Mario Party 10

Mario Party 10 is a version of the famous board-game-style party series tailored directly for the second screen. The base game continues with the concept where all players ride together on a single vehicle along the board and take turns rolling the dice — a solution that sped up the pace and cut out waiting, but also took away some of the strategy that the older installments had. Between spaces you play dozens of minigames ranging from reflex-based to rhythm-based to ones that make use of the touchscreen or the controller's tilt, and their quality this time is unusually consistent. The boards are divided thematically by setting, each with its own obstacles and its own boss battle at the end, so matches have a clear dramatic arc and don't end on a random star draw.

The true star of the package is Bowser Party mode. Four players with Wii Remotes sit in front of the TV trying to reach the finish line, while a fifth player with the GamePad plays as Bowser, sees their own view, and tries to strip the others of their hearts one by one. This creates an asymmetric cat-and-mouse game, where one side is glued to the TV and the other smirks slyly into the controller — exactly the kind of fun Wii U was supposed to be built around. There's also an amiibo Party mode added, which uses the figures like pieces on a classic board, plus a set of solid side activities.

Technically, the game is bright, colorful, and clean, with polished animations and a soundtrack that unapologetically pushes a circus-like mood. Critics received the title with mixed feelings: they praised Bowser Party and the quality of the individual minigames, but repeatedly pointed out that the shared vehicle and the reduced emphasis on stars and coins pushed the series further from its board-game roots. For families and get-togethers, though, the game still works reliably today, mainly thanks to the mode that can't be replicated anywhere else. Anyone looking for a reason to pull the Wii U out of the cabinet for a family gathering will find it right here — and the role of Bowser is, moreover, the ideal job for the most experienced player in the room.