here's t??he warning in full for the first game, seen when booting it up:

"CAUTION: To avoid irritation to your skin and/or damage to the control?????????????????????????? stick, do not rotate it with the palm of your hand. Rotate the control stick with your thumb or by holding it between your thumb and forefinger."

The wild thing about this is that I always won these minigames, and never used my palm. Same thing with the button-mashing contests! Mario Party has caused a lot of folks str??ife over the past few decades, and this warning caused all those me?mories to come flooding back.

Here's two of my most memorable Mario Party experiences:

• Someone refused to play minigames when they were on my team so that I would get less coins
• After losing Totem Pole Pound, someone threw their controller across the room, which hit the N64 and froze the game

Fun times! On the flipside, I've played with a lot of good sports, and will continue to do so with these re-releases. Some of these original minigames just can't be beat, despite ??numerous attem??pts to bring them back from the dead in a new flavor.

The post The original Mario Party 64 Switch re-release has ??a palm injury warning appeared first on Destructoid.

Ahhhhhh'm comin' up...

Nintendo revealed the next N64 classics that will be joining the Nintendo Switch Online archive of retrotastic releases �And it's none other than colorful and incredibly nostalgic digital board games Mario Party and Mario Party 2. The two titl??es will be available to subscribers ??from November 2.

Developed by Hudson Soft and released in 1999 and 2000 respectively, Mario Party and Mario Party 2 were Nintendo's hugely successful efforts to transpose the beloved Super Mario Bros. universe to a "tabletop" format, with players chasing each other around a digital board game, and battl??ing it out in fun, short, silly, and simplistic mini-games.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=meP0WTgUJcE

Focusing on basic controls, easy-to-learn rules, and fast action, Mario Party can be seen as one of Nintendo's earliest forays into the "anyone can play" demography. This inclusive view of the family gaming audience ?would lead to the development and staggering succes??s of the Nintendo Wii platform.

Since those halcyon years, the franchise has continued on successive platforms including the Gamecube, Nintendo Wii, and, most recently, the Nintendo Switch in the form of 2021's Mario Party Superstars. While the visuals and creativity have obviously progressed with each and every entry, the series has never lost sight of its inclusive nature, still offering pick-up-and-play fun for both dedicated video game fans, and visiting holiday relatives. With these Nintendo Switch Online re-releases, series fans who missed out ?on the franchise's formative days can jump back into the action all over again.

Bagsy Peach.

Mario Party and Mario Party 2 join the Nintendo? Switch Online arch??ives on November 2.

The post Mario Part?y and Mario Party ??2 join Nintendo Switch Online next month appeared first on Destructoid.

I wish I could challenge him directly

As a kid, I had an affinity for those "button mashing" challenges. You know the ones where in some fighting games you'd "clash," and the best masher would win? Or any number of Mario Party minigames? Whenever one of the latter would show up in one of my friend groups, someone tried to sabo?tage me by gr??abbing my controller because they knew their defeat was inevitable �but I think it's time to recognize the master button masher.

Takahashi Meijin is a legend that's been in the industry for decades, making his name at Hudson Soft. He's perhaps most famous for the "16 shot per second" mashing technique. In short, Takahashi-san mana??ged to mash so quickly that he could trigger "16 shots per se??cond," and actually put it on film in the '80s.

Well, the master button masher is back at it again. In a tweet (from his account meijin_16shot), he shows that even at age 63, he's still got it: absolutely crushing the Mario Party SuperStars minigame Pokey Pummel. That face of accomplishment at the end! I can only hope to still be playing games this capably at that ?age.

//twitter.com/meijin_16shot/status/15294319947020??16513

Here's Takashi showing off his "16 shot" skills back in the day using Hudson Soft's Shuwatch:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ4lmAFB7d4

The post Even at age 63, Takahashi Meijin is still a master button m?asher appeared first on Destructoid.

A celebration of our favorite plumber

There's n?othing I love more than a cleverly-conceived holiday, like the pun-centric Star Wars celebration of May 4th, or The Last of Us' Outbreak Day, which coincides with the in-game date that the cordyceps outbreak started (wh?ich also happens to be Joel's birthday). March 10 is yet another one of those holidays that makes me giddy because of how serendipitous it is. Yes, Mar. 10 does indeed look like it says Mario, and we are right to make festivities surrounding that. So happy MAR10 Day everyone!

As someone who was familiar with games growing up, but didn't play them as much as I would have liked, Mario games were still able to pierce through the casual nature of my gaming habits. I would jump at the chance to play Mario Kart at youth group meetings or at the adult dinner parties where the kids were sequestered to another room. I even tried to play a mainline Mario game on my Nintendo DS when? I was a kid, but had to give up after the first level because I'm terrible at platformers, a??nd still probably couldn't beat that game to this day.

I don't think there's any question why the Mario franchise is as successful as it is �the characters and world are adorable, the games are so polished and well-designed, and it's enjoyable for gamers of all ages. Considering how reliably good the Mario games are, I'm happy that he's become not only the face of Ninte??ndo, but one of the faces of gaming as an entire industry, not just to fans, but to those who aren't a part? of the gaming space at all.

If you ask just about anyone who has so much as glanced at a video game in the past 40 years, pretty much everyone has a fond memory of a Mario game in some form or another. That ubiquity, I think, comes from well-designed characters and games, sure, but also speaks to the earnestness of the brand. Mario has always been about the fun and community of games, an ideal that I think has fallen to the wayside in recen?t years.

In a time of social media, news cycles that move at lightning speed, and cynicism, the Mario franchise stands for a type of simple, earnest fun that many fans are hungry for. It's why endeavors like the Dr. Mario mobile game, riddled with microtransactions and cheap gimmicks, fall flat �they are fundamentally untrue to the core of the Mario brand.

To me, I like to think of MAR10 Day not just as an excuse to put some Nintendo games on sale (although that ?perk is appreciated). Instead, I see it as a sort of celebration of what I think makes gaming such a wonderful hobby, which is easy to los??e sight of when I'm ready to complain about whatever I think is wrong with the industry at every turn.

Other fans have taken to sharing their love of the Mushroom Kingdom gang as well, posting their artwork online as an homage, which I recommend checking out.

Am I over-sentimentalizing a blatantly capitalist "holiday" tha??t was likely created for brand awareness and sales? Probably, but sometimes it's just nice to enjoy things.

