Mario Party Superstars has many minigames for players to enjoy, 100 of them to be exact. Many of the minigames are unique in their own way, despite them sharing the same overall type, like 2 vs. 2, Coin, Duel, and others. With all these minigames, some are bound to be great just as much as others can be… not so great. So which minigame falls where, five of you reading this may be asking? That’s what I’m here to help you figure out, with my own ranking of all of the Mario Party Superstars minigames.
Honestly, it was hard figuring out how to rank all of these, exactly. I thought about going by what took the most skill or what controlled the best, but even the most luck-based and simple-controlled minigames varied greatly in quality. So I settled on judging the minigames by whichever aspect suited judging them best. I’ll also avoid going in-depth on explaining how most of these minigames work because this is gonna be long enough as it is.
Rather than going through the ranking from worst to best, or best to worst, I’m gonna go about this using a method I may or may not have stolen from a YouTuber by the name of LS Mark (check him out, he makes great content about various forms of media): I’m gonna go in order of how all the minigames are shown in the Mt. Minigames mode, then say exactly where I’d place each minigame relative to the others. If it doesn’t make sense yet, you’ll see what I mean in a second. At the end of it all, I’ll present all the minigames in order from best to worst. I also wanna make it clear that this is my opinion. I’ll probably speak in a factual manner about most of these things but…yeah. Now, let’s get started.
Mushroom Mix-Up
Mushroom Mix-Up is a pretty solid minigame with a simple goal and even simpler controls. Maybe the controls are a bit too simple though, since it’s kinda easy to ground pound on accident. It honestly feels like the basis for how other minigames of its kind were made, which makes it pretty fitting that it’s the first one given to you to try out.
Bombs Away
Bombs Away is just a fun minigame. Rather than pitting the players against each other like Mushroom Mix-Up, this one pits the players against the game, where you have to know when to time your jumps and where to land and move to come out on top. For that, I’m putting it above Mushroom Mix-Up.
Shy Guy Says
Shy Guy Says is basically Simon Says… if the name didn’t give that away. It’s also very simple, so all that really stops you from winning here is your own screw-ups. And that really works for this game because you can’t even get mad at it. I’ll put it above Mushroom Mix-Up and below Bombs Away.
Crazy Cutters
It’s a fun little tracing game, but you’re gonna have to trace parts that you’ll be unable to see at times. While that alone wouldn’t make it that much of a problem, the RNG of having three different stages for this kinda game to be played on makes it more of an issue, especially if you end up getting . It’s not too bad a minigame, but right now, I’m gonna have to put it at the bottom, below Mushroom Mix-Up.
Tipsy Tourney
Tipsy Tourney is sorta physics-based, where you have to use your character to tilt the platform and move the shell over all the panels to unveil the image. Also simple and solid, but can be really annoying with how the shell works sometimes. While it’s accurate to how the minigame works, that doesn’t make it fun to do. I’m placing it at the bottom, below Crazy Cutters.
Dizzy Dancing
I hate to say this because I’m really good at this game, and I love it. But the gimmick of Dizzy Dancing, where your controls are reversed, doesn’t really do anything for it. The only real challenge in it is the other players ground-pounding or punching you to stop you from getting clefs, but the challenge would be no different if the controls were the same. I have to put it below Mushroom Mix-Up and above Crazy Cutters.
Bumper Balls
I think Bumper Balls is kinda good. While I felt the RNG of Crazy Cutters’ stages made how it played annoying, the different stages of this minigame actually add on to how this game controls for the better. I’m putting it below Shy Guy Says and above Mushroom Mix-Up.
Hot Rope Jump
Hot Rope Jump is sick, honestly. Nobody but yourself can get you burnt here…unless whoever you’re playing against slaps your controller out of your hand, but you can say that about all the minigames here, really. It’s also really exciting when it speeds up and changes pace out of nowhere. I’m putting it at the very top, above Bombs Away.
Tread Carefully
A fine little tank game. Those aren’t usually fun though, and this isn’t much of an exception since it’s easy to get focused by two people with no real way to escape, unlike Bumper Balls. It has simple controls going for it though, and it’s not too hard to get confused. Tread Carefully goes below Dizzy Dancing and above Crazy Cutters.
Bumper Balloon Cars
This may be the first minigame that honestly controls…like dirt. It’s still fun and involves some skill, but it’s too easy to screw up and move forward or backwards when you mean to turn, and vice versa. And it’s not very fun to lose from a decision you didn’t even intend on doing. Bumper Balloon Cars goes below Tread Carefully and above Crazy Cutters.
Sneak ‘n’ Snore
Two awfully controlling minigames back to back. While there is a bit of strategy involved in playing Sneak ‘n’ Snore, the controls make it difficult to implement, unless you travel at a painfully slow pace that’s anything other than ramming your control stick forward and back. There’s no time to react to the Chain Chomp waking up if you are going as fast as you can. I’m sure this was the intention, but it’s still bad control design. Sneak ‘n’ Snore goes at the very bottom, below Tipsy Tourney.
