The Mario Party franchise has been around for a long time, and it has basically become, as the name suggests, the go-to party game series for Nintendo. It is the perfect formula for couch co-op, with excellent mini-games, fun boards, and so much more. So far, there have been 12 mainline releases in the series, and they’ve mostly all brought something fun to the table for gamers.
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They have not, unfortunately, all been great, though. Every Mario Party game can’t be a hit, especially over a period of 26 years. Nintendo was bound to have a few misfires in there, but the good news is that even a bad Mario Party has some fun to offer. Here are all 12 games, ranked from worst to best.
12. Mario Party 10
Mario Party 10 brings back the car mechanic from its immediate predecessor, but it’s not as good here. Overall, this very much feels like an expansion of the ninth game, which should not be the case for a full-blown entry. It is pretty much exactly the same with different maps, so there’s really no reason to revisit this one.
11. Mario Party 7
Mario Party 7 is the final installment for the GameCube, and it unfortunately doesn’t do much else to stand out. It does have a ton of mini-games, which helps. It also has new mechanics that Nintendo tried out for the boards, but they’re not all good, and can make it hard to get into this game if you’ve played other Mario Party games before.
10. Mario Party 8
The first game in the series on the Wii, Mario Party 8, did a lot of good things. It perfectly utilizes the Wii remote. It had some good mini-games and solid maps. It just doesn’t have a ton of variety and is a pretty safe entry. Also, motion controls can always be hit or miss, which might turn some gamers off from this one.
9. Mario Party 6
The best part about Mario Party 6 is its day-night cycle. It’s a revolutionary mechanic that adds a great new wrinkle, but it is pretty much left in this game. A single map in Mario Party Superstars utilizes it, but that’s it. Sadly, that’s mostly all Mario Party 6 brings to the table, which doesn’t make it stand out in the pantheon.
8. Mario Party 3
Mario Party 3 has a fully realized story attached to it, and it sort of serves as an origin for why Mario, Luigi, and the rest of the gang are so bent on getting stars. It also brought in new characters, Waluigi and Daisy, who would go on to become mainstays. It added unlockable mini-games, too, but those changes don’t do much to really cement this as an all-time game for this series.
7. Mario Party 2
Mario Party 2 included a very basic, elementary story, which doesn’t really stand out. It didn’t do a ton differently (or better) from its predecessor, but it did introduce practicing for mini-games, which has become a crucial staple of the series. Plus, adding items to help players actually traverse the board was a step in the right direction.
6. Mario Party 9
Mario Party 9 is one of the most unique games in this series. The board game format is still there, but it’s entirely linear. It also changed the gameplay a ton, allowing all players to move at once and hardly take turns at all. It was a huge change that players didn’t like, but it remains one of the only games to even attempt to redefine the formula and provide a change of pace. The car mechanic was not well-received, but I’m here to tell you it is absolutely not that bad.
5. Mario Party 5
Mario Party 5 really completed the franchise‘s transition to 3D and what it looks like today. It was also one of the more unique titles with its dream-like theme. It’s one of the few games with a clear thematic element, and it executes it pretty well. It swapped out item shops for random capsules that add a truly chaotic element, which is exactly what Mario Party games are all about.
4. Super Mario Party
Super Mario Party had its fair share of problems, but the highs of this game really shine. What it does well is better than so many other games. The 2v2 mode is one of the most fun and strategic times you’ll experience in this franchise. The four-player modes are excellent, too. The allies are also perfect here, because there’s little more enjoyable than collecting a literal army of Mario characters. The maps are a bit boring, but Kamek’s Tantalizing Tower is good enough to keep you coming back.
3. Mario Party
Some credit has to be given to the original. If Mario Party had been bad, then Nintendo likely would’ve shelved it and not attempted much further. If a Mario board game-based video game were not successful, then there would’ve been very little reason to devote resources to a sub-genre of the Mario franchise. Fortunately, it’s really good. Pretty much every fun, good aspect of future games got its start here, so even if it’s a little dated (1999 release date in the US), it’s still revolutionary.
2. Mario Party 4
Mario Party 4 was a huge step up for the franchise. It was the first game to include pre-rendered cut scenes, thereby bringing a new level of storytelling to the series. It also helped bring the boards more into 3D gaming, which was a big win for the franchise. Speaking of the boards, it has a few really exceptional ones, and the mini-games are as good here as they’ve ever been.
1. Super Mario Party Jamboree
Super Mario Party Jamboree is the ultimate version of the Mario Party series. It has lackluster mini-games compared to its predecessor, the remade Mario Party Superstars, but that kind of cheats by taking games from the best of the series. But Jamboree goes above and beyond with boards, characters, and more. It is the biggest game in the series, meaning there’s so much to do beyond the main board gameplay, which is a huge bonus to break up the monotony.
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