Happy MAR10 Day, gamers!

The post Happy MAR10 Day, Nintendo fans! appeared first on Destructoid.

The actual game is out later this month

Another big game, another My Nintendo promo. This past week Nintendo moved out of the Metroid Dread marketing ring (it's out!) and into the next thing: Mario Party Superstars. This remixed Switch edition is fronting a new My Nintendo mission, which grants you 100 Platinum Points?? for a quick browser-based seek and find game.

You just need to head here and find all four dice blocks and you're good to go. They're on the minigames, characters & boards, modes & multiplayer, and "pre-order today" pages. The sneakiest one is characters & boards, as it's tucked away ever so slightly below the text "race across five classic gameboards" and above "??Peach's Birthday Cake."

There's no physical Mario Party My Nintendo reward confirmed yet, but given Nintendo's track record of providing one for first-party games, it looks likely. As a sweetener, My Nin?tendo just launched a digital October calendar that you can get for a few Platinum Points.

As a reminder, you can find our full ?Platinum? Point guide here: bookmark it for when you need quick points for a reward. A handful of points is incredibly easy to get, as that’s basically just 15 minutes with Super Mario Run, or a quick sign-on to t??he 3DS or Wii U 3Shop. Also remember that any shipments are bundled together, so you can pay a flat rate for multiple items instead of paying it each time.

Just know that items go out of stock on My Nintendo frequently, and ?some are n?ever restocked.

The post ?You can get 100 My Nintendo Platinum Points now with Mario Party Superstars appeared first on Destructoid.

Don't bring Cards Against Humanity

It's now October, and that means we're just a few weeks out from one of Nintendo's biggest releases of 2021, Mario Party Superstars. Launching just in time for the Holiday season, the new multiplayer title no doubt hopes to get you and your game-hating family members gathered around the Switch for silly, colorful action with Mario and his familiar friends. Nintendo Japan released a three-minute Mario Party Superstars overview trailer, offering an extended look at the digital tabletop title.

As is to be expected, Mario Party Superstars will be comprised of a board game element, alongside a slew of wacky, easy-to-play minigames, sure to get your relatives staring at the Joy-Con in disbelief and muttering about "Mickey Mouse technology". Among the worlds on show are the hi-tech Space Land, the tasty-looking Peach's Birthday Cake, the rustic Woody Woods, and the creepy Hor??ror Land �take a look.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKHGB9zFJkU

Mario Party Superstars will house 100 distinct mini-games, all of which can be played in standard Mario Party Mode or enj??oyed in the rapid-fire Free Play mode.

The new entry will support same-system, local wireless, and online multiplayer, with the option to save your game between turns if any??one has to duck out of play. A sticker mode will allow players to "praise and pester" their opponents online, and all modes support online multiplayer. Huh, maybe you won't have to get together with the fam after all.

Mario Party Superstars launches October 29 on Nintendo Switch.

The post Nintendo gets the shind?ig goi?ng with Mario Party Superstars trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

A blast from Mario Parties past

A new Mario Party experience is coming to Nintendo Switch, as a recollection of the series' past. Mario Party Superstars is an all-star collection of games and boards, with some really nice quality-of-life features for Mario Party fans, arriving on Oct. 29, 2021.

Five boards from the Nintendo 64 games will be in the game, including Peach's Birthday Cake and Space Land. The collection will also have 100 classic minigames from the series' catalog as well, all playable with button contro??ls.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTiFERyYlPY

Most importantly, you can play online with others, use stickers to communicate, and save progr??ess midway through a board. You know, in case you get locked into a 50-turn board?? or something.

The post Mario Party Superstars?? is a collection of classic Mario Party boards and minigames coming this Oc?tober appeared first on Destructoid.

'11111'

So out of nowhere, Super Mario Party got a new update ?on Switch that ??allowed online play. The catch? It was through private parties and frien?d list connections only.

You see, Nintendo is a little new to this whole online thing. No worries though, the community came up with a solution that works out a lot like the faux lobbies for Pokemon Let's Go. Discovered via Caolan114 on Reddit, the simple solution is to go to the private online play option in-game, then enter "11111." After that, mash A, and you'll eventually come across ??"matchmaking" partie??s.

It's basically a community-farmed solution to allow a jury-rigged matchmaking lobby that everyone agreed upon ahead of time. The more the method is shared and proliferated, the longer that Super Mario Party can live online.

It's kind of a weird thing that requires people to get on board early to spark a wildfire, otherwise it'll die out when people get frustrated that there's no one to play with. So for this possibly brief moment in the game's lifecycle, join in on the fun and play Mario Party online!

Despite the community's efforts, it's crazy to think Nintendo is so far behind with stuff like this, ev?e?n in the era of paid online services.

Mario Party boards with randoms [Reddit]

The post Here’s how to play Super Mario Party online with randoms, with makeshift matchmaking appeared first on Destructoid.

Mama mia

Super Mario Party came out in 2018.

Did you forget about it? Because Nintendo did! Despite being perfect for DLC it kind of just....existed, and managed to muster up the sixth overall best-selling Switch software spot with 13.82 million units sold. It's a feat! And now Nintendo is finally getting back to caring abou??t it.

As of this morning, Nintendo has updated the game to version 1.1.0, which adds a heap of o?nline play options. Now you can play online in either Mario Party, Partner Party, or Minigame mode, with options to play with friends directly, or create a private game that must be accessed via passwords.

Nintendo notes that if two players are playing on their own systems, they can't play with two people us?ing a third system. ?But, you can play two people per system and play between three and four players.

Sadly, there'?s another limi?tation, as the following minigames aren't playable online:

• Strike It Rich
• Time to Shine
• Take a Stab
• All-Star Swingers
• Rhythm and Bruise
• Pep Rally
• Wiped Out
• Fiddler on the Hoof
• Clearing the Table
• Baton and On

It's Nintendo, so there was always going to be provisos, but at least it got an update!

Ver. 1.1.0 (Released April 27, 2021) [Nintendo]

The post Super Mario Party?????????????????????????? randomly got a huge update that enab?les online play appeared first on Destructoid.

