Despite being a wildly popular series, "Mario Party" went through a rather tumultuous period in the 2010s: beyond the lackluster handheld entries, "Mario Party 9" and "Mario Party 10" changed the gameplay drastically, much to the chagrin of the fanbase. The somewhat cooperative car gameplay was something many were not nearly as fond of, and all it did was hurt the reputation of the series even more, even if the sales were not too bad. 2018's "Super Mario Party" was the first entry in the series on the Nintendo Switch, and fortunately, it seemed to win back much of the fanbase that was turned off by the previous entries. And for good reason, because it's a solid game.
"Super Mario Party" removes the car and brings the gameplay back to the more competitive style that the series was known for prior to "Mario Party 9." The result is far more frantic gameplay that hearkens back to the best entries in the series (even if that means your friendships will be tested and possibly ruined). The overall gameplay is much better, with some very fun minigames that utilize the motion controls of the Joy-Cons very well, solid board concepts, and even a few nice new features like the Character Dice Blocks. There are also a number of brand new modes that are extremely enjoyable, too, like the River Survival Mode and Sound Stage. These modes aren't quite as deep as the main modes, but there's plenty to do and a lot of fun to be had. The visuals are extremely colorful as well, and I think a lot of the music in the game carries that catchy Nintendo charm to it.
There are a few flaws that hold the game back for me, though: for starters, the game could use a bit more content. Specifically, I'm talking about the number of boards here, because there are only four of those, and it would be nicer if there were more. Also, I wish the boards were longer: while the boards are designed well, and it can be fun to rack up stars on some of the maps, the lack of length to the maps can work as a detriment, and it makes me yearn for them to have more hazards and ideas.
Overall, though, "Super Mario Party" is a nice return to the classic formula of "Mario Party," and it's a pretty solid game on its own. It won't win the series any new fans, but if you're looking for some chaotic multiplayer fun on the Switch, this is a nice game to pick up.
Final rating: 7 out of 10 "Good"