Mario Party 5 is often overlooked as an entry in the Mario Party franchise. The new capsule system received mixed responses when compared to the previous item systems, the individual minigames were again hit or miss with players (for some reason, as I thought they were fun), and the story mode was condensed into rapid pace duels, unlike the previous story modes where each map could be experienced in full. However, this was my first ever Mario Party, and I had fond memories playing this game. I had more fun with this entry than many of the others, and for me, it is second only to Mario Party 6. “What is so great about it that others may not be seeing, then?” you may ask. Well, let me share with you the Top 5 Best Aspects of Mario Party 5!
5) Donkey Kong is the new Anti Bowser!
It’s about time we got a countermeasure against Bowser! While this means that he’s no longer playable, Donkey Kong makes up for that by being a great help to players in Party Mode and Story Mode! By landing on the new DK space, he can initiate one of three events: DK Roulette, a chance to win a star by winning a dice roll, DK Bonus, a gift of coins (usually ranging from 3 to 30), and the all-new DK Minigame, a chance to play a banana collecting game and trade the collected bananas for coins. In Story Mode, DK will give you 10 coins or cut a Koopa Kid’s coin count in half depending who lands on his space. He can also disrupt Bowser from causing havoc if you land on a Bowser space. In previous Mario Party games, Donkey Kong boasted that he could take Bowser on by himself, and here, he proves that he indeed CAN stand up against the dreaded Koopa King.
4) Beach Volleyball has been remastered.
For anyone who remembers Beach Volley Folley from Mario Party 4, this mini-game should look familiar. While not every playable character returns (no Koopa, Shy Guy, DK, or Bowser), there are new twists to the gameplay itself that make up for it. Classic Volleyball returns, but two new modes of play have been added: Bob-omb Volleyball and Dice Volleyball. Bob-omb Volleyball requires your team to score a point under 10 hits or else the ball explodes and gives the point to the other team, opening up for some fast paced volleyball action. Dice Volleyball, on the other hand, has you playing volleyball with a 1-6 Dice Block; if you win the round, you get as many points as you’ve rolled. You can set the target score at 10, 15, or 20 points. I personally recommend a 20-point game if you’re playing Dice Volleyball.
3) The Star Spirits add charm to the game as the hosts.
Having the Star Spirits return to host this entry of Mario Party was a great idea. Anyone who has experienced Paper Mario 64 will recognize them immediately. The game is set in the Dream Depot, the realm where dreams are made and each Party board map is based on a type of dream. By using some imagination, it’s not hard to visualize the Dream Depot as a subsection of Star Haven, and with that in mind, it gives a bit more whimsy and fantasy into the perspective when playing the game. Each of the Star Spirits have a role to play. Klevar is the main greeter and helps on some of the Event Spaces, Eldstar hosts the Party Mode, Misstar is in charge of Story Mode, Mamar watches over the Bonus Mode, and Kalmar keeps tabs on Options Mode. Where does that leave Skolar and Muskular? Well, they each get one of the two best modes in all of Mario Party 5!
2) Super Duel Mode is fun and fantastic!
Skolar hosts the Super Duel Mode, a brand new game mode that has never been matched in its creativity and ingenuity in all of Mario Party history! Players earn points by playing minigames, and they can spend points on vehicle customization parts. 4-Player points can be spent on vehicle bodies, 1-vs-3 points are for tires, 2-vs-2 points are for engines, and Battle points are for weapons. From there, all purchased parts can be used to create a customized battle vehicle. There are different stats to consider when building: Speed, Acceleration, Control, Weapon Strength, and Vitality. Is your vehicle a speedy hit-and-run style machine, or is it a tank that can dish out damage as well as it can take it? Vehicles can be registered in one of the three D1 Tournaments: Battle (deplete your opponent’s HP to win), Flag (collect three flags first to win), and Robo-Rabbit (wipe out three robotic rabbits first to win). Each mode requires a different focus of certain stats, but you can edit your vehicle at any time to fit your needs.
1) The Minigame Modes are the best they’ve ever been in the series!
Say what you will about the minigames. The best part about them is how they’re utilized within the minigame modes! Muskular hosts each subsection of Minigame Mode, and, if you ask me, he has the best job in the game! The standard Free Play and Mini-Game Battle return from previous entries, but where this mode shines is with the other competitions. Minigame Tournament has players compete in Duel Minigames; winners proceed to a championship match for 1st while challengers play a consolation match for 3rd. This set the stage for future entries to continue making variations to the 1-on-1 competitions. Another staple introduced is the Minigame Decathlon. Players compete in 10 minigames in a row trying to score as high as possible in each minigame to get the highest combined total score. As great as these modes are, these next two are the highlights: Minigame Wars and Minigame Circuit! Minigame 
Wars pits four players against each other to compete in 4-Player and Battle minigames. Each winner chooses a tile on a 19-tile hexagonal grid. However, tiles can be stolen if a different competitor claims two tiles, one on each end, of a connecting line. After the entire grid is filled, whoever captured the most tiles wins. Minigame Circuit is a board game in and of itself! Players compete in 
minigames for a chance to roll the dice and move forward. Items can be used before a minigame, and winners who do so can roll more Dice Blocks. Duel Spaces and Bowser Spaces also appear. Duel Spaces pit the player against an opponent. If the initiator wins, the challenger has to roll a dice to move back. Bowser Spaces throw everyone into a Bowser Minigame. Anyone who doesn’t win moves back as many spaces as Bowser rolls. The first player to finish one lap wins!
Mario Party 5 is full of charm, and there’s fun to be had in multiple ways. It’s a shame it’s overlooked and regarded as a not-so-good entry because it’s a really solid game and a fantastic first impression for me. This is the game that made me a fan of the Mario Party series in the first place, and I hope that there can be more fun entries in the series in the future.
~Lightning Star 
Special Thanks to The Well-Red Mage and all involved in the “Super Mario Multiverse” project for making this endeavour come to life
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