Several notable Mario games are 35 percent off this week

With Nintendo still pledging to stop selling "Mario 35th anniversary celebration" games like Super Mario 3D All-Stars at the end of March, our attention is elsewhere in the Mushroom Kingdom this month, but it wouldn't be MAR10 Day – March 10 – without several discounts on "Mario games" for Switch.

If you're in the mood for a Mario romp – or want to show your support for Luigi instead – the following Nintendo Switch titles are discounted until March 13 at 11:59 pm Pacific on the Nintendo eShop:

• Super Mario Party ($38.99)
• Super Mario Maker 2 ($38.99)
• Mario Tennis Aces ($38.99)
• Luigi's Mansion 3 ($38.99)
  

35 percent off during ??a 35th anniversary? You lucked out on this one, Nintendo.

Strangely, Super Mario Odyssey – arguably the best Mario adventure in a good long time – isn't a part of Nintendo's MAR10 Day eShop sale. That said, Amazon and Walmart have it for $38.88 right now.

You can make a case for any of these games, especially Luigi's Mansion 3 and Mario Maker 2, but I'll add that Super Mario Party is a real I-guess-I'll-get-it-at-that-price sort ??of jam. Go in expecting that the game is what it is – there won't be content updates – and cook some meat cubes. The mini-games are fun, just don't forget that you need a Joy-Con for every player since Pro Controllers are prohibited.

Me? I'm too busy ignoring Super Mario 3D World in favor of Bowser's Fury.

The post Nintendo Switch has deals on Mario games (and Luigi’s Mansion 3) for MAR10 Day appeared first on Destructoid.

With a little bit of Transformers for good measure

In today's contest, you can win a Steam copy of wacky car-party game Thunder Rally!

If you enjoy games like Destruction Derby, Carmageddon, or Mario Party, you're in luck! Thunder Rally is a little bit of those, plus an arena fighter, al??l thrown into one chaotic, violent little pac??kage.

Read all about it and comment below f??or your chance to w?in a Steam Early Access copy of this unique little gem.

This is straight from the horse[power]'s mouth!

Thunder Rally is a chaotic demolition derby party game with crazy physics ?and nonstop explosions. Kn?ock your enemies out of their cars and run them over, use outrageous power-ups, avoid hazardous environments, and dodge the explosive barrels launched by your fallen foes.

With up to eight local players, the rounds are quick, violent, and usually comical with powerups and stage hazards taking cars and drivers out quickly. As soon as a driver dies, they return as a catapult loaded with explosive barrels. This keeps the gameplay quick, keeps all players ??involved, and continually ramps up the insanity each round.

Game Features

• Up to 8 players locally
• Add up to 7 ruthless CPUs for intense single player action
• 21 hazard packed levels
• 13 hilarious and deadly power-ups

Yep, there's a little bit of Bomberman in here, t??oo. It looks like a great, fr?enetic time!

To enter to win your copy, comment below telling us your favorite party game. It can be a video game, like Rock Band (my go-to), a board game (Sorry! is my jam), or something more traditional like charades. Remember Pictionary? I lov??e that one??, too. I can't draw for shit, but it's fun to try!

We've got five Steam Early Access keys to give away; winners will be drawn Friday, April 17. Make sure to comment using a Dtoid account with your current email address on file. If you're new, create an account here to join the party!

Thunder Rally is available now on Steam Early Access. Hit up PC Invasion for more chances to win a copy!

The post Contest: Destruction Derby ??meets Mario Party in frantic party game Thunder Rally appeared first on Destructoid.

Just watching this Domination record makes my thumb ache

Win or lose, I've literally never ended a round of Mario Party 4 feeling good about myself, my fellow players, or this wretched game – and yet I always come crawling back after enough time has passed. That's how it's always been, and that's how it'll always be. Why Mario Party 4? It's just what I have!

A breakout Mario Party clip from Twitch streamer ludwig circul?ated over the weekend, and for good reason: it's as impressive as it is painful. Watch him mash like a madman in the Domination minigame.

Not only did Ludwig wail on his controller fast enough to earn 201 points in this endurance-testing minigame – a remarkable feat in its own right – he did it while playing as Luigi. Way to represent.

There's a strange satisfaction in watching someone else wreck the shit out of a video game that has caused so much misfortune. I feel like Ludwig just got revenge on Mario Party 4 on our behalf.

I also now ?feel like my thumb has a phantom secondhand soreness.

Ludwig Ahgren [Twitter]

The post Guy mashes Mario Party 4 real good appeared first on Destructoid.

Would've been better than Virtual Bart I'm sure

The main press conferences of E3 may be done and dusted, but there's still all sorts of cool tidbits and tales coming out of ongoing events such as E3 Coliseum and Nintendo Treehouse. Take, for example, this story of a Simpsons video game that never was.

Speaking to host Aaron Bleyaert on the topic of "favourite Simpsons games", series producers Matt Selman and J. Stewart Burns divulged the existence of a Mario Party-style Simpson??s title that was in production, but never comp??leted. According to the duo, the game would have featured?? around 20 multiplayer mini-games, but the workload in creating the whole project was too time-consuming, which lead to it's ultimate cancellation.

"It looked like it was going to be a 20-year project or longer (to develop) because I don't think we were going to get one of the party games done in a year," remembers Burns. "So, that was not my favorite thing to work on. It was great when we heard it was not going forward. That was our fault, not EA's." Burns added that he felt the devs "owed" EA successful mobile title The Simpsons: Tapped Out after failing to deliver the party project.

It's an interesting tidbit in what is, mostly, a conversation about Tapped Out and that god-awful episode of Simpsons where Bart becomes an esports star. Unfortunately no new or upcoming Simpsons games were announced during the presentation, nor a Hit and Run remaster. Maybe someday.

E3 Coliseum continues today. You can check it out over at the gameslice YouTube channel.

The post We almost got a Mario Party-style Simpsons game fro??m EA appeared first on Destructoid.

YAHOO!

Are you looking to grab a Switch solely for Super Mario Party? This new bundle will get you and three friends going without fuss. Nintendo of America has unveiled a new Super Mario Party Joy-Con bundle just in time for Thanksgiving.

Going for $99.99, the bundle will include a ph?ysical copy o??f the game alongside a pair of Neon Green and Neon Yellow Joy-Con for you to jump straight into four player action. The bundle will be available at retailers starting November 16. This doesn't seem to be retailer exclusive, either, so hooray!