Mecha Marathon
Mecha Marathon is our first mashing game (good luck playing this with Master CPUs). It’s nothing more than seeing who can mash two buttons the most under a limited time, which is fine. But it’s a bit weird that it has to be the A and B button of the Joy-Cons. Would’ve been more comfortable if it was X and A instead. Besides that, it’s fine. I’m putting it below Mushroom Mix-Up and above Dizzy Dancing.
Slot-Car Derby
Our first racing minigame of the list, Slot-Car Derby is pretty fun honestly. Watching your speed while having to go as fast as you can to beat other racers is always an intense time. It’s also hilarious how getting lapped is a death sentence for you, which is inevitable if you’re going too slow since all the tracks are basically one super long lane. It was very tough deciding this but Slot-Car Derby goes below Shy Guy Says and above Bumper Balls.
Bowser’s Big Blast
This is the first minigame purely based on luck. What makes this game different is all the ways it instills fear and pressure, by giving you an extra button to choose from as well as the wait that comes from choosing. This is one of the luck-based ones that’s actually fun to win or lose. It’s gonna be very hard to rank these kinds of minigames, honestly, but I’ll try. Bowser’s Big Blast is going below Mushroom Mix-Up and above Mecha Marathon.
Roll Call
Roll Call is a simple counting minigame, made less simple by the gimmick that comes with some of the characters that you’ll be counting. Boos will often disappear and reappear, Bob-Ombs will literally blow up and take themselves from the equation, and Toads will blend in with the mushrooms on the field. It’s pretty alright. Roll Call goes below Mushroom Mix-Up and above Bowser’s Big Blast.
That’s the first row of minigames done, on to the second one.
Honeycomb Havoc
Ever played that game where you have to avoid saying 20 but have to count up one or two numbers from the last number the person before you said? That’s the entirety of this game, except you don’t immediately know the number you’re supposed to be avoiding. It’s a bit weird that you have to choose between one or two on a rotating block, but it goes too slow for that to really be an issue. Not much else to say about it, really. Honeycomb Havoc goes below Mecha Marathon and above Dizzy Dancing.
Snowball Summit
This game has both fun and skill involved in winning, and it’s so fun. The only thing that holds this game back is your invincibility lasting only as you’re getting up, rather than slightly after. Makes it very easy to just bully one person off the edge when you get the drop on them one time. Nonetheless, it’s still very fun. Snowball Summit goes below Bombs Away and above Shy Guy Says.
Ice-Rink Risk
Where do I begin with Ice-Rink Risk… the slippery physics from moving on ice, the near-random dropping of the Spinies, players being able to jump on you and hinder your movement, jumping doing next to nothing on its own… all of it makes for a near disaster of a minigame, honestly. Still more engaging than Tipsy Tourney though. Speaking of, this minigame goes below Crazy Cutters and above Tipsy Tourney.
Bounce ‘n’ Trounce
Like Snowball Summit, it has both the skill and fun factor in it. Timing when you do your huge jumps to get the drop on your opponent, while minding where the stage is gonna fall from below you, makes for a very exciting game. Bounce ‘n’ Trounce goes below Bombs Away and above Snowball Summit.
Storm Chasers
Storm Chasers can be a bit annoying due to having to deal with other players blocking you from the cloud, on top of Monty Moles knocking you over. Other than that, it’s an alright game, not too great and not too bad either. I’m placing it below Bowser’s Big Blast and above Mecha Marathon.
Mush Pit
Mush Pit is a combination of luck and skill, but the game is very much skewed towards being lucky. There’s also the fact that larger and taller characters benefit way more from having the mushroom. It’s not a bad minigame, but these things drag it down for me, especially the larger and taller characters benefiting more. I’m putting it below Tread Carefully and above Bumper Balloon Cars.
Cheep Cheep Chase
It’s another mashing minigame, with occasional timing thrown in. The main issue is that how close you have to be to the Cheep Cheep to lose is never clear. There’s also the fact that too many things can cause you to lose here, so there shouldn’t even be a finish line; it would function better as a survival kind of minigame. So yeah, this minigame isn’t the worst but it sucks. Cheep Cheep Chase is going below Ice-Rink Risk and above Tipsy Tourney.
Chip Shot Challenge
Our first sports minigame that isn’t a sports minigame (I’m so funny, I know). Really though, it’s just simple golf where you have to get your ball closest to the hole, but it’s also random in how it decides the order of people to hit the ball. And you do not want to be the first to do so. That brings it down a bit but it’s a pretty solid minigame. Chip Shot Challenge goes below Storm Chasers and above Mecha Marathon.
Rockin’ Raceway
As much as I suck at this minigame, I can’t hate on it. It’s super fun and takes skill to win. You can only screw yourself over if you don’t time your alternations property or speed up too fast. The only issue with it I can think of is that it’s not longer. Rockin’ Raceway goes below Snowball Summit and above Shy Guy Says.
Messy Memory
This is another minigame I suck at. But unlike Rockin’ Raceway, I can absolutely hate on it. Memory-based minigames are hard to be fun, and this one unfortunately fails. It’s also very easy to cheat off of other players, despite the game giving you an option to conceal your item placements. Messy Memory goes below Tipsy Tourney and above Sneak ‘n’ Snore.
