Mario Party Superstars : la nostalgie N64 sur Switch

Mario Party Superstars: N64 Nostalgia on Switch

1182 mots | Temps de lecture : 5 minute(s)

On the official Nintendo France page, it bears the exact same name as the original version: Mario Party Superstars. This party game arrives on Nintendo Switch on October 29, 2021, developed by NDcube studio.

Its promise can be summed up in one word: nostalgia. Iconic Nintendo 64 boards, one hundred mini-games from the entire history of the series, and a complete online mode make up a condensed package perfect for evenings with friends, whether remotely or on the couch.

Summary

A Switch title that plays the memory card

Released simultaneously worldwide on October 29, 2021, Mario Party Superstars is the second installment of the franchise on Nintendo Switch, after Super Mario Party released in 2018. It continues a series that began on Nintendo 64 in the late 1990s.

The studio NDcube, in charge of the license since Mario Party 9, delivers here a compilation rather than a reinvention: instead of imagining new universes, the game unashamedly draws from the heritage of historical episodes.

The result is a love letter to the Nintendo 64 era. The graphics are updated and the interface modernized, but the spirit remains resolutely faithful to the origins of the party.

Five resurrected Nintendo 64 boards

The nostalgic heart of the game consists of its five classic boards taken from the first three Mario Party games on Nintendo 64, completely remastered in high definition while respecting their original layout.

  • Yoshi's Tropical Island, made up of two islands connected by bridges, comes from the very first Mario Party (1998).
  • Peach's Birthday Cake also comes from this foundational first episode.
  • Space Land and Horror Land are from Mario Party 2.
  • Woody Woods completes the set, from Mario Party 3.

Each board retains its original events and traps, from the race for the Star to the whims of chance. Veterans will immediately find their bearings, while newcomers will discover layouts that have become cult classics over generations.

One hundred mini-games, the entire series condensed

Beyond the boards, Mario Party Superstars gathers 100 mini-games selected from across the series' history, from the Nintendo 64 installments to the most recent episodes. It's a true playable retrospective.

All of them are replayable at will outside of the main games, via a dedicated mode that transforms the compilation into an interactive anthology rather than just a bonus.

The catalog mixes skill challenges, reflex duels, and cooperative challenges, each playable alone or with others to break records and replay favorites without limit.

This anthology makes Superstars a playable best-of, ideal for rediscovering classics in one game that were once scattered across consoles that have sometimes fallen into oblivion.

Old-school turn-based, no shared car

In terms of rules, Superstars reconnects with the historical turn-based gameplay: each player rolls their dice, moves square by square, collects coins, and chases after precious stars.

However, beware of a persistent misconception: the shared car, where all four players traveled together in the same vehicle, was the signature of Mario Party 9 and Mario Party 10, not Super Mario Party.

Super Mario Party (2018) had indeed already reinstated individual movement. Superstars simply goes further by also abandoning character-specific dice, to return to a streamlined and purely classic rule set.

Fully playable online, from start to finish

A major strength of this installment: everything can be played online, both full boards and mini-games, which was not a given in previous installments of the series.

Even better, the game allows for the suspension and resumption of an ongoing game, a considerable asset given that an entire board can take up a good evening.

This flexibility makes Superstars an ideal companion for remote play, capable of bringing distant friends together around the same virtual table without forcing them to complete everything in one go.

Ten stars at the starting line

In terms of casting, ten playable characters are available from launch, with no prior unlocking required.

We find the quartet Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy, the mischievous duo Wario and Waluigi, as well as Yoshi, inseparable from the series since its beginnings.

Completing the list are Rosalina, the strongman Donkey Kong, and the surprising Birdo: a compact but varied cast, covering several generations of the Mario universe.

Mario Party Superstars in brief

Title Mario Party Superstars
Developer NDcube
Publisher Nintendo
Worldwide Release October 29, 2021
Platform Nintendo Switch
Boards 5 Nintendo 64 classics
Mini-games 100 from across the series
Characters 10 playable at launch

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FAQ

  • When was Mario Party Superstars released?
    The game was released worldwide on October 29, 2021, on Nintendo Switch, on the same day in Japan and Europe.
  • How many boards and mini-games does the game offer?
    It features five classic Nintendo 64 boards and one hundred mini-games selected from across the series' history, all replayable at will.
  • Can you play it online?
    Yes, the entire game can be played online, both boards and mini-games, with the option to suspend a game and resume it later.
  • Does Mario Party Superstars use the shared car?
    No. It reverts to individual turn-based movement. The shared car was the hallmark of Mario Party 9 and Mario Party 10, not this installment.
  • What characters are playable?
    Ten characters are available from the start: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, Yoshi, Rosalina, Donkey Kong, and Birdo.
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