The Life of the Party

Mushroom Mix-Up is a four-player minigame that was included in the very first Mario Party. The game puts players on a series of hexagon-shaped mushrooms that are situated above an ominious body of water. Most of the platforms will descend into the drink with each round, and a nearby Toad will hold up colored flags ahead of time to signify which platforms will be safe to stand on. The speed naturally ramps up as the game progresses, and it’s basically a race to reach the correct platform before it’s too late. There is limited space on each platform, so you can play defensively and try to box your opponents out. You also have the option to stun your opponents with a ground-pound attack. That’s where the real fun begins. If you’re out of position, you could potentially miss your target entirely and wind up doing a butt-drop right into the water. Hexagon Heat from Mario Party 2 was nearly identical to Mushroom Mix-Up, but I think it’s only fair to acknowledge the original version on this countdown.

The object of Snowball Summit is for players to build giant snowballs and use them to knock their opponents off the top of a mountain. The snowballs will increase in size in accordance to how much time you spend rolling them around. Having a larger snowball can potentially make it easier to hit your targets, but you’ll be in a vulnerable state while the snowball is being formed. Players can simply roll their snowball into their opponent and send them flying, but it’s sometimes better to fire the snowball at them from across the battlefield. There’s always a risk of missing your opponent, however, and this is especially tragic if you’ve managed to build your snowball up to an impressive size. (It’s like when Goku built up a Spirit Bomb for an entire episode and then ended up missing his target!) Snowballs can be destroyed by other snowballs, so it might make sense to disarm your opponents rather than attacking them outright. This dynamic also lends itself well to alliances, and multiple players can easily overwhelm a competitor with successive strikes. There are many ways to approach Snowball Summit, so the minigame feels different each time you play it.

In Bumper Balls, the characters are placed on top of rolling balls and tasked with knocking their opponents off the platform. There’s not a lot of room to move around, however, so it’s not unusual to be attacked by multiple rivals in quick succession. This can make it hard to recover, but it’s difficult to avoid contact in a minigame that encourages it. Bumper Balls usually devolves into an elaborate game of chicken, and the best strategy often involves dodging your opponent’s advances at the last moment in the hopes that their own momentum will cause them to roll all into the water. Bumper Balls lends itself well to mind games, and it’s a lot of fun to psyche out your opponents. It’s easy to cause your own demise and it’s not unusual for multiple players to bump each other off at the same time. As such, it can be a valid strategy to avoid conflict and wait for your opponents to eliminate each other. It’s possible to win by doing absolutely nothing, and that’s often the most hilarious outcome. Bumper Balls is one of the most approachable minigames on this list, and that’s what makes it so entertaining.

Shy Guy Says is simple even by Mario Party standards, and it could literally be played by preschoolers. The game could be likened to “Simon Says” in many regards, but there aren’t nearly as many variables to consider. The object of the game is to raise the same colored flag as the Shy Guy does, and there are only two options to choose from. It sounds easy, but there are a few wildcards to be mindful of. The Shy Guy will try fake you out by feinting his movements, for instance. At other points, he might try to trick you by raising two flags at once. You aren’t given a lot of time to make a decision, so it’s surprisingly easy to make a mistake. If you raise the wrong flag or neglect to raise any flag at all, the Shy Guy will cut the rope that’s attached to your floating barrel and send you drifting toward the horizon. The sense of panic in the characters’ faces is palpable, and that’s part of the charm. One of my favorite aspects about Shy Guy Says is the pirate theme. The competition takes place on the open waters, and the Shy Guy is decked out in pirate gear. The losers will meet certain death when they fail to follow the Shy Guy’s instructions, but that doesn’t make the scenario any less adorable.

In Crazy Cutters, players attempt to free fossilized characters from the ground by carefully cutting around them with a jackhammer. The object is to cut as close to the lines as possible, but this is easier said than done since the jackhammers are so unwieldy. The player with the cleanest cuts will ultimately be deemed the winner, so it’s all about precision. Since there’s no way to interfere with other players, everyone is ultimately responsible for their own success (or failure). Trace Race from Mario Party 4 was somewhat similar in its design, and it challenged players to color a guideline with a giant crayon. I have a stronger affinity for Crazy Cutters, however, and it’s more fun to trace the outline of a character than it is to follow an arbitrary line on the ground. I also like how Crazy Cutters lets everyone admire each other’s work. You can usually tell who won even before the score is tabulated, and it’s fun to laugh when someone does exceptionally poorly.

