Mario Party Superstars
Rush into the usual hustle of the Mario Party games, and choose between some of Nintendo's all-stars with no practical differences... except, for some reason, you think picking Yoshi makes you win more. Then, choose between one of five classic multicolored gauntlets taken from the first three games, to run around in literal circles collecting Coins and Stars at the speed of plate tectonics, and deciphering the special gimmicks of each stage, that will either give you untold riches or totally ruin any chance you have of winning, often both in the same game, as you're pushed off the map, have the Star moved from right in front of you, take out a second mortgage as you land on the 14th Bowser Space, or just have your Star stolen right out of your hands by someone you nominally like, all in between playing minigames for money like that's something people actually enjoy. Then push through as this hellish cycle repeats over and over again, until you finally get to the end of your rounds and everything is tallied up, only for you to lose because someone failed upwards for stepping on the most red squares or something, in a system that feels like running a triathlon just to play Russian roulette, but with five bullets, that, despite all these years of playing, will never numb the rage you feel at being made a fool by the uncaring whims of this game. And yes, I know that you can take Bonus Stars off, but is that really worth getting roasted by your friends for the rest of your life?
My top 3 key highlights in Mario Party Superstars are...
"I was about to reach the finish line in Spin Doctor until someone beats me at the last millisecond!"
"In the 2nd turn in Peach's Birthday Cake, my brother got his FIRST lucky star (before anyone else) thanks to an unexpected hidden block."
"As turns went on after getting a star, they're prone to landing on a Bowser Space for instant karma!"
"I was about to reach the finish line in Spin Doctor until someone beats me at the last millisecond!"
"In the 2nd turn in Peach's Birthday Cake, my brother got his FIRST lucky star (before anyone else) thanks to an unexpected hidden block."
"As turns went on after getting a star, they're prone to landing on a Bowser Space for instant karma!"