Eyes bleed minigames.

Mario party was actually a huge part of my early 20’s. It lead to late night gatherings, fast food runs, alcohol shenanigans, and also a reason to scream or shout at the opposing team or players when losing stars. So Nintendo decided to remind people that out of the plethora of Mario Party games, there were a ton of mini-game hits and a lot of duds. Does this collection of mini-games come off more than just a trip down memory lane? Not really.

It’s Mario minus the Party

This is a Mario Party game stripped of the other half that makes it a party, the boards. There is no normal conventional board, and what a shame. Only a sly imitation that pretends to offer a similar experience, but it’s not the same, not as elaborate, and just feels like something they felt needed to be added. There is a mini game island to play through to unlock the majority of the mini games. Playing solo the game loses its appeal quicker that any Mario Party game before it.

MSRP: $39.99
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
Multiplayer: Download play
How long to beat: 10+ hours

I’ve had my fair share of playing Mario Party games with AI, and while they have never really been a solo experience, I’ve been able to get some hours out of the game to offer myself something to do when friends were not around to play. The Top 100 can barely hold my interest. It’s great to see the various mini games that had me laughing, crying, and in stitches all these years, but I feel this would have been best if it was a Mario Party greatest hits to include various board games, even if just a handful from across the various iterations. It would surely offer more that we got here.

The Party is over

So it’s not all doom and gloom for the title. While it doesn’t really provide a lengthy experience or one that should be played alone, what it does offer is a ton of fun still. The caveat for this is that player will need friends, preferably 3 others and all with 3DS’s themselves. Using one game, download play allows everyone to partake in the mini game mayhem, and there are shining moments that in essence capture that same feeling the original games gave, fleeting as they may be.

Mario Party Top 100 is a great look back on the history of mini games from the franchise, and I can’t fault it for that. It really brought back a lot of great memories and I appreciate that. Those that never played the games prior can have an interesting look at some of the more fun and insane mini games Nintendo has concocted over the years, but it’s a really obscure view of what made the Mario Party games fun overall. Even though the mini games were a blast, the other half is missing, and it’s just not a party without them.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.