The Best Mario Spin-Off Came Out 27 Years Ago Today

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As a gamer, I can honestly say that Super Mario Bros. is one of the most important series ever made. It really helped launch the NES and has been a huge part of Nintendo’s success ever since. What’s cool about Mario, compared to other big franchises like The Legend of Zelda or Metroid, is how often Nintendo reinvents it. We’ve seen Mario and the gang jump into all sorts of different game types, which keeps things fresh and exciting!

Mario games that aren’t the main series are generally really enjoyable, and Mario Kart is often considered one of the best multiplayer racing games ever made. But I still believe Mario Party is the best of them all. As the first Mario Party game celebrates its 27th anniversary in Japan, it’s a good time to remember how quickly it became a staple for Nintendo and why it’s remained so popular for the company all these years.

It’s Mario Party’s Birthday

Released 27 years ago, Mario Party is still considered the best spin-off game featuring Mario characters. Originally created by Hudson Soft, the first Mario Party was built to be the ultimate game for playing with friends. While it could be played alone, the game really shined when multiple people competed against each other. This first installment set the foundation for the entire series, introducing board game-style levels uniquely designed around each of the six playable characters.

I always loved how the games let you play through levels that were a good length – not too short, not too long, usually between 20 and 50 turns. The main goal was to grab stars, and you earned money to buy them by playing these fun little minigames after each turn. Honestly, those minigames were a huge part of why I enjoyed the series so much! They really tested different skills, like how accurate you were, your timing, and just overall precision. Critics did say the game could be a bit slow and the single-player wasn’t amazing, but they all agreed the multiplayer was great. Still, even the good reviews didn’t predict just how incredibly popular the game would become!

After a successful launch in Japan on December 18, 1999, Mario Party became even more popular when released internationally. It quickly rose to become one of the year’s best-selling games and ranked as the 16th best-selling game on the Nintendo 64. Mario Party 2 and Mario Party 3 followed, becoming the 20th and 25th best-selling games for the console, respectively. This success led Nintendo and Hudson Soft to create many more Mario Party games, establishing the series as a key part of Nintendo’s lineup in the 21st century.

Why Mario Party Is So Important To Nintendo

Since its debut in 1999, the Mario Party series has grown to include 13 main games. Over time, it’s become important to Nintendo, serving as a way to demonstrate the capabilities of their new gaming consoles. The mini-games are often designed to show off the latest technology, and the game’s maps have become increasingly detailed and visually impressive, highlighting what each new system can do.

Keeping the focus on four-player battles works well because everyone plays in the same space – a long-standing tradition of the series that still feels right even with the rise of online play. Over time, the games have also evolved how they look and play, adding lots of new features with each release. While the basic gameplay stays true to its roots, the series consistently tries out new mini-games and level designs, showing Nintendo’s dedication to fresh ideas.

Good Nintendo multiplayer games are all about having fun with friends and a little friendly competition, and Mario Party really captures that spirit. It’s better at this than even Mario Kart or the Mario Sports games, stripping multiplayer down to its most basic and enjoyable form with tons of different ways to play. Mario Party is Nintendo’s way of championing playing together on the same couch, rather than moving online. After nearly thirty years, the series is still popular, with three games available on the Nintendo Switch – one of which celebrates the entire series by bringing back favorite boards from past games.

Even with all its quirks, the game is consistently fun, captivating, and surprisingly frustrating. Each playthrough feels fresh thanks to a blend of player skill, clever strategy, and sheer chance. It truly shines as a multiplayer experience, best played with friends who are ready to embrace the unpredictable and often hilarious mayhem. Mario Party stands out as a fantastic way to expand the Mario universe beyond traditional platformers, and hopefully, it will continue to be a staple on future Nintendo consoles for years to come.

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2025-12-18 20:12