TheSuper Mariofranchise has birthed a plethora of spin-offs over the years, from full-fledged RPGs to the occasionalDance Dance Revolutionclone. While some have been more successful than others, many fans can agree that theMario Partyseries has routinely been one of Nintendo’s most inspiredMariospin-offs. That long reputation is set to continue very soon withMario Party Superstarsreleasing later this month, and this installment plans to give long-standing fans and newcomers to the series something to look forward to.
Mario Party Superstarsis taking an approach that hasn’t been seen in the series before, in that it’s taking some of the most classicMario Partyboards and completely remastering them for today’s generation. Five boards in total will be available when the game launches in late October, representing the first threeMario Partytitles on the Nintendo 64. Each board has received a number of overhauls compared to their N64 counterparts, so it’s worth taking a look at what’s new inMario Party Superstarsand how it’s bringing these old boards into a new age.
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Mario Party Superstars' Graphical Changes
One of the most obvious changes with each ofthe five boards inMario Party Superstarsis that they’ve all been given significant graphical upgrades. Many of the flat, polygonal elements of each board are now full-fledged models, and everything seems much more vibrant and colorful. There’s also a greater sense of scale to many of the structures on each board. Woody the tree featured in Woody Woods seems less like it’s painted on and more like an established part of the board that dwarfs players. The same can be said for the Bowser Coin Beam in Space Land. While it may have been imposing in its original appearance, the increased scale inMario Party Superstarsreally adds to the fear of getting blasted by it.
The other thing to note with the boards inMario Party Superstarsis that not every board appears exactly as it did on theN64. This is most evident on Peach’s Birthday Cake, where the large “Happy Birthday” in the middle of the cake has now been replaced by a decorative crown. While this may take out some of the original character, it was likely a necessary decision to give the cake a greater 3D effect, much like Woody the tree or Bowser’s Coin Beam. Similar small changes can be found in the other boards, and although it’s an unfortunate sacrifice, they likely would have looked strange otherwise.
Mario Party Superstars' Gameplay Changes
TheMario Partyfranchise has mostly followed the same gameplay structure throughout its long history. There have been some deviations and gimmicks with each new game, but at its core,Mario Partyhas almost always functioned the same.Mario Party Superstarshas a little bit of something for everyonewith its N64 boards, keeping the core of each intact while also drawing on the franchise’s many evolutions. It’s the same dice-rolling gameplay that fans would expect, but changes to unique events and additions like the Lucky Space will makeMario Party Superstars' boards stand out compared to the originals.
There are few better ways to get friends and family around a Nintendo console likeMario Party, andMario Party Superstarslooks to continue that tradition in a big way. Just looking at screenshots for the game, it’s clear that Nintendo is set on reviving the Nintendo 64’s boards for a new generation, and it opens up an exciting opportunity to bring inMario Partyboards from the GameCubeas well. And with N64 games set to release through Nintendo Switch Online in the future, it seems that fans of the classic console will be taking a long trip down memory lane very soon.
Mario Party Superstarsreleases October 29 on the Nintendo Switch.
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