Nintendo of America [Twitter]

The post This Super Mario Party Joy-Con b?undle is a great way to start the party appeared first on Destructoid.

Super Mario Party has sold 1.5 million units so far

I felt like Super Mario Party finally got the series back on track and it seems as if I wasn't alone. In their six-month financial briefing for the fiscal year ending in March 2019 this week, Nintendo noted that they were happy with the Switch launch of Super so far, backed by the "??play anywhere" concept of?? the system.

Calling it an "evergreen title," Nintendo says the globally the game has sold through 1.5 million units since October 5, which they call an "ex??tremely strong start compared to other installments." Nintendo expects it to "build momentum" into the holiday season and even attributes extra Joy-Con sales to it (if this was the expectation, it explains why the game required them even though ??Pro Controllers would have worked).

Here's to more: I'd love to see this series become a household staple again, and the individual character dice concept injected some much-???needed strategy into the mix.

Financial Results Briefing [Nintendo]

The post Mario Party is seemingly back on track as Nintendo notes ‘extremely strong start’ for Switch iteration appeared first on Destructoid.

It's a me, an up and down franchise

Everyone has a "fond" memory of Mario Party, even if you stopped playing it nearly two decades ago (yep, this series is celebrating its 20th birthday in December!). Whether it's a thrown controller that freezes the game on the very last round (it happened to me) or a huge argument over someone sabotaging a team minigame to get ahead (also happened): Mario Party has tested friendships year in and year out.

For the first time on Switch, Super Mario Party is poised to begin the process anew.

Super Mario Party (Switch)
Developer: Nd Cube
Publisher: Nintendo
MSRP: $59.99
Released: October 5, 2018

Let's get this out of the way first: you might not like your control options here. The Pro Controller and portable mode (picking up the Switch and playing on the go with the system in your hands) are right out. You are required, no ifs ands or buts, to play Super with a single Joy??-Con per p??layer. Note that this scheme does work in both TV and tabletop mode, where you're essentially using the Switch as a tiny screen (thus technically allowing the game to be portable through tabletop mode).

It's a sticky wicket, a specter that loomed over Super Mario Party before I could even press start. This whole conversation funnels into the entire crux of what makes Mario Party tick: minigames. Yes there are some 1-2 Switch-esque affairs that require you to stand up and "pose for the camera." And yes, just as I was for the inaugural Wii game, I'm kind of over it. Moving on to new control schemes is only natural, especially for a series as experimental and weird as Mario Party, but I'm the kind of person who prefers those old school tactile-centric minigames that pay homage to previous entries in the Mario series.

The vast majority of them are more traditional in nature, but the few motion-enabled ones ensured that the Pro Controller and its ilk could never be truly supported. If I sound passionate about control options it's because I am! Nintendo has come a long way from forced waggle: now we have the power to use multiple setups, including a Joy-Con grip, Pro Controller, and any number of third party options. It's one of the Switch's biggest strengths and I hate to see it hamstrung here. I see no reason why nearly every Super Mario Party mo??de couldn't have supported a Pro Controller -- it has gyro functionality after all.

So with all of that hubbub out in the open, the minigames consist of an actually good selection this time around, and after the annoyance of not being able to use a Pro Controller melted away I got used to the single Joy-Con even with my gargantuan hands. There's 80 new games, full stop: actual new games. You can check them all out here openly on Nintendo's official website to see and judge for yourself. Now there are a few revisions that might not feel brand spanking new. Precision Gardening is basically the Balloon Burst pump minigame that’s been in since the start. There's a successor to Hot Rope Jump: that sort of thing.

It's even easier to acclimate to the old school board game style of play that returns to the mainline series in Super Mario Party. The car, a cursed past mechanic that forced everyone to move along a game board in unison, is gone: I repeat, the car is gone! In its stead is the character dice block concept, and I love it. It's a great compromise between the fully luck-based 1-6 rolling of the past and the constant requests to inject more strategy into Mario Party.

Characters all have their own unique dice block they can roll in addition to a D6. Koopa Troopa has a low number spread for his, but has the potential to roll a 10. Mario, always the middle of the road hero, has a respectable dice that has a greater chance of rolling a three. Villains like Waluigi have dice sides that can subtract coins. This not only influences who you pick as certain cast members might play into your own personal style, but it also completely changes how you approach some situations ("I need a three, do I roll a ??regular dice with a 50% chance or try another one with higher odds?"). It sounds hyperbolic but the different dice blocks are one of the biggest innovations in the history of the series.

The four boards don't match that innovation. Hudson and Nd Cube have proven that they're capable of great boards. The Monopoly undertones of Koopa's Tycoon Town from Mario Party 8 (which wasn't that long ago) were incredible. Most of the ideas have been done before and there's nothing particularly new with the core mode. Boards are also fairly limited in scale and scope so every?one is mostly doing the same thing. Maybe you'll like that corralled feel compared to the experience of some of the larger maps of series past where you don't come in contact often.

The core board game mode isn't all that's on offer though and I actually found the normally superfluous extras to be the strongest glue that holds Super Mario Party together. Partner Party is a strict 2v2 mode where teams square off against one another with the power to freely move around boards. Not only are double dice rolled here to move things along, bu?t you can also sport different tactics, corner game-winning Stars as a collective, or box out the enemy team by stomping them to steal their coins. Approaching boards here is very different as you have more freedom.

There's also a Rhythm Heaven style mode that lasts 10 minutes, which is great for moments when you only have a limited amount of time to play. It's fantastic, and although it only has three variations (and a handful of different games) I was pleasantly surprised at how fun it was with competitive friends. The first real full co-op mode, which places a group of four into a raft together is a hoot: and will take you anywhere from one to 15 minutes to complete depending on how well you do. It?s key draw is that there are multiple routes to take, enticing groups to play it multiple ?times over and get the best clear time. It's a relaxing gametype that really plays up the cute "high five" mechanic (swinging the Joy-Con in unison): even if it does suffer from a very low co-op only minigame pool.

