A long-running franchise that manages to return to its roots while implementing good ideas its sequels had is incredibly rare, and even rarer still is an entry in such a franchise to do it well. But just like the first-place dinner in Sizzling Stakes, Super Mario Party is a rare gem among revivals. It managed to bring back the classic formula with the 6-number die system from 9 onward, combined it with N64-era items on top of Gamecube-era map design, and use its new character-exclusive-die system to enhance the ally system from Star Rush on the 3DS.
On top of that, the game features the largest roster to date (Being the first on to topple Mario Party 8’s 14 character roster by a sizable amount). But that lends the question: who’s next? Who do you add after you’ve added “everyone” per se? Well, I’ve come up with some strong choices for the next festive get-together. But first, I’m assuming the following:
- All 20 characters are returning (The Assets are already high quality; no need to waste them)
- Toad, Toadette, and Kamek are still the hosts (I’d like them to be playable, but replacement hosts are for another time)
- The game will have an equal number of Mario’s Friends and Bowser’s Minions. (So 5 of each on this list.
- The person dice system and ally system are returning. (So each character gets their own die block)
Without further delay, let’s head down the guest list!
Koopa Kid
Best Koopaling tbh
Kicking off the list, we have a character as old as the franchise itself.
For those of you new to the party, this little gremlin appeared in the very first Mario Party and would appear in every entry afterward for the next 7 years. He served as the main servants of Bowser in the N64 titles; he could be seen as a replacement for the Koopalings (since his model could be repeated for any mini-games, and there were originally 7 of them in Mario Party 1). However, he was afforded something that the Koopalings as of 2019 haven’t been – a personality. The Koopa Kids were loyal servants for sure but they were also short-tempered and quick to mouth off if they feel they didn’t get their way (be it a player or Bowser himself).
The N64 games had him serve as a board event on Bowser’s behalf most of the time, often serving as a “boss” character in a mini-game face-off (most notably in the Mini-Game Coaster). Mario Party 4 would have him be playable in a special mini-game, and would also appear in Bowser’s place on Bowser Spaces more often than not (although if the felt the player wasn’t taking him seriously, he’d call Bowser after he steals coins). It’s Mario Party 5 where he becomes playable, and the game’s story mode where his personality is fully formed. (Most of the dialog is actually just banter between Bowser and Koopa Kid since the player never talks regardless of character). His final playable appearance is in Mario Party 6, as Mario Party Advance and 7 had him return to Bowser’s side to cause mayhem again (the latter giving him his own space). As of Mario Party 8, he stopped appearing and was replaced with Bowser Jr. in Mario Party DS onward.
With Super Mario Party meaning to be a relaunch of the series, introducing the original Bowser Minion would be a fantastic reveal for the sequel.
Finally, his dice block:
Koopa Kid’s Die is for those who accept there are no guarantees in life. Go far at the risk of going nowhere or going broke.
Blooper
The Aquatic Hammer Bro
On the opposite end of the spectrum, this goober only appeared once in the series as a playable character (Weirdly enough, in the Mario Party game where Koopa Kid disappeared from the franchise). In Mario Party 8, the player could unlock him by beating the single-player campaign (although it might take more than one attempt since Hammer Bro could be unlocked instead); Blooper would just float through the air as Boo would. Since then, Blooper has only been playable two other times (Mario Super Sluggers and Mario Tennis Aces via free updates) so there’s the appeal of adding a character who is so rarely being playable.
One could argue that Blooper is needed for as a hazard for mini-games and board events (as it’s the most appropriate role for the creature), but this actually is easy to get around. As hazards in under-water minigames, Cheep Cheeps do the job just fine and there’s plenty of other sea creatures to use (Urchins, Eels, Torpedo Teds). If a blooper IS needed, the unique design Mario Sunshine gave them can be used with the iconic design being fro the playable version. And for bigger bloopers (which this series loves to use), they can turn to Goober Blooper for that role. So there’s plenty of reason to let players play as a squid.
As for the sea creature’s die:
Blooper’s die block can easily change the tides of the game with high, medium, and low rolls.
Also, moving forward all characters on the list will be new characters never before in a Mario Party game as a playable character. (Sorry, Birdo)
Chargin’ Chuck
He gives 110%, but does he even know what football is?
