In a year of blockbuster sequels, the Nintendo Switch’s iteration of one of their most popular titles has come and gone without making much of a buzz. We’re going to tackle why the drop fell as flat as it has. Now please don’t get me confused. Super Mario Party isn’t bad by any means. That’s not what I’m trying to say. I’d even go as far to say that I think it’s one of the best party games out right now. I’ll touch on the genre later, but it’s the release of the 11th installment in the series that lacked flair.

For the first time, Mario Party can be played online, just in time to take advantage of the Switch’s online rollout. Players can also use up to 4 joycons at home on the same screen, or pair up with another Switch for 2v2 tag team matches. So far, my wife and I have just played through a round of each of the game modes. She won more times that I’d like to admit, but I’ll give her her due. The motion controls and requirements mean the pro controller is no good and it can only be played with a single horizontal joycon per player.

There are over 80 mini-games to play across the game modes, which includes the main board game, Party Mode. Board games are a daily conversation in this house so there’s always time to compete in a friendly (not so friendly) game. It seems a little kiddy and easy sometimes and the animation REALLY drag pretty often. A skip button would be more than welcome to speed up play. My biggest complaint, though, is the lack of variety in the Party Mode. 4 maps is simply not enough and they all play with the exact same mechanics. With the upcoming Super Smash Bros and the ambitious platform they are building up for it, it would have been nice to see the same effort put into Mario Party’s development. That’s what I was expecting with my purchase, and I was disappointed in purchasing the digital version for that reason. It’s more of a once a month game rather that a daily or weekly due to the repetitive nature of the game. I’ll definitely be offering to get a game going at parties or board game nights with a  small crew, but the cons can outweigh he pros and slow the night down. You’d need a group of open-minded adults to be interested in sitting down to play for the minimum hour it takes to complete the shortest Party Mode.

Twenty characters are available for use after unlocks including have Bowser fully playable for the first time. River Survival is a fun game mode where you work as a team with 3 other players to paddle down a river and unlock mini games along the way. We had a ton of fun playing with each other instead of against for a change.

Perhaps the dull rollout of the title is it was just a money grab? Maybe it’s because the studio knew it wasn’t going to deliver on it’s name? I think Nintendo became complacent and dropped the ball. They need a major first party release to hold the system over until Smash Bros is released. Fans of the series like myself were willing to give it a try. Some love it and some hate it. Many are right in the middle. The good news is the resurgence of the Nintendo brand means many players are coming back after buying a Switch and looking for more games to fill their library. There have been quite a few installments since it’s prime, so players were excited to get back to the Party.

I probably had way too high of expectations going into my purchase to justify the full price tag. Unfortunately, Nintendo isn’t known for lowering prices or offering discounts on their main titles. It will probably remain $60 for a while, which is just too bad. It should come with more maps and unlockables for that kind of price in this generation. I give Super Mario Party a 7. It’s tons of fun when played competitively, but it can be overplayed quickly. I’d recommend it for a party or to be shared among a few friends, as it’s not something you’d play enough to earn its cost.