Fun is everything. Without fun, life is pretty disappointing. It’s also the best word to describe Mario Party Superstars. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel and is often a bit shallow, it’s also fantastic fun, especially when played with friends and family.

The game borrows some elements from previous Mario Party games, but if, like me, you’ve only dabbled in the series, Mario Party Superstars is still a great introduction to the party game. You don’t need much experience with the game either, meaning this is an ideal title to pick up when less experienced gamers are visiting. It’s got that “future holiday season tradition” all wrapped up in it.

Mario Party Superstars plays like the best kind of board game. Up to four players (human or CPU) race around a board rolling a die before competing in a minigame after each round.

There are five boards to choose from, each representing a different Mario Party game and also offering a different difficulty level. You'll likely start with the first, Yoshi's Tropical Island, which is a bit basic in terms of offering branching routes and twists. Other boards, such as Space Land, introduce challenges such as the need to interact with other characters, as well as the risks posed by a spaceship coming towards you and propelling you and others into a different route.