I’ve always found it ironic that the one sport Mario has yet to have a game based around (American Football) is the one sport one of his most infamous enemies are based around. Back in Super Mario World, Chargin’ Chuck was one of the more annoying enemies in the game. Took three jumps to defeat them, could throw baseballs at annoyingly slow speeds, and would often alert enemies that were asleep, making levels harder if you can’t defeat them. Oh, and they were spammed in half the levels. So, naturally, who wouldn’t want to play as them?
All joking aside, Chargin’ Chuck is mostly on the list thanks to two things: Pom Pom and the shoving animation. Pom Pom and Chargin’ Chuck share almost the exact same proportions (this dude is burly enough to look like a mini-boss) but also has the benefit of his unique costume (seriously, no one in Super Mario Party is a dark shade of blue). As for the second part, Super Mario Party has characters shoving each other out of the way from time to time when passing by spaces. Given that his default movement animation is him football tackling towards Mario, this is actually a perfect chance for him to make his playable debut if only for the humor of it.
Yeah, despite having become a regular as of 3D World, he’s yet to appear as a playable character. These guys did appear in Super Mario Party for a few Minigames, though.
Charge ahead or stay behind the front lines. This die could roll either way.
Bandit
I can relate. My friends call me Meme Thief on Discord.
Of all the rogue’s that Mario has faced over the years, this one tends to be left behind. They’ve appeared in most of the Yoshi Island games but is arguably more well known for their appearances in the Mario RPGs over the years (especially The Thousand-Year Door). A few have said their design is generic – I have to disagree. Given that Bandits are supposed to be Shy Guys who naturally steal things, their posture and constant expression of mischievousness suit them fine. No, I’d say the reason people tend to forget about them is that they rarely appear at all. To date, Bandits have only appeared in 10 games, and none of them are mainline entries. (For comparison sake, Chargin’ Chuck appeared 9 games, 3 of them being Platformers starring the plumber himself).
While the image above was put together in photoshop, the screenshot itself wasn’t “photoshopped”. Bandits did appear in Mario Party 7 and 8. In 7, they appeared as an enemy in Single Player, where the player had to track them down and steal a star from them. In 8, one appears in a board event where he steals an NPC’s candy and catching him rewards the player with enough money for a star. In both games, a Bandit also appears in two boards where he can steal money from another’s player’s star investments; basically, both games feature a board where you invest coins into something to “own” the star(s) associated with it. This would be the only two times these thieves would be modeled in 3D.
Sadly, there’s a reason these guys have stopped appearing: they’ve been replaced.
Still more relevant than Waluigi.
This is Nabbit the Bandit Rabbit. Debuting in New Super Mario Bros. U, this rascal has started to serve as the go-to bandit character for the series, which is, admittedly, already a niche role for the series. And given his design is of a rabbit (a species the series rarely uses), it would seem fans generally prefer this character as well. So it’s more likely he’d appear instead of the older Bandit characters as a playable character. However, I don’t think this should be the case.
In Super Mario Party (and presumedly it’s a sequel) characters are divided between Mario’s Friends and Bowser’s Minions. Nabbit is neither. With him having no official ties to either of them, he’d be the perfect fit for being the “Boo’s House” of Super Mario Party 2 – a character who steals coins/stars from other players for a fee. A superior choice over Lakitu from that perspective. And the Classic Bandit could be used as one of Bowser’s Minions.
You aren’t going anywhere with this; you’ll be too busy getting away with highway robbery if that’s how you roll! If it isn’t, then you’re the one getting robbed.
Shadow Mario
Wow! A new villain! I can’t wait for Bowser to not be involved in any way for once!
Rounding out the “Bowser’s Minions” is Shadow Mario from Super Mario Sunshine. Okay, it’s worth addressing how Shadow Mario is just Bowser Jr. While I personally doubt very many would care about a Mario Party game of all things ignoring that, attention to detail is something Super Mario party excels in so let’s give a quick answer: This Shadow Mario is actually a Ztar (pictured right below) in a physical form.
