10. Mario Party Superstars
Mario Party: The Top 100 for the Nintendo 3DS was a disappointment, to say the least; having a bunch of minigames with no real purpose or feeling of accomplishment was not a great decision made by Nintendo in a console that was starting its way out of the market. Fortunately, in 2021, we got Mario Party Superstars; an HD collection of some of the best boards and minigames from the very first releases of the Mario Party franchise; do you wanna know one of the main advantages Superstars delivers? Well, unlike the previous installment Super Mario Party for the Nintendo Switch, Superstars doesn’t force you to play with motion controls, so this is great if you’re a Nintendo Switch Lite user!
9. Overcooked!
While Overcooked is not a Nintendo exclusive at all, we couldn’t just ignore one of the most popular multiplayer games of the last few years. Teamwork and communication are the best words I can find to describe this title and the fact that Overcooked! All You Can Eat is a great plus for those looking for the complete Overcooked! Experience whether you’re online or with your friends in the same room.
8. Super Bomberman R
The Super Bomberman IP can as well be considered a niche one ever since it doesn’t get very frequent releases; actually, Super Bomberman R was the first title in 20 years of waiting following Bomberman 5 from 1997. The game was a temporary console exclusive until it was made available to other platforms in 2018. Super Bomberman R got a free-to-play co-op version available in the Nintendo eShop without the need of having a Nintendo Switch Online paid membership.
7. Super Mario 3D World
Super Mario 3D World became in 2013 the first 3D Mario title to be able to be completed in its entirety with the company of your family and friends. If you’re in the mood for some dumb gameplay you can take your friends’ characters and throw them out of the stage in an act of rage; if on the other side, you want a serious session of video gaming, you can team up with the people surrounding you to complete the levels and get to the top of the flagpole. In the Nintendo Switch 2021 remake, you can even do that online, just make sure to have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership.
6. Wii Sports
Wii Sports was one of the biggest phenomenons of the late 2000s; one could say that could only be achieved by being included with 80% of every Wii ever sold, but that was just one of the reasons. Wii Sports became a global pop culture success thanks to its incredibly fun gameplay that benefited from the Wii’s then-innovative motion controls. While it got a sequel on the same system, there hasn’t been a new entry of any kind in over 10 years and a lot of Nintendo fans are hoping for it sometime soon.
5. Mario Party 6
During its first years, it wasn’t uncommon for Hudson Soft to frequently develop Mario Party games for the current Nintendo console, so it was in 2005 when the sixth installment in the franchise was released. A fan favorite, Mario Party 6 included over 80 minigames both new and remastered from previous entries and there was even an edition that included a unique peripheral for the Nintendo Gamecube that allowed players to make use of their voice in the same way they were able on the Nintendo DS games.
4. Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together!
Is not every day that your Adobe Flash prototype game gets picked and approved by Nintendo but this was the case for the guys at SBF Games who presented the project to the Big N and were given funding to fully develop the idea in 2015. Snipperclips is a very fun game when playing by yourself, but it gets amazing when you get the chance to share the experience with someone else. Even if you’re not very much into puzzle videogames, Snipperclips offers both a unique experience and a really good time to get with some friends as it makes great use of the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Cons.
3. Nintendo Land
The Wii U’s launch lineup might have been flawed, but there isn’t anything like a good old party game to serve as a companion to a recently launched Nintendo console. The specific case with Nintendo Land is that it accomplished what any other company could with the Wii U’s control system as it fully took advantage of the gamepad along with retro compatibility with Wiimotes and Nunchucks, giving all players a different experience while sharing the same game. It was and still is a favorite among Wii U owners and is constantly brought up to the table on the Wii U ports conversation.
2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
All right, I’m totally aware of how controversial this place might be; and I don’t blame you at all since that was my first impression when I first saw that take a few months ago on the internet where some guys were saying that Smash isn’t a fighting game but a party one. I kind of see their point, but let’s be real… It doesn’t really matter. The Super Smash Bros. franchise has been widely beloved as both a fighting and party game as it accomplishes the best of both worlds in its gameplay. While Smash Melee might be the favorite entry, the most complete version out there is definitely Super Smash Bros. Ultimate along with its DLC packs.
1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Selling over 50 million copies doesn’t come out of anywhere. Developed by Nintendo EAD, Mario Kart 8 was released for the Wii U in 2014 to both critical and (to Wii U standards) commercial success. During the forthcoming months, the game received a couple of updates as free and paid DLC that, along with some other nice additions, were included in the 2017 Nintendo Switch port of the game. Regardless of the entry, Mario Kart is an experience full of joy and entertainment which can only get better when you invite some friends to the scene; 8 Deluxe isn’t the best just because is the most successful out of the whole IP, but because it has made millions of people get together with the biggest selection of tracks, characters, vehicles, and even game modes.