If you’re a hyper competitive person, you might view luck-based mechanics as the bane of your existence. Luck is an integral part of most board games, however, so it’s only appropriate for an element of luck to be woven into the fabric of Mario Party. No minigame on this list (or in the series, for that matter) is more dependent on luck than Bowser’s Big Blast. The premise of the game revolves around a massive Bowser bomb and four detonation plungers. The players take turns activating these plungers, and one of them will eventually detonate the bomb. Everything is entirely random, so there’s no viable strategy to follow. Even though the game requires no skill whatsoever, it’s arguably the most intense minigame in the entire franchise. The tension continues to build with each passing turn, and things become more stressful each time a player is eliminated. In the simplest terms, Bowser’s Big Blast is basically the Mushroom Kingdom version of Russian Roulette.

An obvious homage to Super Mario 64‘s title screen, Face-Lift allows players to manipulate Bowser’s face by tugging and stretching it as they see fit. The game provides an example face that will be bent out of shape, and the object is for each player to make their own Bowser face match this example as closely as possible. You’ll have to alter jawlines, reshape cheekbones, and move eyebrows if you want to win, and you’ll be racing against the clock the entire time. You’ll only have 30 seconds to complete your masterpiece, however, so you might feel compelled to cut corners. Face-Lift could be likened to Crazy Cutters in its presentation, and I appreciate how everyone can compare their results with a simple glance. The score isn’t revealed until the time limit expires, but you’ll usually be able to tell who’s in the running and who’s absolutely not. There are plenty of Mario Party minigames that favor quick reflexes or dumb luck, so it’s nice to see the occasional game that rewards artistry and precision.

Every other minigame on this list is a free-for-all with an “every man for himself” dynamic. In contrast, Dash and Dine is a 2-on-2 affair that focuses on teamwork. The minigame takes place in a restaurant, and the purpose is for each team to prepare meals by grabbing the appropriate ingredients. It’s not always easy to navigate around the kitchen, however, and you’ll have to be weary of meandering Toads that are carrying dishes from station to station. You’ll have to avoid other players, too. Your opponents can intentionally impede your movement in an effort to slow you down, and you’ll also have to be mindful of your own teammates. Anyone who has ever worked in a kitchen can tell you how frustrating it is when someone is in your way, so teams with good communication skills will have a clear advantage. Dash and Dine only lasts for a minute before the time expires, but it’s one of those rare minigames that could potentially work as a full-length game. The premise feels remarkably similar to Overcooked! in many regards, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Mario-themed Overcooked! spinoff in the future.

Booksquirm is set within the pages of an oversized book. When the pages start to turn, players will be flattened unless they can line themselves up with holes in the falling pages. Although the cutouts are easy to identify, the speed in which the pages turn ramps up significantly as time goes by. There’s little room for error or hesitation, so you’ll have to react quickly if you want to survive. The fact that four characters are scrambling to find an opening makes things even more hectic, as you can try to force your opponents out of position. The competition will continue until only one character remains, and the tension continues to build every time a page is turned. The best thing about Booksquirm is how accessible it is. The victory conditions are clear, the controls are easy to understand, and there aren’t any random elements that will unfairly benefit one player over another. The minigame was first seen in Mario Party 4, but it didn’t appear again until Mario Party: The Top 100. I’m not sure why it was slept on for fifteen years, but Booksquirm is now regarded as one of the best minigames in the series.

Slapparazzi is both a deconstruction and a celebration of celebrity culture, and the entire point of the game is to become to center of attention. In each round, Koopa Troopas will periodically emerge to take photographs. It’s your goal to become the focal point of each picture, but you’ll often have to throw your weight around since your rivals also desire the limelight. You’re encouraged to punch your opponents in order to move them out of the way, and it’s a safe bet that your violent acts will be reciprocated. I’m not sure why it’s so important for Mario and his friends to have their pictures taken, but I’m certainly not going to judge. Punching your friends in the face isn’t very nice, but there are worse ways to become famous. At least their not selling themselves on OnlyFans. Flash Forward had a similar premise, but Slapparazzi is more entertaining since it takes the time to show you the snapshots with each passing round. The action is frenetic and it’s not always clear who gained the upper-hand, so it’s nice to have photographic evidence of each confrontation. I don’t think anything in Mario Party has inspired bigger laughs than Slapparazzi pictures.