Mario Party 2 refines the formula with real love. Six themed boards full of delightful staging, more than sixty mini-games and a costume gimmick that changes the dynamic each round. Still seen by many as the best Mario Party on the platform: tense, funny and endlessly replayable in four-player.
Your verdict
Category
Party / Minigame4 players3+
Description
Second Mario Party with new costume-themed boards set across historical eras and all-new costumed mini-games. Published by Nintendo, released in 1999 in Japan and 2000 in Europe and North America. Six costume-themed boards, sixty-five new mini-games, and enriched game modes.
Mario Party 2 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Costumed boards, refined mini-games and an extra dose of mischief: this sequel polishes the party recipe into a peak of the genre. Last-minute reversals and friendly betrayals draw as many shouts as laughs. More varied, more balanced, it remains one of the most gleeful party games to share.
Japanese pressing from late 1999, a sequel that dresses each board in a costume theme for the characters and is regarded as the balance peak of the N64 trilogy. The Japanese version precedes the Western releases by several months and is the first iteration where Hudson reins in the randomness excesses of the first game. Its collecting interest rests on this status as the series' qualitative pivot on the console, sought by Mario Party fans attached to the original run.
Is Mario Party 2 still worth playing in 2026?
The second entry in Nintendo's party series, Mario Party 2 gathers up to four players on costumed boards with varied themes, between strategic moves, star collecting and an avalanche of snappy minigames. The variety of events, the spirit of friendly competition and the humour of the settings make it a party game reference for groups, built for evenings. Solo, the interest drops sharply. For a retro party game fan, a Mario fan or a player after four player fun, the title keeps an intact conviviality and pleasure.
