I hope you're sitting down for this, because this month Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers are getting not one, but two Nintendo 64 games! That's the good news. The bad news is that the two games are Mario Party 1 and 2. That's right, we're getting the first two Mario Party games, which were released back in 1999 and 2000. That's cool and all, but are either of these games worth playing in 2022? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Incite Video Gaming, GamePro and more classic magazines to see what critics said back when Mario Party 1 and 2 first came out. Grab a few friends and get your dice-throwing hand ready, because this is another star-stealing episode of the Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


Although Nintendo is best known for making video games, the company has always had a soft-spot for board games. You saw this when they not only released Anticipation on the Nintendo Entertainment System, but then later compared Super Mario Bros. 3's overworld as a board game. Their most obvious shot at the classic board game came in 1999, when they released Mario Party, a game that improved on the board and die formula by adding four-player minigames and all of your favorite stars from the Mushroom Kingdom. And it worked, spawning ten sequels, four spin-offs and even a couple compilation games. For nearly a decade, Mario Party was Nintendo's go-to annual series.

Critics largely enjoyed this debut installment, though a lot of the franchise's long-term problems were apparent in the early reviews. That said, Electronic Gaming Monthly's Dan starts his review by proclaiming to be a “self-confessed geek,” then goes on to explain that he feels “secure saying a four-player Mario Part can be more fun than a night out in Chicago.” He goes on the praise the simplicity, though notes that “you may get bored playing the same games over and over.” John also liked the game, explaining that “Mario Party is an extremely well-designed party game that packs hours upon hours of alarmingly fun gameplay in its more than 50 minigames. There's just one catch: You'd better have friends. As a one-player game, it's fun, but playing against the often-predictable CPU opposition gets stale quickly.”

Over in the UK, Computer + Video Games magazine wasn't nearly as kind as EGM. In fact, with a score of 3 out of 5, CVG gave Mario Party the lowest marks. Ed argued that “the only way to play Mario Party is with three other people when you've set aside a few hours, just as you would a real board game. It's good fun for a while, as the stealing-coins and stars action can get quite competitive, and trying out the minigames is a laugh. You're not likely to want to play too often (which means that renting would be a better idea than buying), but like all party games, it's a nice thing to have in case of a rainy day.”

Back in the U.S., Nintendo Power was stuck in the middle, giving the game a so-so 7.9 out of 10. The highest score I could find came from GamePro, which ended up giving it a perfect 5 out of 5 when they reviewed it in issue 127. “This is a nicely crafted multiplayer game that's great for people of all ages and skill levels. Even the single-player mode is fun, but the party really starts when the players interact with each other while competing in this hilarious game.” Yup, they definitely know their audience. With scores all over the place, you should download Mario Party for yourself and see if it still holds up. Just make sure to invite some friends and have a few hours to spare.

Released only eleven months after the first game, Mario Party 2 is ... well ... more Mario Party. Not to be dismissive or anything, but Mario Party 2 is the first of a long line of (mostly) annual sequels that added just enough to warrant a purchase. In this case, we get more elaborate boards, 65 different minigames and a number of tweaks that came from watching how people played the original game. That's all well and good, but is it enough to warrant a full-on sequel? Let's see what the critics said.

While Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it a slightly lower score, they were still largely on board with the franchise. Shawn starts his review by raving that “party games like Mario Party 2 are the best. It makes kicking back with a group of your favorite chums for a night of tainted beverages and gut-splitting laughs all the easier. Sure, the game is a little childish and silly in spots, but it'll entertain you again and again.” Crispin also liked it, though wasn't sure if this sequel was worth grabbing if you've played the original to death: “Too many of the minigames here feel like refurbished versions of the old ones, and you'll find few enhancements to the rules. Still, only the most jaded Mario-bashers among you would snub this expertly-crafted multiplayer experience.”

You saw similar scores coming out of Die Hard Game Fan, who may have been a bit disappointed, but still gave it an average of 84%. Nintendo Power gave it an 8 out of 10, which is just slightly higher than what they gave the first game. And then there's Incite Video Gaming, which liked the “large, colorful themed boards filled with off-the-wall, challenging minigames,” but knocked off points for the “old-fashioned turn-based board game waiting time” and for being “not very much fun when playing alone.” That said, they did rank it higher than not only the original, but also Mario Kart, Chef's Luv Shack and ... Monopoly? Okay, Incite.

Now, in case you're wondering, yes, GamePro once again gave a Mario Party game the highest score, though it's down a bit from the original. They argued that “Mario's second big Party came a little faster than most fans probably expected, but that's okay – in this case, too much of a good thing isn't bad at all. Mario Party 2 makes a great (if somewhat familiar) four-player fiesta.” On the other hand, Next Generation gave the game the lowest score, with a 3 out of 5. They largely say the same thing as everybody else, explaining that “the game has one major drawback – with fewer than four players, it loses much of its luster. With just one player, running around collecting stars and coins to beat three CPU opponents is about as fun as a single-player game of Monopoly.” It would take another sequel or two before the critics started to turn on the Mario Party franchise, so, for the most part, everybody gave the thumbs up to Mario Party 2. And now, thanks to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, you can compare the two games side by side. Y'know, if that's your thing.