Mario Party Superstars is only about a month away now, but that’s still plenty of time to put in some serious minigame practice and get an edge on the competition. We’ve covered a few games already, but they’re just a fraction of the 100 or so that will be included. True, most of those games won’t be skill-based, but that’s all the more reason to lock-down the ones that are. In a game as wild as Mario Party Superstars, one needs to create as many guarantees as they can. If not, then the game will almost certainly go for the blindside at the worst possible time. So, here are a few ways to keep that from happening.

Tipsy Tourney (Mario Party 2)

Tipsy Tourney challenges players to paint a picture by moving a Koopa shell over their board. The catch: they must tilt the board by running around it. Running at the edges means a deeper tilt and more speed, but it also means less control over the shell. Players race to complete their image first, so it can be all to easy to lose control by going for too much speed. The trick with this one is to use the shell’s momentum to one’s advantage.

Don’t stand in a corner and wait for the shell to make it all the way there. Instead, stand in the corner just long enough for the shell to gain momentum and then immediately start moving to the next corner. This way the shell can retain its maximum speed without going out of control. When time comes to paint the middle ring, repeat this process. Don’t go all the way to the edge, though. Instead stay about a tile away from it and keep moving in a circular pattern. This will ensure that the shell stays in the middle area and not get stuck on the outer edge. In this way, one should be able to win most of the time.

Snowball Summit (Mario Party 3)

In this free-for-all minigame, players must build up snowballs and then roll them into the other players. If the snowball is big enough, they can knock the others off of the mountain and win the game. It’s a simple game, but the obvious strategy isn’t the best path to victory. One should not waste time rolling up a giant snowball. Instead, aim at rolling up a small to medium one. Speed is the key to winning this game. One needs to be the first to get a decently-sized snow ball, and they need to get it before other players can react and destroy it.

One can get a one-hit knockout if they manage to hit a player with a giant snowball, but it almost never happens because snowballs always cancel each other out regardless of size. It’s better to make a medium one to start and then gradually bump the others off while using the smaller, more maneuverable snowballs to block when needed. Also, it’s a lot faster to spin in place rather than wander around in order to build the ball. It makes reacting/targeting easier too. As for rolling the ball at someone, this only works if they’re actively running away and can’t turn. It’s much easier to walk up next to someone and turn one’s ball into them and knock them off.

Bombs Away (Mario Party)

Bowser’s ship fires cannonballs at a floating island, and players must avoid either being tipped off of it by the waves or getting blown off of by an impact. All one can do in this game is either run or jump, so the optimal strategy is straightforward: avoid jumping as much as possible. Seriously, it might be tempting to do so, but one should do their best to only jump when a ball is about to hit the island.

Jumping runs the risk of bouncing off of another player, and a bounce almost always means a dip in the ocean. Alternatively, if someone jumps, try to run underneath them in order to score that bounce. So yeah, avoid air time as much as possible and punish whenever there’s an opportunity.

Honeycomb Havoc (Mario Party 2)

Despite involving math (oh goody), somehow this game is still popular enough to come back yet again. Those who’ve played Mario Party: The Top 100 should know how this one works: take either one piece of fruit or two, avoid the beehives and try to force another player to take them instead. Since options are so limited, all one can do is try to make sure they have an option on their next turn. Leaving too few fruit means getting a beehive, while leaving too much fruit risks a beehive on the following turn.

Typically, most players will opt to take two fruits in the first round, so one is likely to be safe if they take only one. Still, keep a constant count and adjust the strategy as needed. If it comes down to the final round, the goal should be to either have one or two fruits left on the last turn. If there are three left, that’s a loss. If first in the final round, take two fruits in order to force the other player to react. If going second, take one and force the other player to recalculate. The idea is to try and keep the pressure up while eyeing that one or two fruit winning game state. This one takes practice, but one can learn the flow after a few games.

Sky Pilots (Mario Party 2)

Sky Pilots is a 2v2 racing game where one player must power their craft while the other steers it. The flying machine is powered by flapping its wings, with more thrust gained through bigger flaps. Both players must follow separate strategies in order to achieve the fastest possible time. Thankfully, neither method is all that complicated. It’s all about maintaining a good rhythm and keeping one’s eyes on the road.

For the flapping player, they should avoid the temptation to do shorter, faster flaps. This may feel faster, but it’s actually the opposite. Slower, more deliberate flaps that make the wings go all the way up and down actually produce more speed. Aim for this and establish a rhythm, and it should be enough to keep the craft moving quickly. As for the driver, they should do their best to align the vehicle with the speed rings. That is, aim so that it’ll hit both rings in each set in order to get the maximum boost. Make sure also to keep changing elevation as this is the easiest way to avoid the cannonballs fired by the sideline guns.

Bonus: Mecha Marathon

This depends entirely on how quickly one can simultaneously mash the A and B buttons. So, it’s not so much skill that’ll win the day here as it is physical endurance. As for strategy, lay the fingers lightly on top of the buttons and try to vibrate them enough to press the buttons. See, doing deliberate presses simply is not fast enough. All one needs is for the buttons to register a “press,” so it’s enough to make the hand/fingers move in such a way that the buttons to incidentally end up “pressed.” Really, it’s not so much “mashing” the buttons as it is “buzzing” them. In other words, go for the lightest possible presses so that the buttons can be pressed faster.

Simply winning these games, and only these games, probably won’t be enough to ensure victory outright since there are still the chance-based games and board strategies to consider. Even so, an edge is an edge, and one needs every edge they can get in Mario Party. After all, there are only two certainties in this game: one’s own skills and the fact that things can and will go sideways in an instant. It can’t be avoided, so why not cushion the impact as much as possible?