The Shining Darkness
Plot hole averted. Now for the far more important question: why? Why Shadow Mario over other villains? The answer requires some cross-reference: Nearly every spin-off since Mario Kart 7 has featured Metal Mario as a playable character. Rather than be a power-up, he’s often treated as a separate entity from the Italian icon (Similar to Bowser and Dry Bowser). It’s understandable why – it’s a visually striking palette swap of the main character. And later games have tried to make him Mario’s rival (as if he needs another) with him saying “Mia Mama” and yelling “Papa” instead of “Mama” when spooked. But if they’re going to go this route… why not use Shadow Mario? He’s already an adversary of the plumber, is an established villain instead of a power-up, and features a far more one-of-a-kind visual design. And him having those twisted versions of Mario’s catchphrases makes a lot more sense. Turning him into a separate character might also be a forward-thinking move, freeing him up to appear more often in future titles (be it mainline or spin-offs).
It’s a slightly more risky version of Mario’s dice block with higher highs and lower lows, but that’s probably to be expected.
Toadsworth
This old fart is 60 years young
“Too old? Perish the thought. I had no trouble playing baseball with you fine folks, and no one raised a fuss. So surly me tagging along for a party shouldn’t cause any commotion. Now tally-ho. Time won’t pause for us to dilly-dally.”
As stated earlier, Toad and Toadette are likely to keep their jobs as hosts. So, if a toad is to be playable, options are few and far between. Captain Toad could be used, but having him alongside a normal toad of the same color (and without Toadette alongside him after their own game and Mario Oddessy) would be off-putting. So that really leaves us with Toadsworth. This delightful old coot debuted in Super Mario Sunshine, and the Gamecube era really tried to make him a regular (Appearing in almost every game in some way shape or form until the Wii came out). The only times he’s been playable is in Mario Superstar Baseball, its sequel on the Wii, and a Japanese-only Majong game.
On a more relevant note, Toadsworth was officially the host of Mario Party 7. The theme then was that Toadsworth gave Mario and Co. a vacation around the world as thanks for [Mario’s] selfless work on the kingdom’s behalf. Bowser and Koopa Kid not being invited are what triggers them as threats during board events. Going from board host to playable character would be a nice means of going full circle and a good selling point.
Toadsworth’s Block trades it’s higher spaces for earning solid coins. He’s as wise as he is old.
Brighton and Twila
Sadly, the closest I’m ever getting to the Ice CLimbers mattering again.
There’s no way to suggest board hosts being playable without bringing up these two. Brighton and Twila serve as the Sun and Moon respectively and embody the concept of Dualism (although they may not be based on it intentionally). In Mario Party 6, these two both begin to argue over… something. Seriously, it might be the pettiest argument I’ve ever seen in a videogame; it’s never exactly clear what these two are going on about, beyond a general clash of egos. Mario and Co. decide to go around collecting stars just as a means of shutting them up. This actually works, as the player’s efforts have them realize how petty they’ve really been and they promise to get along moving forward.
So, partying day and night stopped what otherwise would have been the destruction of Earth and made the Sun and Moon friends again. Having these two being playable, at least once, would be a nice follow-up to that “ending”. They’re also among the few Mario Party original characters that people recognize; in fact, the only other one is probably Koopa Kid (And MC Ballyhoo, but he didn’t make the list).
Brighton’s dice block is first, then Twila’s.
If your morning coffee came in the form of a die, this would be it. Might take you pretty far, or you might need another roll to get going.
This die is calm and predictable. If a good spot is two steps away, you’re either getting it or getting paid.
Penny Crygor
Is it weird one of my favorite Mario characters isn’t a Mario character?
As far as crossover characters go, Penny probably isn’t anyone’s first choice besides mine. Even sticking to the Wario Franchises (WarioWare, Wario Land, and Wario World), Captain Syrup and Ashley are probably more go-to options as characters. However, as before with the Bandit entry, I have my reasons for my choice.
Similarly to Nabbit, Captain Syrup is a neutral third party rather than a hero or antagonist in the Wario Land games; this would make calling her a friend or minion rather awkward. More so, she’s more suited to being a board-based character over a playable one. Similar to how King Bob-Omb had his own stage, she could be the stage character of the pirate-themed board that we’re probably getting next game (for example, she could have her own shop where she sells character die blocks at higher prices than items and stars).