There's also "Toad's Rec Room," that allows for multiple forms of Switch positioning, including stacking two consoles together. Three minigames have the option for dual consoles, and one requires it: I was not able to test the latter one out for this review. Given that Rec Room only supports four games it's more of a tech demo for a future WarioWare title than anything else. If you want the classic "just the minigames please" gametype is back along with a challenge mode with constant minigame play. Finally, and I know people are going to be piss??ed about this, but online mode is restricted to "just the minigames." Full online play is something folks have wanted for a while, especially if they can't gather up enough friends to justify the cost of entry, but they're going to have to wait even longer.

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 ar?ound freely and going bac??k 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.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Super Mario Party appeared first on Destructoid.

Tabletop is fine though

When Nintendo announced Super Marty Party at E3, info slowly came trickling in that insinuated that the game could only be played with a single Joy-Con per player (meaning, no Pro Controllers). Fans kind of rested on that information for a few mo?nths; and now the situation recently c??ame to a head once they realized that the scheme also nixed handheld mode (read: like a Game Boy or DS).

Yep, you can't play the game in handheld mode solo: you need to break off a Joy-Con and enjoy it on the TV, or in tabletop mode with the Switch propped up, which is a kinda-sorta portable way to play it. Some people are up in arms that this is one of the only instances in the history of the Switch where a game won't work in handheld mode: a situation that was reversed during the launch of the hardware when Voez only supported handheld mode (a case that's since bee?n patched).

If any game was going to break that code it would be a Mario Party joint, and as someone who predominately uses their Switch in TV and? tabletop mode, I'm okay with this arrangement. If you're a mostly handheld kind of person, you probably won't be: plan accordingly.

Hopefull??y the follow-up will be designed to work with non-motion controls so this doesn't hap??pen again: or there's, at the very least, a single-player mode that supports a true portable setup.

Super Mario Party [Nintendo] Thanks Gabriel!

The post PSA: Super Mario Party ??is a rare case of no handheld support for Switch, ?no Pro Controllers either appeared first on Destructoid.

More games need cube-frying elements

When you go to any video game show, as many of you probably know, there can be an insane wait for the newer, more popular titles. I literally see eager fans queue up for two hours to play the latest Assassin's Creed or Call of Duty. When a demo runs 20 minutes, and there's only say, 15 setups, and there's a queue of hundreds, ????you do the math.

Fortunately, at this weekend's EGX show in Birmingham, the wait for Nintendo's upcoming Super Mario Party wasn't an effort at all, that's the bonus of having four people to a single setup. Couple that with the o??pportunity to DESTROY STRANGERS AT VIDEO GAMES, a?nd it's fast-paced good times for all.

Frankly, it's a good job I was teamed up with three other excited fans to play Super Mario Party, as it'll likely be the only chance I get to play the game, having no friends in the real world (not even that bob-cut girl from the original Nintendo Switch commercials). Neve?rtheless, me and three ?other dudes snatched up a single Joy-Con each to engage with The Big N's next social-game extravaganza.

As explained to me by a red-shirted rep, Super Mario Party allows players to battle it out in a selection of some 80 mini-games, all of which appear to be incredibly simple to understand, but fiendish to play, not unlike the games in sister series WarioWare. Me and my new friends were told to play the "Mario-thon" mode, which eschews the board game element of the cl??assic Mario?? Party experience, and focuses just on the mini-games.

Players can choose from a selection of classic Super Mario characters (No sign of world-breaking phenomenon, Bowsette) and fight it out in a grand prix of short-and-silly activities, with a score system deciding the ult?imate victor. Each game runs a couple of minutes at best, keeping the action fast and furious. Each new game is also preceded by a very simple tutorial, that gives everyone an opportunity to test out the controls in a small insert demo window. This neat feature means players old and new will all get a heads-up on the ensuing chaos.

All five of the games in my run raised smiles. I handily won a downhill barrel-running race by immediately turning it into Road Rash, but things then went figuratively downhill for me in the following fou?r games, which involved dodging a bunch of charging turtles, outrunning an army of boxing glove-sporting ghosts, pedaling a tiny tricycle about ten yards and, best of all, trying to fry all six sides of a small cube of meat. Each game utilises the Joy-Con in a unique manner, from standard thumbstick movement, to using motion controls to recreate a set of trike pedals, a rotating barrel, or perhaps a frying pan. Simple, fun and effective, like all party games should be.

I unfortunately didn't get the opportunity to play the co-op mode, where the players work together to complete tasks, such as tidying a bunch of balls into their respective containers, or controlling a canoe down some?? raging rapids, but these games looked equally as fun. When my demo was over, I didn't place first, which resulted in me smashing the setup a?nd then throwing my Joy-Con at the rep's head. Fortunately, I still made bail for EGX day two.

Super Mario Party appears to be aiming for a similar crowd that blew up with the launch of the Nintendo Wii. A crowd that can just pick up the Joy-Con and dive right in, regardless of their skill level, or whether they've even played a video game since the smothering Wii Sports phenomenon. Unlike that title, however, Super Mario Party is painted with a slick, charismatic sheen, featuring a bevy of great Nintendo characters, fun sounds and voices and large, co?lourful visu??als.

An important element to the success of this latest entry will be some of the new and returning modes, such as the setup-changing "Toad's Rec Room" and, of course, the classic board game adventure, "Party Mode". But, provided these modes all meet Mario-thon's blueprint of keeping things fast, funny and addictive, then Super Mario Party looks set to ?become a hit, whether bust out during obnoxious family get-togethers, lengthy train journeys, or trendy hipster parties. Just remember my? invite. I get so lonely.

Super Mario Party launches on Nintendo Switch October 5.

The post Super Mario Party for Nintendo Switch? is simplistic silly fun, w??hich is all it needs to be appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm drawn to all of the cooking ones

As we inch toward Super Mario Party's October launch, today's a good day to check in with the Switch title. I found the new River Survival co-op mode intriguing, and I already want to call dibs on Monty Mole (in large part because he looks extra annoying to lose to). Bu?t what about the actual mini-games?

If you don't want to leave anything to chance, check this out: Nintendo has uploaded clips of the 80 new mini-games and assembled them on the Super Mario Party site. Here's some that caught my eye.

Skimming the whole list on the website, there's a handful of standouts that ?look like they'd be hectic and entertaining even after multiple playthroughs, but plenty of them seem rote or conceptually familiar. Sizzling Stakes, th?e mini-game in the video up top, is definitely my favorite of the bunch.

Super Mario Party [Official Japanese website via reddit]

The post Nintendo has clips of the 80 new mini-games in ??Super Mario ??Party appeared first on Destructoid.

