The 10 best Mario Party minigames of all time

Mario Party is at its best when the boards and minigames are fun and engaging. Although you need both to create a complete experience, the minigames take much of the spotlight. There have been hundreds of these end-of-the-round bouts to compete in since Mario Party series’ beginnings. Some of these bite-size games are definitely better than others, though. Here are the ten best minigames in Mario Party history.

Related: The 5 best Mario Party games of all time

What are the best Mario Party minigames?

Bowser’s Big Blast

Bowser’s Big Blast is all luck and no skill, but that is what makes it one of the most intense and nerve-wracking minigames in Mario Party history. All four players take turns choosing a switch to activate, with one of them always being the one to cause the big Bowser balloon to explode and eliminate you from the game. The tension that rises from waiting for confirmation if you chose the right or wrong switch is not found in many other video games.

Crazy Cutters

Crazy Cutters has all four combatants tracing the outline of a Mario enemy type, and the one who stays on the line best wins by freeing the trapped creature inside. We love the simplicity of Crazy Cutters and how there is a small level of skill to it. It’s an enjoyable game that does not take too long to get through but isn’t too short that you forget about it.

Jump, Man

In Mario Party 7 and Mario Party: The Top 100, this exciting single-player mini-game throws you into a thrilling race through the jungle against Donkey Kong. It’s a high-stakes dash to reach his tree house first, but don’t underestimate the challenge.

Face Lift

Face Lift is a lovely nod to Super Mario 64’s start screen. The game starts with a character’s face that gets stretched into a unique contortion. All players then have a time limit to copy that face contortion. Whoever gets closest wins. Besides the reference, we love the uniqueness of Face Lift minigame. Even the most dedicated players will have trouble getting the exact face form for the win. It demands all of your attention and a steady hand.

Monty’s Revenge

Monty’s Revenge is a fun reversal of Whack-a-Mole. A group of Monty Moles will run around the area looking to bop players with their hammers, stunning them for a few seconds. Players must choose a hole to pop their head out of and remain unhit for as long as possible. This game has a line of strategy that requires you to pick your moment to show your head when all the Montys are distracted, and your opponents are being pursued.

Eatsa Pizza

What could be more Italian than eating pizza? In Mario Party 3, Mario Party: The Top 100, and Mario Party Superstars, this mini-game amps up the competition with two teams going head-to-head. It’s all about fast fingers as players must unleash their button-mashing prowess. Devour half of the pizza faster than your rivals within a nail-biting 30-second timeframe to secure the win.

Slaparazzi

Slaparazzi is a minigame where all four players fight to be the center of attention. You are situated in an arena with paparazzi running up for your picture. Before the picture is taken, you need to hit others out of the way and position yourself in the center to get the most points. Slaparazzi minigame can feel like an all-out brawl and requires you to have the state of mind to choose when to strike your opponents.

Train in Pain

Train in Pain is a high-intensity Super Mario Party mini-game that pits teams of two against each other in a fast-paced 60-second showdown. Hop on a small train and strategize with your partner to knock your teammates off the train while also taking on your opponents. Utilize precise hits from behind or stunning direct blows to outsmart and defeat your rivals.

Snowball Summit

Snowball Summit has all four players on a mountaintop rolling up big snowballs to use to knock each other off. This is one of the minigames in Mario Party’s history that really require you to think ahead as you play. There are a lot of things to strategize yourself around. For starters, picking when to begin building your snowball will leave you open for an attack. Also, the larger your snowball gets, the slower you will move, but the farther you will send enemies you hit with it. There’s a definite game of cat and mouse at play here that makes Snowball Summit unique from other minigames.

Trace Race

Trace Race has all players holding a crayon that must follow a line to the end. While the game’s name is “Race,” you want to ensure you are as close to the line as possible along the track. Whoever had the highest percentage at the end wins. This is a fun take on a racing game that is simple to understand and just challenging enough to be fun every time you play it.