Trace Race
It’s like Crazy Cutters, except you’re tracing over a line that bends and loops all the way to a finish line. However, it doesn’t have the same issue of having to trace over parts of the line that’s hidden to you, or at the least it’s not as apparent. Trace Race goes below Honeycomb Havoc and above Dizzy Dancing.
Booksquirm
Booksquirm is a minigame that, for whatever reason, I’ve been fated to forever lose in (seriously, whether it’s against CPUs or real people, I can never win at this game). But gosh, it’s fun and exciting. It really puts your attention skills to the test. It sucks a bit that you can potentially get pushed out of a spot, but you can push yourself back in so this isn’t really an issue. Booksquirm is going straight to the top, above Hot Rope Jump.
Paths of Peril
Paths of Peril is another racing minigame that tests your ability to balance yourself under pressure. There’s also a hidden strategy to this game that’s definitely gonna make you suffer in time if you’re unaware of it. But yeah, there’s not really anything wrong with it. Paths of Peril goes below Snowball Summit and above Rockin’ Raceway.
Dinger Derby
Another sports game but not really. Dinger Derby really screws with your timing and reaction ability, and that’s hilarious. That’s all there really is to say, it’s a pretty solid minigame. It’s going below Snowball Summit and above Paths of Peril.
Snowball Summit really became the gatekeeper of great minigames here, huh?
Leaf Leap
Leaf Leap is a pure test of your reactions and ability to handle mix-ups. So naturally, I suffer. But I can’t really complain about it. It feels like the controls of aiming your jump are too sensitive, so even when you correct yourself and not tilt the stick the other way when you’re trying to jump, you end up jumping anyway since you tilted your control stick that way. But you can probably see how that’d be difficult to prove. So with that, I have to say it’s a solid game. I’m placing it below Slot-Car Derby and above Bumper Balls.
Pushy Penguins
I absolutely love Pushy Penguins, and unlike the other games I love, this is one I’ve never lost in. It’s always a fun and chaotic experience to try to stay on the ice. And luckily, it doesn’t actually have slippery physics (imagine what kind of minigame we’d have if it did). If you lose at this, you can only blame the game and your not paying attention to the formation of the penguins…. This minigame is going below Booksquirm and above Hot Rope Jump.
Coney Island
Hmmmm… this minigame is something. It is, once again, one where bigger characters have an advantage by taking up more space. There’s also the fact that the ice cream scoops that fall aren’t plentiful, so players that aren’t quick to get a scoop will be sad for some time. There’s also the RNG of the scoops falling at random locations so someone could just get super lucky here. It’s also literally just standing and waiting most of the time. I could probably go on, but the point is this minigame isn’t very good. Coney Island goes below Ice-Rink Risk and above Cheep Cheep Chase. It has a very funny name though.
Bill Blasters
Simple in controls but a bit complex in gameplay, Bill Blasters is pretty alright. It’s a nice touch that you can use your cannon to block Bullet Bills from other players. However, it kinda sucks that after getting hit, you really can’t do anything for a good second or two afterwards, and you only have enough time to get one shot off before being vulnerable again, which can lead to easy frame traps. I’m putting Bill Blasters below Bowser’s Big Blast and above Storm Chasers.
Night-Light Fright
I’m not sure what to say about this minigame, honestly. It works the way it should with minimal to no problems, even with the randomness of the Chain Chomp’s movements. It all really depends on how you feel about it, and to me… it’s just an alright minigame. I’ll put Night-Light Fright below Storm Chasers and above Chip Shot Challenge.
Later Skater
Later Skater is a minigame where the slippery ice controls actually work. It’s also a racing minigame, very similar to Slot-Car Derby, but with more control required and more influence from other players. For that, I consider it to be better. I’m placing it below Dinger Derby and above Paths of Peril.
Catch You Letter
Catch You Letter is Coney Island’s much more fun and interesting brother. The letters aren’t scarce at all, and even when you do pick them up, that’s only half the battle; the other half is catching the Shy Guy to give it to him. The love letters are worth more points as well. It’s pretty great. I’m putting it below Hot Rope Jump and above Bombs Away.
Trap Ease Artist
Trap Ease Artist is another minigame I can’t say much about. It kinda sucks that the Goombas (the gold ones in particular) don’t have a set path they walk on, so they can immediately turn the opposite way as soon as they get under your trap’s shadow. Besides that, the minigame is pretty meh, I’m putting it below Bumper Balloon Cars and above Crazy Cutters.
What Goes Up…
Must come down, and I definitely come down when I play this, cause I suck at it. But much like Rockin’ Raceway, I can’t hate on this, especially because it’s probably one of the best controlling minigames so far. Might even be the best controlling one out of all of them with how responsive it is. There’s also the fact that when you fall you don’t just go all the way down like a rock, you can move your character as you’re falling, unlike Leaf Leap. What Goes Up… is being placed below Paths of Peril and above Rockin’ Raceway.
