Seemingly out of nowhere, Nintendo have announced an update for Super Mario Party that finally provides what fans have been clamoring for since launch: online multiplayer.
Super Mario Party launched all the way back in October 2018, bringing the party action to Nintendo Switch. While generally regarded as a fun experience, it was lacking a full and robust online multiplayer despite launching just one month after becoming a paid online service. At the time, all players could do was play a select number of minigames online with friends or strangers, a strange and somewhat disappointing implementation of online features.
Super-charge the fun of Super Mario Party on Nintendo Switch with new online play options, available now via a free update. Enjoy Mario Party mode, Partner Party mode and dozens of minigames online!
Find out more: https://t.co/xtV23phRBA pic.twitter.com/Y4m6etnAk4
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) April 27, 2021
What fans had been hoping for was the ability to play the board game online, but that feature came and went. Clearly Nintendo felt there was a reason to go back to the game and implement this much-requested feature thanks to the game’s stellar sales performance that has seen the game shift almost 14 million units.
Now, Super Mario Party players can play any mode online with friends. Mario Party, Partner Party and Free Play (the minigames mode now expanded to all 70 minigames) will be available online, and all boards and characters will be available regardless of player progress. While you can’t play with random strangers, you can play both Friend Matches and Private Lobbies, which are password-protected. Up to four players can take part and up to two per system, but if one system is using two players, only one further console can connect.
It’s a surprising move from Nintendo to suddenly implement the feature, considering how long the game has been out, but is certainly a welcome move nonetheless. One thing that held this writer back from purchasing Super Mario Party at the time was a lack of this online multiplayer, and with a bit more time being needed before friends and family can meet up again in person, this could be a fun way to do something a bit different when you’re on your next Zoom call.
The Super Mario Party update version 1.1.0 is now available.