Super Mario Party — I kind of like it but…

I loved the first Mario Party for the Nintendo 64. But over the years, I have come to hate Mario Party series: every instalment just kept getting worse. The last one I actually tried was one for the Wii. That was like the nail in the coffin for me with the series.

Now, as Super Mario Party for the Nintendo Switch hit the stores, my flatmate still somehow managed to convince me to play this one. Surprisingly, I like it. Kind of.

While there are things I dislike about it, they are not a big deal. Every time any team wins, they do a group high five. You do that by swinging your Joy-Con. The timing is just off: it feels a tad too late. Then, it's simply bothersome. I don't mind motion controls. But I sure hate it if it's the only input. It is a nice touch when you play for a quick game. But it gets annoying when you sit and have a play session or multiples sessions of many hours.

Why big, long sessions of multiple sessions? We come to the issue that bothers me so much I am close to advising you not to buy this game: there is no online multiplayer! Well, there is an online mode for mini-games. But no online party mode. No Party Online. Period.

EDIT 2020-06-10

It's 2020. COVID-19 is happening and there's still no update for an online party mode… I guess I'd better play other games with real online multiplayer. I so want this so I can actually recommend this game!

EDIT 2021-04-27

It's finally here! You definitely notice online multiplayer been added in post, but it's there!

They say the best experience is the local game. Yes, I agree. Some experience can only be made while playing locally. But my friends and I live far apart from each other. I mean, in one case, there is the Atlantic Ocean between us! It's not like it would be practical to book a 2-way transatlantic flight for a single quick round of Mario Party! So please Nintendo, add a real multiplayer party mode! Otherwise, it's not worth picking up a second copy for the cases when my flatmate is not here.