Ashley is, if the Smash Community’s disappointment in her being an assist trophy is anything to go by, a fan favorite. However, Super Mario Party has a space for her that would actually work just fine. A big part of Ashley’s character is that she’s just a child who wants a friend. So while making her one of Mario’s friend would probably make her jump for joy… why not let her host the good luck space? This space, which is surprisingly low key for how rare it is, serves as the anti-thesis to Kamek’s bad luck space. So, having Ashley (a magic-user who just wants people to like her) be the space host of the good luck space to make friends is nothing short of logical.
Penny’s design (at least from games before WarioWare Gold) translates pretty well into 3D. Only the bunny ears on the side of her head might look weird, and those parts can easily be ignored if too much of an issue (as they aren’t essential to her design). It’s not that WarioWare’s cast can’t be in 3D – Ashley in smash shows that much to be true – but most of their designs are built into that 2D pop-up art style and have never appeared alongside the Mario cast in their establish 3D art style; having a simpler character like Penny would be a nice first step.
What’s not shown in the picture above is Penny’s personality. While she is serious about her studies, she’s also enthusiastic and competitive; two traits that certain fit a character in Mario Party.
Most dice blocks have two low numbers, two mid-rolls, and two high numbers. Penny’s experimental die takes that to its logical endpoint.
On a side note, I’d be perfectly fine with adding a third set of characters based around Wario. Mario’s Friends, Wario’s Employees, and Bowser’s Minions. This would be fantastic. But if I’m to pick just one, Penny.
Pianta
“What did I do?”
After Super Mario Sunshine, a lot of players would argue these things aren’t among the good guys. (Recap, they couldn’t tell Mario apart from Shadow Mario, punished Mario for a crime he did not commit, and then proceeded to not try and help him when it became apparent that they weren’t one and the same, and THEN intentionally made the job harder on Mario). However, in both Mario Baseball games they are on Mario’s team. Probably speaks more to Mario as a character than to them, but it appears to be water under the bridge either way.
In terms of canonical characterization, Piantas are about as straightforward as they get. They’re laid back, literal mountain people. There are the mobster Piantas seen in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. As much fun as it would be to have one of Mario’s friends be the Don of Untimely Death, I designed the dice block to be for the casual blue Pianta pictured above.
This block is as laid back as the Piantas themselves are. It’s perfect for those who are perfectly contempt where they are right now.
Princess Zelda
I’m being serious. Hear me out.
I technically already included 10 characters, so this one was a result of some creative thinking. However, this wouldn’t be as unprecedented of an event as it might seem; Nintendo’s two franchises have cross-referenced on occasion. It’s normally Zelda referencing Mario (with the recently released Link’s Awakening Remake being a strong example), but it’s not unheard of for Mario to return the favor. Most notable is Mario Galaxy 1/2, where both games feature Octo-Goombas and Octo-Boos (based on Zelda’s Octorocks). So, why not have there be a Princess Zelda in the world of Mario?
They’re two easy answers. The simpler of the two is that she’s a Princess from Outer Space – of a small planet, and could be introduced by Rosalina as a personal guest. This would be a nice nod to the Zelda enemies being introduced in space. Even in Super Mario 3D World (The only other game they’ve appeared in), they appear exclusively in the space levels.
Another possible introduction, albeit a more involved one, is her being the Princess of the Dream Kingdon. First, this would not contradict anything in Dream Team. The logic being that she can leave the world of dreams, but can only stay in the real world as long as her gateway stays open AKA for as long as the person stays asleep. So she can rarely visit anyone during times when anyone would be awake, much less partying. Thankfully, as of Mario Galaxy, the Yellow Toad of the Toad Brigade tends to sleep for several hours at a time at random. So, thanks to his lazy nature, the Princess of the Dream Kingdom can finally stay for a significant amount of time.
Regardless of which story they would go with (if one at all), I strongly believe they should stick with the design used in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This design combines her Link Between Worlds and Link to the Past designs with the proportions of her Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild models. Personally, I’d prefer this to be the “non-canon” design for any non-Zelda games she appears in; most people will likely see it as her “Smash Bros” design anyway.
Wisely enough, this dice block takes one of the high end and adds it to the low end to balance things out.
Ah, feels good to be writing again. Haven’t uploaded here since Smash Ultimate was properly revealed. (side note – none of them made the cut beside Isabelle) Anyway, thanks to anyone who read this. Feel free to leave any suggestions on articles or lists you’d like to see me apply my weird means of thinking to it.
The Squid Chamber 