Mario Party Superstars combines levels, characters, minigames, and items from previous Mario Party games to give players a revamped but familiar experience. There is a variety of returning features, and a few new ones, like online multiplayer capability and Mt. Minigame mode. While playing through the different game boards, players will be able to pick up or purchase a variety of items that will help them on their path to victory.
Items in Mario Party have traditionally helped players by either making their journey easier or hindering their opponents. Item spaces are green with a mushroom symbol on them, and landing on one will give players a random item. There are also stores around the game boards where players can purchase one of five available items, such as a Dash Mushroom or a Golden Pipe. The cost of the item usually depends on its rarity and the effect it has.
Each all-star item in Mario Party Superstars has a specific ability, like trading places with another player or moving the location of the star. Strategically using items on as many turns as possible may increase a player's chances of winning. Continuously using items can also be beneficial in the end, because it's possible that one of the bonus stars awarded is the item star. This bonus is given to the player who uses the most items throughout the game. Mario Party Superstars will feature 16 returning items:
- Dash Mushroom
- Cursed Dice Block
- Custom Dice Block
- Double Dice
- Triple Dice
- Warp Block
- Super Warp Block
- Plunder Chest
- Dueling Glove
- Boo Bell
- Chomp Call
- Golden Pipe
- Double Star Card
- Hidden Block Star
- Item Bag
- Skeleton Key
Mario Party Superstars - Items That Affect Dice Rolls
There are five items in Mario Party Superstars that can affect dice rolls. For example, the Dash Mushroom can add an additional five spaces to any roll, while the Cursed Dice Block will change the dice so players can only roll a one, two, or three. These two items can both be used to add some control to the roll if players need to land on or avoid certain spaces.
Using dice-altering items, players can get closer to the star or strategically choose the space they land on. The Custom Dice Block works especially well for landing on specific spaces because players can use it to choose any number between one and ten. Special spaces or event spaces can be purposely triggered by using the Custom Dice Block. The last two dice items are the Double Dice and Triple Dice, which will allow players to roll either two or three dice blocks in one turn. They don't affect the numbers on the blocks, but rolling more dice will let players reach more distant areas of a game board.
Mario Party Superstars - Items That Affect Other Players
Some items in Mario Party Superstars will affect or attack other players. These items are ideal for offensive playstyles. The Warp Block and Super Warp Block both allow characters to trade spaces with someone else, but the regular one is random and the super version lets the user choose which opponent to swap with. This can come in handy if a rival is near a star or an area of interest, but there is always a slight risk when using the randomized Warp Block.
Other items, like the Boo Bell, directly attack other players. Boo Bells can be used for a fee to send a Boo after someone else. It will steal either coins or stars from an opponent depending on the fee paid and what the rival has available to take. The Dueling Glove also has the potential to steal coins from a rival, but players will have to wager their own coins as well. Once the item is used and the opponent is chosen, players will compete in one of Mario Party Superstar's one-on-one minigames to determine who gets the wagered coins. The last offense item is the Plunder Chest, which will swap items between players. If someone is holding a valuable item, the Plunder Chest can be used to trade it for one of lesser quality.
Mario Party Superstars - Items That Affect Stars
Mario Party Superstars also includes three items that can alter or award stars to players. The Chomp Call will summon a Chain Chomp that takes the star to a new location, effectively stealing it away from another player and possibly bringing it closer. However, the item user has no control over where the star will end up.
Alternatively, players can use the Golden Pipe to bring their character to the star instead of changing the star's location. They will still need to purchase it, but the Golden Pipe essentially guarantees a star as long as players have enough coins, which are earned from Mario Party Superstars' minigames. The last item that affects the star is the Double Star Card. This item doesn't need to be used. Instead, players simply need to be holding the item when they purchase a star and they will receive two rather than one.
Mario Party Superstars - Miscellaneous Items
There are three additional items in Mario Party Superstars that don't fit into a specific category. The first is the Skeleton Key, which is used to open gates on the game's boards. The other two help the player without hurting any rivals. The Hidden Block Card makes a hidden block appear, and players will receive either coins or one of Mario Party's stars from it. The prize is determined by a spinning wheel that has a small chance to land on a star.
Finally, the Item Bag can be used to give the player three random items at once. Characters can only hold three, so using the Item Bag with one or two items already in the inventory will fill in the empty spaces and keep any remaining items in the bag to be collected later. Additionally, the items inside will be different from the ones available in the stores, and they can be all the same or a mix of different ones.
Mario Party Superstars combines some of the best Mario Party games to give players a unique experience. Every item in the game has been featured in one or more previous games in the series, but not altogether in a single title. There's an even balance of each type of item, and players will have the chance to use a variety of each kind while playing on any of the five game boards. Whether playing locally, online, or with AI characters, items keep the game interesting and give players an edge in Mario Party Superstars.
Mario Party Superstars will release on October 29th, 2021 for Nintendo Switch.