If party-gaming is what you crave, Nintendo consoles have always been the best bet. The Wii captured the public imagination thanks to its party-gaming capabilities and, if anything, the Switch (at least on paper) has even better party-gaming credentials, thanks to its added portability.

Surprisingly innovative; Board game element more fiendish than ever; Excellent mix of co-operation and competitive play; Makes good use of Switch's unique attributes

Lacks structure when viewed purely as a game; Should include more Mario Party boards; Online play requires Nintendo Online subscription; Joy Con only

The Nintendo Switch in the last year and a bit has become the home for a lot of successful ideas and concepts, and at first glance one would think Super Mario Party is the perfect fit for the hybrid console.

With its motion-sensing Joy-Con controllers and hybrid portable/fixed-console nature, Nintendo's Switch might just be the best party-gaming device ever devised. So it makes perfectly good sense that the Japanese company would bring Mario Party , its long-running party-game franchise to the Switch.

Recent Mario Party games have previously had a somewhat sterile feel to them, but with Super Mario Party that simply isn't the case. This isn't a cash-grab with Mario's face on the front; this is a well-constructed and beautifully realised Mario Party game which takes the series right back to its...

The Switch has been home to games that have marked a return to form for their series after divisive entries.

Super Mario Party is the best Mario Party game we've had in the past decade, maybe ever. It'd be nice to have extra boards but what is there is going to be a ton of fun. To this day, no franchise brings together casual and expert gamers as well as Mario Party.

Great Boards; Accessible; Fun Minigames

Few Boards; Singleplayer Still Feels Boring

Ship fast, great Nintendo game

Additions to the classic formula; New and engaging modes

Lack of extensive online play; Tags

Super Mario Party is yet another brilliant addition to the Switch’s burgeoning game library. There’s something for everyone in the 80-strong minigame offering, and while we’re yet to test it out, the addition of online play means you don’t need a roomful of guests to party with the plumber and co. The games themselves are basic, but that’s the point, and I’d wager that a Mario Party board game has Monopoly beaten any day of the week. Add to the generous helping of content that clever Toad’s Rec Room mode, and this is the strongest Mario Party package in some time. My advice? Play as Waluigi. He has the best running animation, and you won’t find a cockier champion in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Minigames as fun as ever ; River Survival is a fun way to play; Toad’s Rec Room is brilliant; Online Mariothon;

A few boring minigames; You need two copies of the game to play Toad’s Rec Room; Mario high-fiving Bowser? It’s just wrong;

Minigames as fun as ever ; River Survival is a fun way to play; Toad’s Rec Room is brilliant; Online Mariothon;

A few boring minigames; You need two copies of the game to play Toad’s Rec Room; Mario high-fiving Bowser? It’s just wrong;