Snow Whirled
This minigame can be pretty fun to play, but I wouldn’t say it’s anything crazy. The fact that you absolutely have to alternate in an ABYX-formation takes it down a bit, because players not using Joy-Con controllers will absolutely suffer. That being said, Snow Whirled is going below Bill Blasters and above Storm Chasers.
Monty’s Revenge
Who doesn’t love whack-a-mole? Except the moles whack you… Oh, THAT’S why it’s called that! But yeah, it’s pretty fun and I don’t really have any problems with it. Monty’s Revenge goes below Snowball Summit and above Dinger Derby.
The Final Countdown
I feel like The Final Countdown is a better version of Mushroom Mix-Up…much better. Being able to punch and kick other players rather than having to ground pound to inconvenience them is a treat, especially since it’s not all delegated to the same button or circumstances. The Final Countdown goes below pushy Penguins and above Hot Rope Jump.
Pokey Pummel
It’s a mashing minigame. While it has the factor of being better to watch than the others because you can actually see how fast you’re mashing and the progress you’re making, in gameplay it’s really no different from usual mashing games. Pokey Pummel goes below Shy Guy Says and above Slot-Car Derby.
Manor of Escape
You know that Fall Guys game where you have to guess the right door-thing to break through and progress through the level? That’s essentially what this is. Frankly, I feel like that says more than enough. Manor of Escape goes below Coney Island and above Cheep Cheep Chase.
Goomba Spotting
Goomba Spotting is a downgrade to Roll Call in every possible way. As the name implies, there’s only Goombas you have to count. Secondly, and most importantly, you can’t change your number.. It makes sense that all you have to do is tap the A button, since the goombas are running by rather than staying on the screen, but it doesn’t make sense that players just… can’t change their count by taking away a click? Especially because accidentally pressing the A button at any point is so easy and can throw you off for the entirety of the minigame. Goomba Spotting goes below Dizzy Dancing and above Tread Carefully.
Flash Forward
I like to call this minigame “That’s Me!” Internet points go to anyone that gets the reference. But anyways, this is a pretty interesting and fun minigame. But as some of you that probably get that reference probably understand, the rules of the game are kinda unclear and inconsistent. It’s still fun though. Flash Forward goes below What Goes Up… and above Rockin’ Raceway.
Rapid River Race
Rapid River Race is a test of reaction speed and patience. I can’t really say anything bad about it, it’s such a fun minigame, and you can only blame yourself if you mess up, since there’d be very minimal errors from anyone not going too fast. Rapid River Race goes below Catch You Letter and above Bombs Away.
Face-Lift
Face-Lift is the first of the three Bowser minigames. Besides that though, it’s an okay little matching minigame. The only issue I have with it is that the specific points where you can malleate his face aren’t clear enough. Even if that wasn’t the case, it’s not a minigame I’d choose to play over many others. Because of that, it’s going below Tread Carefully and above Face-Lift.
Dark ‘n’ Crispy
This minigame definitely feels like it should be a Bowser minigame. I can understand how it’d probably be frustrating for Bowser to turn and suddenly barrel toward you in the darkness, but to me, that adds on to the fun. Dark ‘n’ Crispy goes below Monty’s Revenge and above Dinger Derby.
Pit Boss
Pit Boss not only feels like a Bowser minigame, but it also feels like a much better version of Ice-Rink Risk. You don’t have slippery movement, you actually know where the hazard is falling from at all times, and other players can’t be a hindrance since they can’t jump on you. It’s just better Ice-Rink Risk, not much more I can say. I’m placing it below Rapid River Race and above Bombs Away.
Piranha’s Pursuit
Piranha’s Pursuit is not only the 50th minigame (meaning we’re halfway done now), but it’s also the first of the 1 vs. 3 minigames to come. Sadly, they’re not off to a good start because this one is absolutely atrocious. Winning this minigame requires the solo side to heavily screw up, by both hitting an obstacle and not mashing fast enough. So unless the solo side is a CPU, you might as well put the controller down. This minigame is going at the very bottom, below Sneak ‘n’ Snore.
Tug o’ War
It’s a simple game of…exactly what the title of the minigame is. But that’s the point of this being a 1 vs. 3, exactly? It would work a lot better as a 2 vs. 2, maybe even better. I would assume the solo player is just as strong as the three players combined so… the only real gimmick here is it being a 1 vs. 3. Plus literally nobody pays attention to that warning that comes with it. So yeah… it’s not very good. Tug o’ War goes below Coney Island and above Manor of Escape.
Archer-ival
Another 1 vs. 3 skewered heavily in the favor of the solo side. The solo side already moves considerably faster than the team side, so why do we need obstacles on both sides blocking our movements? It’s especially dumb since we can already block each other. Archer-ival goes below Coney Island and above Tug o’ War.
Look Away
Our first 1 vs. 3 that’s actually very good and balanced. Look Away tasks the solo side with wiping the other players out once while the team side has to last five whole rounds. The only downside is that it’s the same music each time, unless you’re in the Practice Mode of the game, which makes it cool again. Look Away goes below Paths of Peril and above What Goes Up….
