Nearly three years after Super Mario Party first hit shelves, Nintendo has given folks a reason to return to the board game-shaped land of betrayal with the announcement of a free update that expands improves the game’s online multiplayer experience. Best of all, Mario fans won’t have to wait any longer to get playing with their pals online — expanded online multiplayer hits Super Mario Party today.
Prior to the update, online play in Super Mario Party consisted of “Mariothon,” a game mode that allows players to enjoy a small sample of the game’s popular mini-games in a very simplified way. As of today, however, both “Mario Party” and “Partner Party” modes can be played online, allowing up to four players to enjoy the traditional Mario Party experience in either a free-for-all battle or 2 vs. 2 pairings. For those unfamiliar with Mario Party, the popular Nintendo party game is essentially a board game. At the start of each turn, players roll their dice, move their respective Mario character, and engage in goofy mini-game battles and plenty of trash talk while trying to catch the most stars.
In order to take advantage of the free update and get playing online, Switch owners must own a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Once connected, you can download the free update and get started in either a friend match — which is open for all friends — or private, password-protected game.