- JP release: 7th December 2000
- NA release: 7th May 2001
- EU release: 16th November 2001
- Developer: Hudson
- Publisher: Nintendo
- N64 Magazine Score: 72%
As evident from my reviews of the first two Mario Party games, I’m not the best person to talk about this series, as I don’t like the main core roll & move mechanic used in the boards. The boards feel the same to me, but those who love the series can detail how they all feel different if you pay attention. The bank mechanic I hated is back, but thankfully not just at the very start of every board, and something I hated from the first has also returned with a vengeance – the singleplayer games, which happened on the first four rounds of the first game I played (thankfully, there’s an option to skip it when a CPU plays it). This time, it’s to provide a random item. The cool costumes from Mario Party 2 are sadly gone, but there’s also a singleplayer story mode of winning every board.
The minigames are all-round a lot of fun, and feel even more refined, with far fewer reskinned versions from previous games. They seem to be less focused on mashing a single button, and instead tapping specifically displayed buttons – for example the 2×2 log chopping button where each log displays A, B, or Z. A couple of standouts for me are Aces High, a dogfighting minigame, and Mario’s Puzzle Party, which is a mini columns-style puzzle game of matching two matching blocks, with a mechanic of using a Thwomp to squish bricks. A singleplayer version can also be unlocked – it might be my favourite Mario Party minigame.
After critics loved the first two Mario Party games, Mario Party 3 ended up being criticised for being more of the same and not offering much new. I do think this is a bit harsh, as the minigames themselves feel a lot more skill-based with more thought needed to complete, rather than more mindless mashing or spinning.
Fun
Our final gripe with Mario Party 3 has to do with the fact that there’s nothing in here that hasn’t already been done before. Twice. It’s essentially the same game, with the same button-bashing, analogue-twizzling style of minigames and the same boring board navigation sections. All Hudson has really done here is change the visual themes of each board an minigames and, well… That’s it. It would almost have been forgivable if it was just an eye-watering graphical treat – but to be blunt, MP3 has a hard job competing with Mario Party 2 in this respect.
Geraint Evans, NGC Magazine #60
Remake or remaster?
It’s had a few boards recreated on the Switch, but a complete package of the N64 games with lots of customisation would be ideal.
Official ways to get the game.
There is no way to buy a new copy of Mario Party 3, the only official way to play is to rent it via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pak.
Europe
Japan
North America
N64 Games by Date
1997: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1998: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1999: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2000: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
3 is only my second favourite Mario Party, but it’s better then 2, and miles better then 1. The new items and the ability to have three items is such a monumental change, and opens up a lot of strategy (Also stops the Plunder Chest from being too OP). Like most Mario Parties, single player is miserable, but get three friends around, and laughs a-plenty! If anyone with N64 NSO wants a game, I’m always up for it!
That said, the Reverse Mushroom is kind of insane, there’s a reason it never came back.
Warning, only do this if you don’t want to be friends any more.
You think you’re going to win and then, bam, Mario Party doesn’t care and just screws you over.
Although I have to love this game out the three N64 ones as it gave me my first MP win when us four played together.
What a jump this game was from Mario Party 2!
The increase in item slots from 1 to 3 completely changed the game, fixing numerous issues with one fell swoop (no longer were Skeleton Keys completely useless, while Plunder Chests stopped completely shutting down the item game entierly), while greatly expanding the strategic possiblities available to its players.
While this is technically the third game in the series, in reality, it’s actually only the second game; as it was the first time that Hudson got to make a full-blown sequel that wasn’t built directly on a 64DD expansion pack. As such, we got a completely fresh slate of minigames and modes, all new types of board game gameplay in the form of Duel Mode (please bring this back!) and all new types of minigames (such as the dreaded Game Guy).
The boards are also feature more elaborate and intricate events this time around, introducing the Action Time system that would go on to become a series standard. Essentially these are little QTE style mini games that allow you to choose a path on the board if you succeed/fail and give you the chance to screw over your opponents in the process. There’s also lots of events that change the direction of travel and open/close specific areas of the board in general; meaning that you need to carefully consider what events to trigger and when in order to give yourself the advantage while throwing middle fingers at your enemies. It’s evil and brilliant in equal measure.
This is my personal favourite Mario Party, and the Reverse Mushroom is a big reason why. An item so utterly insane that it never came back; clearly the series designers realised that it was simply just too powerful, but man! The plays you can make with it are just utterly mindblowing!
Mario Party 3 is just the full package. Excellent board design, amazing items, fantastic minigames, brilliant sub modes and divine music. It’s the apex of the series on the N64.