[Sneak Peek] Mario Party 10

Mario Party 10, like the Mario Partys before it, is a board game simulator. Players use characters from the Mario universe as game pieces on complex, interactive boards. Let’s take a look at what we know so far about Mario Party 10, which comes out for Nintendo Wii U on March 20.

The goal of each Mario Party game is to get the most stars, which you can do by collecting coins, winning minigames, and more. Mario Party 10 is the first Mario Party game available for the Wii U, and it brings a couple big changes to the table.

Bowser crashes the party.

First, the player using the GamePad will get to play as the evil Bowser, a character usually reserved for the computer. Instead of competing alongside the other players, Bowser will be everyone’s enemy, and his mission is to bring chaos and disorder to the board. I’m thinking that this might be the perfect opportunity for a parent or older relative to step into the game. Or, pass the GamePad to the kids and let them have fun being in charge for once.

The other big change is the game’s use of amiibo figures. If your family loves Nintendo, you probably already know that amiibo are smart toys which can store game data. Nintendo is releasing a new line of special Super Mario amiibo which will unlock bonus Mario Party 10 game boards. Many of the older amiibo will also unlock game boards. Check out Nintendo’s official compatibility chart for details. Unfortunately, if you want to use an amiibo you already own, you’ll have to erase any pre-existing data stored on your toy. I know. Ouch.

This is the new line of Super Mario amiibo. Note the red base.

If Mario Party 10 is anything like its predecessors, it will probably be a lot of fun. Mario Party is a great pick for family game night, since it ends on its own after a set number of turns. Plus, its wide variety of boards, characters, and minigames will probably keep things exciting for many hours of play.