Four unlocks makes 20 characters

By way of an official video from Nintendo's site showing off what seems to be finalized Super Mario Party gameplay (it is coming in roughly a month afte??r all), we seem to have a full ro?ster confirmation.

Naturally Nintendo's Fab Three (Mario, Luigi, Peach) are in, as are cross-genre staples like Waluigi, Yoshi, and Bowser. Minions include Koopa Troopa, Boo, Shy Guy, Monty Mole, and Hammer Bro. Two minions are secret characters (Pom Pom and Dry Bones) along with Donkey Kong and Diddy. In all the roster consists of 20 slots. Amazingly you might notic??e the removal of Toad and Toadette, which are going to be wrapped into the game itself. ::Extremely Toad voice:: UH-OH! 

Super Mario Party is out on October?? 5 on Switch, and though the ??roster doesn't excite me the idea of soft rebooting the series and not using numerical values has me intruiged.

The post Super Mario Party’s final cast is seemingly cemented in new video appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm trapped in the Mario Party cycle

Every time Nintendo rolls out a new Mario Party, I wonder if this will be it: if this might finally be a Mario Party game that doesn't end with my group feeling annoyed ?at best or downright hostile with each other at worst. I feel like I need to attach a sticky note to the box that says "Don't believe Mario's lies."

I have a glimmer of hope for Super Mario Party both because it's on the Switch, a system I adore for multiplayer, and because it generally looks all right so far. We'll see how the dice roll on October 5.

At gamescom, Nintendo is showing off a four-player co-op mode called River Survival. Players work together to steer a raft as it heads down a stream with branching paths. As you collect balloons along the way, you'll jump into mini-games which can add bonus time to your bank to help you reach?? the end.

A lot of my frustration in the Mario Party series tends to come from conniving or laborious game boards, so a side mode that lets me quickly play a handful of mini?-games without much fuss seems fantastic.?? Also, I love that the end-of-game recap shows how many times every player paddled. No slackin'.

The post The new co-op mode makes me want to give ?Super Mario Party a chance appeared first on Destructoid.

Andrew W.K. should have appeared for this one

Nintendo’s E3 threw me for a loop. I was hoping ?for detailed breakdowns on most of the Switch reveals we got last year, but we don’t really know anything new on most of them, nor have we seen many new reveals. And yet, the new games and Treehouse streams we got did a lot to pique my interest. Overall, the Switch seems to be having a slower year, but it seems "party game" fans were given a lot more to look forward to.

The Switch’s initial reveal stood out to many of us because it emphasized the new console's social/party aspects, but most of its biggest hitters thus far are games without local multiplayer. It was inevitable that Nintendo woul?d tackle the party game market, it’s one of their biggest niches, but the Switch’s first year only made a few big pushes for them. This E3, however, showcased many more prominent party games, more than enough for Nintendo to be ready to lead that charge once again.

Nintendo’s biggest guns have always been the Super Smash Bros. games, and it’s little surprise that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spearheaded this year’s presentation. Not only that, but Nintendo aims to draw back Smash fans from across the series’ history by bringing back every character who previously appeared in Smash and then some. If anything is going to create the exciting, passionate, social atmosphere depicted in that Switch reveal ad, it’s a Smash game that covers its bases as far as possible. That’s the spark that starts the fire, one that makes me question whether it’s a coincidence that Super Mario Party was revealed at the same time.

Super Mario Party is not only a new living-room Mario Party, but also a portable handheld title, that can be played with friends more easily than any of the 3DS entries. Much like Smash, that alone is plenty of reason for partygoers to rejoice, especially with Super revisiting the series’s beloved roots. But, for those who would bring multiple Switches to a social gathering, Nintendo seems to finally be tapping into the console's neglected potential with "Toad’s Rec Room". 1-2-Switch may have served in the role of Nintendo’s obligatory tech demo, but it didn’t try anything nearly as unorthodox as interfacing multiple Switch units like… Sifteo Cubes? That’s what they’re calle?d, Google?.. Okay, like Sifteo Cubes.

While I don’t expect this gimmick to become the Switch’s next big trend (Nintendo’s hardware quirks are rarely used by any devs other than Nintendo themselves), it’s an unusual and creative way to get multiple Switch owners together, trying something new that no other major console can do. This experience could leave a strong impression at any party, as some of my fondest local multiplayer memories on the Wii U include games that did unique things with the GamePad, like Nintendo Land, for example.

Even the indies, renowned for their multiplayer games, are rushing over to the Nintendo platform. Killer Queen Black and Overcooked 2 aren’t Switch exclusive, but they had a strong presence in this year's Tre?ehouse streams and weren’t featured anywhere else. Nintendo went out of their way to push these games, further promoting the Switch’s multiplayer lineup.

The Switch is about to get its first Mario sports game, and Mario Tennis Aces looks like the craziest and?? most intense entry we’ve had in a whole decade. Assuming it liv??es up to the hype - which we’ll know soon enough - it could easily be one of the biggest party games this season. With that in place, the time seems right for Nintendo to shift their vision for the Switch into full gear.

The few t?imes I had the chance to dive into local multiplayer games at college were some of my most exciting memories on campus. That hectic social atmosphere is only magnified by quality party titles, which Nintendo has always been a champion of. For all the mixed reactions Nintendo’s E3 presentation got this year, if it did one thing excellently, it was giving Switch owners even more reason to party.

The post Nintendo Sw?itch E3 lineup prepares to take t?he party scene by storm appeared first on Destructoid.

The dream came kinda sorta true

I never thought we'd see the day, but according to Nintendo's E3 Treehouse stream, we're finally getting a Mario Party game with online play... sort of. The Treehouse briefly discussed one of Super Mario Party's modes, Mariothon, in which playe??rs play five minigames and compete to get the best total sco??re.

It's similar to recurring minigame modes like the Minigame Decathalon that started in Mario Party 5, but with five randomly chosen minigames instead of ten preset ones. And, as the Treehouse promised, there's an online versio?n of the Mariothon that can be played against either friends or people across the world.

Given how slow a full board game would inevitably be, I think this is a great compromise for Mario Party to test the online waters! I like what I'm seeing of the minigames thus far, and while this mode itself probably won't be enough to carry an entire purchase's worth, it sounds like it could be a great addition to compliment whatever else Super Mario Party has to offer.