Tidal Toss
And now we’re back down to atrocity. Tidal Wave is such a slap in the face to the team side, it’s funny. The solo side has too many opportunities to ground pound and the team side can’t keep up. And the invincibility that’s given to you after getting hit with a wave does little to nothing for you since you can’t even jump right after it runs out. You know what you can do right after it runs out though? Get hit by another wave, obviously. Not to mention that the hitbox of the waves are deceptively big. Too many things make this minigame terrible to deal with for the team side. I’m putting it below Manor of Escape and above Cheep Cheep Chase.
Boulder Ball
And now we’re back up to greatness, the 3 vs. 1 games just cannot stay consistent. Not only is this balanced, by giving the team side ample opportunity to make it up, but it also gives the solo side advantages and strategies that can handle having to halt the progress of three people at once. On top of that, it’s pretty fun. Boulder Ball goes below Pit Boss and above Bombs Away.
Coconut Conk
Coconut Conk is pretty meh. It can feel pretty one-sided in the solo side’s favor, but if the team side reads the situation and acts accordingly (without ground pounding any of their teammates), it could be either side’s game, honestly. Besides that though, it’s an ok game. I’d place it below Bumper Balloon Cars and above Trap Ease Artist.
Spotlight Swim
For the first time we don’t have a 1 vs. 3 that’s skewed toward the solo side. Unfortunately, it is a minigame that’s skewed toward the team side. While diving has the potential to be a good mix-up, it’s usually pointless since you can’t move for a period after resurfacing from the water. It would’ve made more sense if you could act quicker, but not be able to dive for a bit. In its current state, Spotlight Swim goes below Tipsy Tourney and above Messy Memory.
Hide-and-Sneak
Hide-and-Sneak is a mixed bag. It sucks that the solo side only has three chances to find three people. Makes it very easy for the team side to get a win in the last round, if two players are still in the game. The same could be done for Look Away, to be fair, but at least in that game the solo side had more chances to take the team side out. Hide-and-Sneak goes below Goomba Spotting and above Tread Carefully.
GOOOOOOOAL!!
I’m tempted to put it at the bottom for being titled like this. In all seriousness though, it sucks being on the solo side in this one, but it’s way more winnable than the other unfair ones. Plus, despite it being a bit unfair, it’s still quite fun and I’d definitely choose to play it over many of the 3 vs. 1 minigames. Not typing that out again, it goes below Bowser’s Big Blast and above Bill Blasters.
Squared Away
This one is up there with Boulder Ball for being a balanced and fun minigame. Either side could have a blast honestly. Not much else to say, it’s very fun. Squared Away goes below Bounce n’ Trounce and above Snowball Summit. We have a new gatekeeper for great minigames. Snowball Summit served its purpose well.
Tube It or Lose It
This is another fun minigame, but slightly imbalanced in favor of the team side. They move just a bit too fast for the solo side to be able to outplay consistently. There is the fact that jumping in the air immobilizes you a bit, which grants an opening for the solo side. So it’s not all bad. And like I said, it’s still fun, so Tube It or Lose It is going below What Goes Up… and above Flash Forward.
Pogo-a-Go-Go
It’s not as bad to accurately type out as the soccer minigame, but…come on, Nintendo. What is as bad as another minigame though is how much this sucks for the single player. The team side has too much mobility that the slowness of the moving platform, even with the ability to turn it back and forth, can’t be of any danger to a competent player. It’s at least more fun than Spotlight Swim, but that’s not saying much. I’m putting Pogo-a-Go-Go below Bumper Balloon Cars and above Coconut Conk.
Tackle Takedown
Tackle Takedown is a 3 vs. 1 minigame that can be as epic as it can be anticlimactic. It’s a solid little football minigame that could go either way honestly. Nothing really wrong with it, except figuring out how to rank it. Tackle Takedown is going below the soccer one and above Bill Blasters.
Skewer Skurry
I want to say this game is good, because it has every right to be. But honestly, it’s so bad for the single player, especially on specific layouts of the map where you can just move an inch and be safe from most of the skewers. It pains me more than when I ranked Dizzy Dancing, but Skewer Skurry goes below Crazy Cutters and above Ice-Rink Risk.
Bobsled Run
We’re now out of the 3 vs. 1 territory and are now in the 2 vs. 2 territory, balance is no longer an issue from here on out. Anyways… Bobsled Run sucks. It’s an ice minigame that requires cooperation in steering, braking and acceleration. So that’s naturally disastrous. But what’s even worse is that when you fall off, it’s game over for you, literally, since the game stops you from playing altogether. But the other team gets to keep playing. With that, this minigames is going below Spotlight Swim and above Messy Memory.
Handcar Havoc
Handcar Havoc is a nice 2 vs. 2 that requires you to continuously accelerate while maintaining your balance on the railroad. The game says you need to slow down at curves but, really, the only thing you need to mind is shifting your weight properly. At the same time though, this also has the problem of stopping the first team that falls off from playing altogether. It’s an otherwise fun minigame though. Handcar Havoc goes below Night-Light Fright and above Chip Shot Challenge.
