It’s time for an old-school Mario Party.
The latest games on Nintendo Switch Online are Mario Party and Mario Party 2. The Nintendo 64 classics will launch on November 2nd. Owners of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass will be able to play the games as soon as they go live.
Mario Party was first released in 1998 as a new spin-off of the Super Mario franchise. Instead of platforming, players progress across a board game and compete in over 50 different mini-games. The sequel, Mario Party 2, was released thirteen months later. A new party franchise was born by adding new boards, more mini-games, and new features.
One of the most infamous features in the original Mario Party was the control scheme in mini-games. Being tasked with quickly spinning the Nintendo 64 analog stick resulted in players receiving blisters on the palm of their hands. Future versions of Mario Party removed this control setup to prevent further injury.
The Nintendo Switch saw two new releases in the Mario Party series. Super Mario Party, released in 2018, features new mini-games, boards, and a return to the traditional gameplay for which the franchise is known. Unfortunately, it suffered from a severe lack of content updates.
A follow-up, Mario Party Superstars, came out last year. It remastered classic boards and mini-games from the Nintendo 64 for the Nintendo Switch. Despite still lacking content, it was a much better game than Super Mario Party.
Bringing back the full releases for Mario Party and Mario Party 2 will deliver the gameplay Nintendo fans know and love. Let’s hope our hands, controllers, and friendships are ready for it.
These aren’t the only Mario Party games coming to Switch Online. During a recent Nintendo Direct, Nintendo said that Mario Party 3 will make its way to the Nintendo Switch Online collection for Nintendo 64 games.
Mario Party and Mario Party 2 will be available for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass on November 2nd, 2022.