Nintendo @ E3 2018: Day 3 [YouTube]

The post Super Mario Party has an online minigame mode appeared first on Destructoid.

Roll the dice...

During today's E3 Nintendo Direct presentation, the company revealed a whole new Mario Party, coming to Nintendo Switch, the originally titled Super Mario Party.

The game can use multiple screens and Joy-Con to guide the players around the board and through a series of delightful mini-games in classic, Mario Party board-game style. Switch units can even be aligned?? in wacky and creative posit??ions in order to create new playfields.

Super Mario Party launches for Nintendo Switch October 5.

The post Super Mario Party has been annou??nced fo?r Nintendo Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Because five straight hours of Peppa Pig can drive any man to the depths of insanity

I'm creeping into my late twenties, which means a lot of the people in my social circles are getting married and deciding to have children. Instead of buying sarcastic t-shirts about how I am very much not about that life right now, while secretly munching through my third packet of Farley's Rusks, I am actually quite stoked to become an aunti?e figure, or perhaps even a godmother sometime in the future. Kids are like library books – fun while they last, but you're glad to hand them back at the end. In part because of the ?smell.

Now, of course, any self-respecting auntie or uncle needs to teach their underlings the ways of the video game. Thankfully, the vast majority of "children's" games are more like fun for all the family, similar to how Harry Potter took off among adult readers. So??, I've provided you with six suggestions of how to take some of the mind-numbing boredom and frustration out of babysitting, and find a way to share your hobby with your miniature chums.

As an aside, there are a couple of games I'm fairly sure will belong on this list, but I haven't played enough of them to feel confident including them. If you've played Yoshi's Woolly World, Kirby's Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze,? I'd particularly love to hear your thoughts on their suitability in the comments!

1. For the mini mechanics: Ratchet and Clank (PS4)

This entire article is pretty much thanks to Ratchet and Clank. I played it from start to finish last weekend, my face the picture of childish glee from beginning to end. Before then, I'd only ever tried out Ratchet and Clank 3, and felt a bit lost, since the game (quite understandably) presumes that you know what's going on and you know what you're doing by the third ent?ry to the series.

The Ratchet and Clank re-imagining gave me reason to care for the characters, to squeal in delight whenever Clank did anythin??g remotely cute and to giggle at Captain Qwark's buffoonery. It's about as close as you'll get to a full Pixa??r experience in a game, and while some of the levels too feel a little off-kilter and the signposting wasn't great in some areas, kids would absolutely love this if they had an adult to guide them through the trickier parts. I can't wait to introduce my cousin to games, and I think I might start off with this.

2. For the crafty kids: Tearaway Unfolded (PS4)

If I were to pick just one MediaMolecule game that would be a blast for kids, it's Tearaway (Unfolded just for the ease of playing it on a bigger screen via the PS4; the original Tearaway is not PSTV compatible in Europe).

The LittleBigPlanet series is one of my favourites, and it has plenty of potential to encourage kids to be creative and already start thinking about level design. However, Tearaway impressed me with how educational it is regarding actions and reactions from manipulating the wind; it also has some intricate puzzle-solving elements that both the kids and the adults will need to collaborate on to get just right. I felt a real sense of wonder as I played through Tearaway Unfolded, and I?? feel like it's a unique experience young childre??n shouldn't miss out on.

If you want to follow this up with an entry from the LittleBigPlanet series, my favourite is probably 2.2 is also particularly good for smaller children, since it doesn't have some of the more complicated bells and whistles that 3 has, e.g. other Sack characters.

3. For the nature nerds: Flower (PS3/PS4/Vita/iOS)

If you're in the market for something to calm down your tiny terrors after they've scoffed down too many Jaffa Cakes, then Flower could be your saviour. Using the rotation sensors in the DualShock controller, the player controls a flower petal, swaying through the wind and collecting other petals, while sitting back and enjoying picturesque scenes of nature. Some kids might find its muted atmosphere extremely boring, but others will? be mesmerised by the interactivity, and soothed by how sedate the game is. 

If you're looking for something relaxing and walking sim-like that's a bit more involved, alternatives would be Journey (by the same developers) or The Unfinished Swan for older kids. While more hyperactive, the original De Blob involves methodically decorating buildings in an environment by splodging paint everywhere, which might also? distract some children who enjoy more repetitive actions.

4. For the curious collectors: Pokémon Crystal (3DS)

Don't know your arse from your elbow when it comes to Team Skull and Nebby? You're in good company, my friend. The 2nd generation of Pokémon has always been my favourite: there were just enough creatures out there to catch that proceedings stayed interesting, but the designs were still imaginative. Plus, I felt way more immerse?d in Johto than I ever did in Kanto; being able to convert Apricorns into special Pokéballs is still one of my favourite? little quirks in the series.

Luckily, the presence of Pokémon Crystal on the Virtual Console for the 3DS means there's really no reason not to introduce younger siblings, young cousins or young footsoldiers to older varients of Pokémon – back when times were simpler and your worries were confined to Team Rocket. Hey, if you preferred the 1st generation of Pokémon, then this is a judgment-free zone; and Pokémon Yellow is also available for the 3DS. It's the perfect o?pportunity to show childre?n that games that look a bit "old" aren't necessarily lame, and can more than stand up to newer, shinier versions. 

5. For the sporty souls: Mario Strikers Charged Football (Wii)

Me and my sister absolutely loved Mario Strikers Charged Football when we got our Wiis, way back in 2007. Yes, I said Wiis, because asking me and my sister to share anything was about as feasible as attempting to go for a casual stroll on the moon. But the one game we had a lot of fun playing together was this heavily simplified football/soccer game. The goal celebrations are cute and funny, the mechanics are dumbed down enough for anyone to join in on the fun, and there are plenty of ways to get a cheap goal or two in the back of the net. Don't torment the little ones by trying to explain the offside rule – instead get into an astro turf tussle with Bowser? and a handful of Shy Guys.

