Play Mario Party DS (MaxG)(J) Online

Mario Party DS came out for the Nintendo DS in 2007, developed and published by Nintendo. It was part of that wave of handheld games that really tried to use every feature of the system, from the dual screens to the microphone, and it fit right in with the portable, pick-up-and-play vibe of the era.

You control one of several Mario characters, moving around themed boards by rolling virtual dice. The main goal is to collect more stars than your opponents, which you buy when you land on specific spaces. Key mechanics include using special items to alter movement or steal coins, and competing in a huge variety of minigames that use the touch screen, the microphone, or button controls after each round. The pacing is brisk, with turns moving quickly and minigames breaking up the board action constantly. It feels like a compact, frantic party that you can have anywhere, and the constant backstabbing and luck-based turns make every match unpredictable and often hilariously unfair.