Dungeon Dash
This is a minigame that requires synchronization between you and your partner. At the same time though, there’s obstacles in the way that’ll stop you from progressing if you get hit by them. So I think it’s pretty good. Just wish there were more areas to go through, but that’s really it. Dungeon Dash goes below Pokey Pummel and above Slot-Car Derby.
Speed Hockey
Speed Hockey is simple and fun hockey that, as the name implies, gets speedy as time goes on. If you’re into both exciting gameplay and blaming your partner for your own misplays (which I am), then you’ll love this minigame. It’s going below Bombs Away and above Bounce ‘n’ Trounce.
Balloon Burst
We’ve gone over a number of minigames where you have to alternate between pressing two buttons. But alternating between holding two buttons instead makes for a whole different kind of minigame… and not the good kind. This one’s just boring. Balloon Burst is going below Cheep Cheep Chase and above Tipsy Tourney.
Cake Factory
Cake Factory is about timing when you grab the ingredients, as well as when you place them down if you’re trying to be quick about it. The only thing I can really say about it is that the game isn’t generous with the timing at all when the conveyor belt speeds up, which can be annoying. Even with that though, it’s an alright 2 vs. 2. I’m putting it below Night-Light Fright and above Handcar Havoc.
Sky Pilots
Remember how I said balance was no longer an issue? Yeah, I lied. Sky Pilots tasks the front players on both teams with too much responsibility while all the rear players need to do is flap the wings up and down. The minigame in itself isn’t a bad one, but that takes it down a bit for me. It’s being placed below Coney Island and above Archer-ival.
Etch ‘n’ Catch
Even though it can be a fun minigame, its issues make the fun difficult to come by. It controls slowly and badly, where you’ll often be turning in a direction you don’t wanna go. The win conditions are inconsistent, where you sometimes don’t need to draw a circle around the stamp but can draw the circle on top of it instead. Even when you do either of those things, it’ll sometimes not count and the stamp will get away. There’s also the fact that, despite their being a countdown timer, the game automatically stops when a team reaches a score of five. There’s a few more but I should move on. It’s just bad, Etch ‘n’ Catch goes below Tipsy Tourney and above Spotlight Swim.
Picking Panic
I can’t really say anything bad here. Picking Panic is definitely a minigame where both players put in equal effort. At the same time though, I personally do better on the cherry catching side. It’s cool that the game gives you a chance to catch the cherry at several different angles when the other player misses the optimal timing to throw them. Picking Panic is pretty fun, so I’m putting it below Flash Forward and above Rockin’ Raceway.
Eatsa Pizza
The name of this one reminds me of the Little Caesar’s pizza guy. So that alone should make it the best minigame. Really though, it plays perfectly fine for a mashing minigame. I guess the only bad thing I can think of is that it requires too much mashing, especially if you wanna get through the crust and pepperoni as efficiently as the rest of the pizza. But I can’t really say that with minigames like Cheep Cheep Chase and Mecha Marathon on here. Eatsa Pizza goes below Tread Carefully and above Face-Lift.
Dungeon Duos
I feel like no minigame exemplifies teamwork more than Dungeon Duos. It’s not only a great minigame, but probably the best out of all the 2 vs. 2 minigames on here. We do have a few more great ones to come though, but yeah, this one is amazing. For now, Dungeon Duos rightfully sits at number two, below Booksquirm and above Pushy Penguins.
That was the 75th minigame, only 25 more to go from here.
Revers-a-Bomb
I’ve been trying to be as unbiased as I could, but this is my absolute favorite minigame, and for good reason. The chaos and quick decision-making required to play this efficiently makes this a blast (pun not intended). It’s kinda unfortunate that you can’t go through your teammates or switch places with them, I feel like that’d make this an even greater minigame than it is. If it wasn’t for Dungeon Duos, this would be the best 2 vs. 2 minigame. Revers-a-Bomb is going below Pushy Penguins and above The Final Countdown.
Burnstile
If you couldn’t tell from my little rant on Tug o’ War, I don’t like the idea of team minigames that don’t have a purpose of being a team minigame. While Burnstile doesn’t suffer from that problem to the same extent, the issue is still there. And that sucks, because the minigame is quite fun gameplay-wise. Burnstile is going below Mushroom Mix-Up and above Roll Call.
Rocky Road
Rocky Road is pretty fun but nothing really that great. When one team gets ahead for whatever reason, it’s pretty much over for the other team since there’s no way they can get ahead, even if the team ahead doesn’t play that great. So that also bumps it down a bit. Rocky Road is going below Bowser’s Big Blast and above the soccer one.
Paint Misbehavin’
The best part of this minigame is the losing team being shot at when the winners are announced. Besides that though, it’s meh. There’s not many goombas so the minigame very quickly becomes a back and forth of shooting and recoloring the same few goombas over and over. There should’ve just been more of them. Paint Misbehavin’ goes below Skewer Skurry and above Ice-Rink Risk.
Ticktock Hop
We’re now done with the 2 vs. 2 minigames and are moving on to Duel minigames, which just pits two people against each other. We’re starting out strong here, as Ticktock Hop is arguably the best Duel minigame. Rather than just speeding up the hands, both of them move individually and can change directions. So yeah, it’s great honestly. Ticktock Hop goes below Flash Forward and above Picking Panic.