6. For the adventurous rascals: Rayman Legends (pretty much any current-gen/last gen console)

This list would absolutely not be complete without Rayman Legends (which is scheduled to be a PS Plus game next month – nice timing!). I remember playing the first Rayman on PS1 back as a wee lass, and I have to admit that I didn't think that was a very child-friendly game. It was needlessly frustrating in parts, with a bunch of cheap deaths and powers that felt neither intuitive nor particularly helpful. Rayman Legends and its predecessor, Origins, wiped the slate clean and came up with a Rayman game that harks back to old days, while offering something much more accessible than in the mid-90s. While what I have played of Revolution and Hoodlum Havoc did a great job of transporting Rayman to the 3D platforming world, if you want to keep your Rayman 2D and simple, Origins and Legends are your best bet.

Honourable mentions:

• Theme Park World (PS1) – probably the best management sim for kids, it strips back a few layers from the original Theme Park while adding an entertaining mascot. Get a PAL copy if you can, since the voice acting is much better (read: superbly Scottish).
• New Super Mario Bros (Wii) – co-op Super Mario Bros – you can't go far wrong with the classics.
• Kuri Kuri Mix/The Adventures of Cookies and Cream (PS2) – play as two bunnies helping each other to traverse a map under a strict time limit. Single-player is a bit naff, but joining forces with a fellow puzzle fiend makes the game much more interesting.
• Mario Party 8 (Wii) – in my opinion, the best of the Mario Party games I have played. The train level is a blast, especially when the tables get unexpectedly turned on the poor sod in first place.

What are your top tips for games to play when you have younger relatives visiting? If you have kids, which games do you play with them, or what do they enjoy playing among themselves? Let me know in the comments down below!

The post Here are six games to play with the tiny humans in yo??????????????????????????ur life appeared first on Destructoid.

Another day, another attempt at Mario Party

It seems as though the best of the Mario Party games are far, far behind us. The most recent installments have c??ome out to lackluster reception, and are getting even fewer and far between as of late.

Nintendo takes a stab at recreating the original fun of the series through Mario Party: The Top 100, an “all-star collection” of the top mini games from throughout Mario Party history. Bringing folks back to the roots of what made Mario Party a hit in th??e first place with its classic, manic mini games is a hopeful a?ttempt at injecting some life into the series.

Mario Party: The Top 100 (3DS)
Developer: Nintendo, Nd Cube
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: November 10, 2017
MSRP: $39.99

Mario Party: The Top 100 is equipped with four different game modes in addition to a free play mode, all of which can all be played with AI or with friends via Download Play. About half of the mini games already come unlocked, but the remaining ones need a little elbow grease before being playable. Unlocking these games are done via the single player “Minigame Island” mode, where you progress through each mini game on a fairly linear board. It’s a straightforward progression wrapped in the thinnest plotline imaginable, even for Mario Party standards.

The other main mode, “Minigame Match,” is really the only true Mario Party-style game where you and your opponents play on a small game board collecting “star balloons”, taking turns concurrently. Instead of defaulting to an automatic mini game at the end of each round, the games are only played when a player collects a “mini game balloon.” Out of a 10 turn game, about only half of the turns end up with a mini game, making this mode virtually useless if the goal is to play games (which, I am guessing, is the point of Mario Party: The Top 100).

There are two other multiplayer modes that eliminate the fuss of a main game, trending towards traditional mini-game battling -- “Championship Battles” and “Decathlon.” Championship Battles is a straight up best of 3 or 5 minigame mode, whereas Decathlon takes things a little farther and assigns points to each player based on how well they did in each mini game (swapping 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc pl??acement for pure skill). This is a really promising mode, especially for players who enjoy the competition of mashing or timing skill, but it can get stale gi?ven there are only 5 or 10 preset games to be played.

The Top 100 does introduce one new mechanic that I really enjoyed, which is the ability for each player to choose their “minigame pack” type at the beginning of a multiplayer mode. For example, players can choose a genre like racing, brainy, or luck-based games, or choose from an era like N64 or GameCube packs. These come up during the minigame sele??ction process and allow for the games?? to be a bit more personalized to the player’s tastes, even if they are randomized.

The peak of The Top 100 lies in the fact that they did a fairly decent job representing the most popular and fun games from the Mario Party series. The most fun I had playing this game was rooting through some of the older classics to play via Download Play with some friends, like “Bumper Balls,” “Tug o’ War,” and “Slot Car Derby.” It’s no surprise that all of the mini games come from the core console Mario Party games; nothing from the previous ??handheld versions are present here.

Most of the older mini games got a little facelift as well -- the controls feel tighter, more balanced, and a lot easier to maneuver which ultimately changes the nature of the g?ames as a result. For example mechanics like “Bombs Away” where jumping off of your opponents used to skyrocket your character into the ocean, have now been adjusted to a gentle hop. Although it’s much more balanced than before, it feels off, especially for those of us who are used to the old controls. Some updates are for the better, like adapting the touch screen con??trols to classic mini games like “Face Lift” so players don’t have to use the directionals for fine-tuned details.

Playing through Mario Party: The Top 100 was a solid trip down nostalgia road, but there was a huge lack of depth to the modes that left me wanting to play my favorite standalone Mario Party games instead of experiencing all of my favo??rites mini games in one place. The appeal of being able to play my favorite mini game on a whim was quickly overshadowed by the lack of imagination in the rest of ??the game.

At the end of the day, it takes more than fun mini games to make a good Mario Party game. It’s also about carefully crafting a meaningful game experience that allows you to screw over your friends in the most skilled, fair way possible (with a dash of luck, obvs). Hopefully Nintendo can keep the series alive and perfect the spirit of Mario Party for the Switch, but for now I think Mario Party games are officially dead for the 3DS.

The post Review: Mario Party: The Top 100 appeared first on Destructoid.

I still don't 'get' tokens

A prototype appearing this week at trade show IAAPA 2017, confirms that the Japanese arcade game Mario Party no Fushigi Wonderland is being localised for release in Western loc??ations.

The transition to English-speaking territories is the result of a collaboration between Nintendo, Capcom and arcade manufacturers Raw Thrills. Along with the audio/visual translation, the gameplay is reportedly being streamlined to be more in keeping wi??th the West's view of arcades as a short-but-fun side-attraction -- whereas in Japan a trip to the arcade can be a sit-down, day-long experience.

It is hoped that the localised game, re-titled Mario Party Challenge World, will be ready to ship in Spring of 2018.

The post Mario Party arcade machine to be local??ised for the West appeared first on Destructoid.