Few series in gaming stretch to double digits in their titles, and unfortunately here, in the case of Nintendo’s digital board games, the party is really starting to drag. There are three modes, with Mario Party continuing the ninth game’s misguided design choice that forces players to share a car as they move around the board. Rather than racing for the goal, players compete for stars on a dice roll that determines minigames by the space you land on.
Bowser Party does shake things up, pitting a team of four players on the TV screen against a rampant King Bowser on the Wii U gamepad in asymmetric multiplayer, and Amiibo Party utilises Nintendo’s smart figures on a series of unique but sadly simplistic Amiibo boards. At least this mode retains the pre-Mario Party 9 rule set.
It’s not uncommon for multiple turns to pass without a minigame, and even when offered one of the 75 new entries, they are severely lacking in strategy or excitement, despite the new control options. While Amiibo functionality seems like a natural fit, it can’t save the game from tedium. Stick with the superlative Nintendo Land instead.
