Mario Party

So, this is where it all began way back in 1998. Mario and his friends engage a party styled competition on an interactive gaming board to move across spaces, collect coins, play mini-games, and ultimately obtain stars to determine who is best, depending on who collected the most stars. Toad would be your guide, while Bowser was an everpresent threat to steal your coins and spoil the fun.

I remember playing this game as a kid, but it was more fun to play with my friends than alone. Otherwise, it felt like the computer would cheat you by giving the CPU's unfair advantage, like getting maximum die-rolls or frequently winning during mini-games. Speaking of which, some games were downright painful to play, like "Tug o' War". You couldn't beat it without giving yourself a nasty blister on your palm.

Of course, the series became more fun and complex with future installments, so you'd be better off playing the sequels. Still, if you want to explore Mario Party's past, you can try this one out on the Nintendo Switch.