Mario Party Superstarsis in a difficult situation that is only getting more complicated as time goes on. WhileMario Party Superstarslaunched with a lot of potential, in the years since its release it has not done much to expand on its initial promise. The game is now at a crossroads, where it could either continue to grow, or fade into the background in anticipation of the nextMario Partytaking the stage. The future ofMario Party Superstarsis something that should be addressed, because there doesn’t seem to be a clear answer at the moment.
It’s clear thatMario Party Superstarswas made for fans, and its nostalgic aim was established early in marketing. The game was promoted as having some of the best boards and mini-games from the series' history, and it largely delivered on that promise.Mario Party Superstarsfeatures a selection of iconic boards from the Nintendo 64Mario Partytrilogy, as well as games from all across the series. It does the job of paying tribute toMario Party’s history better thanMario Party: The Top 100did. Much likeMario Kart’s retro tracks, all the throwbacks makeMario Party Superstarsworth the attention. However, what comes next for the game is unclear.
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Mario Party Superstars Might Not Have Time For DLC
One common topic in recent years has been the idea ofMario Party Superstarsgetting DLC. It’s not difficult to imagine what sorts of DLC the game could receive, because its mission statement is already clear.Mario Party SuperstarsDLC could include more classic boards, potentially including those from games after the Nintendo 64 trilogy. Fan-favorite mini-games that were not a part ofSuperstars' library at launch would also be an idea ripe for possibilities. Considering that bringing back the best ofMario Party’s past was essentiallyMario Party Superstars' mission statement in the first place, the DLC possibilities essentially write themselves.
How much of theMario Partyseries has yet to be showcased is a strong argument in favor of the recurringrumors ofMario Party Superstarsreceiving DLC. With no boards beyondMario Party 3in the game,Superstarsis missing out on some incredibly fun maps from later games. Examples includeMario Party 6’s high-rolling Faire Square andMario Party 8’s linear race Goomba’s Booty Boardwalk. Cutting off the board selection before the Gamecube era introduced some truly wild options is a waste of potential, andMario Party SuperstarsDLC could easily remedy that oversight with some memorable boards from the series' later entries.
The main obstacle forMario Party Superstars' potential future DLC is its age.Mario Party Superstarswas released in 2021, and has not seen any significant content expansions since it came out despiteMario Party Superstarsbeing perfect for DLC. For that reason, Nintendo may end up waiting for the nextMario Partygame to be released rather than develop DLC forSuperstarsafter so long. It’s not particularly common for games to suddenly have a wave of DLC come out years after their original release. Even thoughMario Party Superstarsstill has plenty of boards and mini-games it could feature, it may simply be too late.
There’s not an easy solution to the situation thatMario Party Superstarsis currently in. On one hand, it would do a much better job of representing the series' history by having morepotentialMario PartySuperstarsDLCat its disposal. However, the game’s age is working against it, and there’s no telling when the nextMario Partywill be coming out. Even so, the nextMario Partymay not have a place for retro boards and mini-games the waySuperstarsdoes. Due to unfortunate timing,Mario Party Superstars' future regarding potential updates and expansions is a mystery.
Mario Party Superstarsis available now for the Nintendo Switch.
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