Vine with Me
And now we’ve fallen to what’s arguably the worst Duel Minigames. While it achieves its intended purpose being designed the way it is, that doesn’t make waiting for the right timing to jump from vine to vine on a bad cycle any more fun. There’s also the fact that jumping feels terrible, to the point that jumping on any cycle other than when the vines perfectly mirror each other is a gamble. Vine with Me is going below Sneak ‘n’ Snore and above Piranha’s Pursuit.
Motor Rooter
I’m not sure why the name is “Rooter” and not “Rotor”. Motor Rooter’s an alright minigame. It’d be really cool as a free-for-all though. The only issue is that the controls get confusing when you’re on the wall or on the top, but that plays into the point of the game well, and it’s more of an issue with me than the game itself. Motor Rooter goes below Bowser’s Big Blast and above Rocky Road.
Mass Meteor
If Vine with Me isn’t the worst Duel minigame, this one definitely is. The movement is way too floaty for it to be fun, and your character being stuck in a specific position makes navigating through the more narrow path of meteors a chore. Also, the hitboxes of the meteors aren’t very generous at times. Now that I’ve put that out there, I’m confident in saying this is the worst Duel minigame. Mass Meteor is going below Vine with Me and above Piranha Pursuit.
Spin Doctor
Spin Doctor is a close second for being the best Duel Minigame. What holds it back is that, for the most part, it’s a whole lot of waiting, especially when you take a wrong turn. This minigame is at its best when both players have never played it before or don’t know what they’re doing. Spin Doctor is going below Tackle Takedown and above Eatsa Pizza.
Hammer Drop
We’re now in the Coin minigames territory. There isn’t a distinct winner of these kinds of minigames in Mario Party mode, the goal is simply to collect coins which will transfer over into whatever game is going on. You might see a lot of these ranked lowly due to the inability to truly win or lose, but that isn’t to say they’re really bad. Rust me though, I’ll let you know if they are.
So how is Hammer Drop? It’s ok. It sucks that jumping on top of other players can just stop them from getting coins for most of the game, not to mention you can ground pound and achieve this same thing. But it’s alright. Hammer Drop is going below Paint Misbehavin’ and above Ice-Rink Risk.
Cast Aways
If I had to choose a least favorite minigame, this would probably be it. Everything here kinda just sucks, from the controls to how the game actually works. Winning in this doesn’t even feel good. Cast Aways is going below Sneak ‘n’ Snore and above Vine with Me.
Parasol Plummet
It’s more or less Hammer Drop, but you’re getting dropped along with the coins and hammers. This, while not as bad as Cast Aways, is still a pretty bad minigame. Everyone is too cluttered together, so a lot of the coins will be going to whoever is at the top. I know this is mitigated by making the parasol of whoever’s at the top close automatically, but with the presence of hammers, this is more of an annoyance than anything else, even when it is to stop players from hogging the top. Parasol Plummet is going below Messy Memory and above Sneak ‘n’ Snore.
X-Ray Payday
This is just a way to test your memorization skills and rewards you for it. The test is pretty easy and simple though, especially since all you wanna get is coins and bags. It’s an ok minigame at the end of the day though. X-Ray Payday is going below Skewer Skurry and above Paint Misbehavin’.
Quicksand Cache
This is a 1 vs. 3 coin minigame, so you probably know what that means. Time to complain about balance. Seriously though, this game is so easy to win for the solo side. There’s also the fact that the part of the sand where you won’t be able to make it back if you cross it is unclear. Quicksand Cache is going below Sneak ‘n’ Snore and above Cast Aways.
River Raiders
This one is also completely in favor of the solo side. They not only have first dibs on all the coins that slowly come by, but they also can deny the team side from receiving a large amount of coins by steering them away from the bags. Plus it’s just a slow moving river minigame so it’s even worse. Did I mention it’s slow yet? River Raiders is going below Mass Meteor and above Piranha’s Pursuit.
We’ve made it to 90 minigames. There’s only 10 more to go from here.
Money Belts
This one has the problem of both being in favor of the solo side and having no good reason to be a 3 vs. 1. And that sucks because the idea behind the minigame is actually super fun. It’s definitely the best coin minigame. Money Belts is going below Goomba Spotting and above Hide-and-Sneak.
Puddle Paddle
Puddle Paddle is the first of the three 2 vs. 2 coin minigames, and it’s boring. That’s all I can really say about it. Puddle Paddle goes below Vine with Me and above Mass Meteor.
Cashapult
There’s not a lot I can say about Cashapult either. It’s pretty simple and achieves its intended purpose. It sucks that you can only get 20 coins maximum, but that’s about it. Cashapult goes below Etch ‘n’ Catch and above Spotlight Swim.
Winner or Dinner
Winner or Dinner is an annoying minigame, due to the limited space everyone has on top of there being too many hazards to look out for. Also, out of all the team minigames that don’t have a point in being a team minigame, this one is definitely the worst offender of them all. At least everyone happily dies in the end. Winner or Dinner is going below Vine with Me and above Puddle Paddle.
Beach Volley Folly
This is the first of the Sports and Puzzles minigames. Why are Sports and Puzzles in the same category? I have no idea. Anyways, it’s just good old volleyball. Trying to hit the ball with a slide can be inconsistent, there should really be a separate command for it. But other than that, it’s a good minigame. Beach Volley Folly goes below Later Skater and above Beach Volley Folly.
Ice Hockey
My goodness, this minigame is about as terrible as I am at playing it. It’s hockey, so of course movement is gonna be slippery… really makes you wonder why they bothered adding “Ice” in the title. But what also brings this game down is how the timer is constantly going down, even between players scoring and positioning themselves back to the center. Why is that a thing anyway? Why can’t the game just automatically place us in the proper positions after a goal is scored, like the next minigame does? Ice Hockey goes at the bottom, below Piranha’s Pursuit.
Shell Soccer
Shell Soccer is 2 vs. 2 soccer with a shell, but the goal is made up of Goombas in a line that you have to kick the shell at. The problem with this minigame is that, with the way the goombas are lined up, it’s easy to hit multiple of them at once, maybe even all at once. The first time I figured this out was by knocking over four at the same time without even trying. It’s lame, but even with that, it’s a fine minigame. It’s going below Manor of Escape and above Tidal Toss.
Mario’s Puzzle Party
Now we’re in the puzzle part of the Sports and Puzzles minigames. And honestly, I hate this one, it’s a confusing sort of Tetris minigame. There’s a strat that the computers know and we don’t, so if you’re playing Mario Party mode with a CPU on anything above Normal and this minigame comes up, it’s another one that you can just put your controller down on. Mario Puzzle Party goes below Messy Memory and above Parasol Plummet.
Block Star
Block Star is also Tetris, but a whole lot more confusing. Rather than being given blocks to drop, you have to take the blocks that are already set and move them to the top to match with the same colored blocks… and I’m just gonna leave it at that, Block Star goes below Puddle Paddle and above Mass Meteor.
Stick and Spin
And now, here we are at the final minigame. Stick and Spin is actually pretty fun. The gimmick of the numbered balls are hard to understand at first, but once you do, it’s no problem at all. I really dig this one. Stick and Spin goes below Paths of Peril and above Look Away.
And there you have it, all Mario Party Superstars minigames ranked. Now, all that’s left is to give the numbered list from best to worst. It was very hard to find out where I’d put a lot of them, especially ones that differed in type and gameplay, but I did my best. What did you think? Were there any placements you agreed with? What about my reasoning? Where would you place the ones you disagree with instead, and why? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Now, here it is.
- Booksquirm
- Dungeon Duos
- Pushy Penguins
- Revers-a-Bomb
- The Final Countdown
- Hot Rope Jump
- Catch You Letter
- Rapid River Race
- Pit Boss
- Boulder Ball
- Bombs Away
- Speed Hockey
- Bounce ‘n’ Trounce
- Squared Away
- Snowball Summit
- Monty’s Revenge
- Dark ‘n’ Crispy
- Dinger Derby
- Later Skater
- Beach Volley Folly
- Paths of Peril
- Stick and Spin.
- Look Away
- What Goes Up…
- Tube It or Lose It
- Flash Forward
- Ticktock Clock
- Picking Panic
- Rockin’ Raceway
- Shy Guy Says
- Pokey Pummel
- Dungeon Dash
- Slot-Car Derby
- Leaf Leap
- Bumper Balls
- Mushroom Mix-Up
- Burnstile
- Roll Call
- Bowser’s Big Blast
- Motor Rooter
- Rocky Road
- GOOOOOOOAL!!
- Tackle Takedown
- Spin Doctor
- Eatsa Pizza
- Bill Blasters
- Snow Whirled
- Storm Chasers
- Night-Light Fright
- Cake Factory
- Handcar Havoc
- Chip Shot Challenge
- Mecha Marathon
- Honeycomb Havoc
- Trace Race
- Dizzy Dancing
- Goomba Spotting
- Money Belts
- Hide-and-Sneak
- Tread Carefully
- Eatsa Pizza
- Face-Lift
- Mush Pit
- Bumper Balloon Cars
- Pogo-a-Go-Go
- Coconut Conk
- Trap Ease Artist
- Crazy Cutters
- Skewer Skurry
- X-Ray Payday
- Paint Misbehavin’
- Hammer Drop
- Ice-Rink Risk
- Coney Island
- Archer-ival
- Tug o’ War
- Manor of Escape
- Shell Soccer
- Tidal Toss
- Cheep Cheep Chase
- Balloon Burst
- Tipsy Tourney
- Etch ‘n’ Catch
- Cashapult
- Spotlight Swim
- Bobsled Run
- Messy Memory
- Mario Puzzle Party
- Parasol Plummet
- Sneak ‘n’ Snore
- Quicksand Cache
- Cast Aways
- Vine with Me
- Winner or Dinner
- Puddle Paddle
- Block Star
- Mass Meteor
- River Raiders
- Piranha’s Pursuit
- Ice Hockey