Ah, winter. The coldest season of them all. But not even snow, frost, or hail can stop the Mario Party gang from having a fun time. And what better way is there to enjoy the chilliest time of the year than with a couple of fun, winter-themed minigames?
Whether Mario and friends are traversing a giant pink cake or patrolling a space station, there are sure to be some frosty minigames that will leave these partygoers shivering in delight. So, grab your hot cocoa and fuzzy blanket because these are our picks for the best minigames that take place during winter that this series has to offer.
10 Tall Order! - Super Mario Party
Shaved ice is a summery treat that you wouldn’t expect during the colder months. But in Tall Order, you and your partner are tasked with making this frozen dessert. The rules are simple: make an ice tower taller than your opponents before time runs out. Sounds easy right?
Well, the bowl into which you are shaving your ice is constantly moving thanks to your two "helpful" penguins. Plus, you only have a limited amount of ice, so you can’t go shaving without a plan. Though you don’t get to eat your winnings at this minigame’s end, you do get to high-five your partner if you’re victorious!
9 Avalanche! - Mario Party 4
Ever wanted to be part of a thrilling action sequence where you are chased by a giant, unstoppable wall of moving snow? In Avalanche!, you can! Appearing in Mario Party 4, this four-player minigame has you skiing against your opponents, launching off rock formations, and avoiding bumps in the road as you try to out-race an avalanche.
It’s game over if you get caught in this snowstorm, so try your best! If you win you will be rewarded with a victory animation while your competitors become snowballs. Literally.
8 Filet Relay - Mario Party 2
Though this minigame hasn’t made an appearance since Mario Party 2, who can forget how cute the Mario gang looked in these little penguin suits? Filet Relay is a one-versus-three minigame where your main objective is to get your fish baton across the finish line first. Blocking your path, however, are obstacles such as snowballs, snowmen, and a winding, icy road.
If you’re on the team of three, then you will have to pass your fish at every checkpoint to your teammates. If you’re all alone then prepare to waddle all the way to the end on your own. It’s too bad that this minigame never made a comeback, but who knows, maybe we’ll see it in an upcoming Mario Party?
7 Snow Whirled - Mario Party 6, Mario Party: The Top 100, And Mario Party Superstars
Though it might be difficult for you to do a 360 spin on a snowboard in real life, in Snow Whirled, you can do a 360 just by pressing buttons. You can even break all known world records and do a 9,720 spin if you press fast enough! In this minigame, you are tasked with doing as many rotations as you can before you hit the ground. Whoever makes the most spins win so be prepared to do some intense button-mashing.
This party game was so popular that, after its appearance in Mario Party 6, it was brought to other Party games such as Mario Party: The Top 100 and Mario Party Superstars. So, if you missed the GameCube version, be sure to check out the Switch one!
6 Snow Brawl - Mario Party 6
Snow Brawl is just like a snowball fight. That is if your snowball fights see you turn into an ice cube if you get hit. Appearing only in Mario Party 6, this three-versus-one minigame has an easy-to-follow set of rules: win by turning the opposite team into frozen sculptures, and don’t get hit yourself.
The surprising part about this minigame is that it's three partygoers against one lone ranger. Luckily, that lone snowballer has backup in the form of CPU monkeys or Shy Guys depending on if you are playing during the day or night. Try your best not to get frozen and let the snowballs fly!
5 Snow Way Out - Mario Party 8
Unlike the somewhat balanced teams of Snow Brawl, Snow Way Out is a very unfair snowball fight. In this one-versus-three minigame, where the trio team is stranded on a roof and must dodge snowballs that the team of one launches from a machine. Getting hit means turning into, you guessed it, an ice statue.
Not only does the solo player get to shoot snowballs, but they also get to make the entire roof slippery. So, if you’re not careful, you could end up losing by just sliding off the roof!
4 Snowball Summit! - Mario Party 3, Mario Party: The Top 100, And Mario Party Superstars
If Snow Way Out was a very unfair snowball fight, then Snowball Summit may as well be banned from all snowball-based party games. The way you win this minigame is by making a snowball and using said snowball to push your opponents off the mountaintop. Though deceptively simple, things get complicated when someone decides to craft a giant, unstoppable snowball.
Sure, you are vulnerable when you’re making this huge weapon of snowy destruction, but chances are everyone is going to be too busy trying to knock each other off to even notice this monstrosity being built. And once built, be prepared to launch your enemies off the summit with a spectacular scream.
3 Bobsled Run - Mario Party, Mario Party 2, And Mario Party Superstars
It wouldn’t be a winter party without at least one racing minigame! And in Bobsled Run that’s exactly what you’re doing. For this game, you are split into teams of two and must race each other down a twisting, icy course. Whoever passes the finish line first wins.
Bobsled Run is probably as close to Mario Kart as you can get in a Mario Party game. However, if you fall off this stage, there’s no Lakitu to help you out. Once you fall off, it’s game over and all the other team has to do is survive. Or, they can fall off too, thus ending this minigame in a draw.
2 Tube It Or Lose It - Mario Party 5, Mario Party: The Top 100, And Mario Party Superstars
Another one-versus-three minigame, which gives the “one” an unfair advantage, is Tube It or Lose It. In this game, the trio team must make their way down the slope in inflatable tubes and avoid the solo player. Though it might sound simple, the solo player is equipped with a spiked tube that can send partygoers flying if they get too close. Plus, the team of three must watch out for objects that the single player can just bust through.
Luckily, as long as one person in the trio passes the finish line, the whole team wins, so use the terrain to your advantage and avoid those spinning spikes!
1 Pushy Penguins - Mario Party 5, Mario Party: The Top 100, And Mario Party Superstars
This iconic minigame has seen re-releases in both Mario Party: The Top 100 and Mario Party Superstars - and for good reasons! Who could forget the pure panic of having hundreds of pushy penguins trying to shove you into the freezing cold waters? Not just small penguins either, but huge penguins too!
The pure mayhem and chaos that occurs when you try to out push the penguins is what makes this minigame fun and memorable. Nothing was better than finding a way through the crowds of blue birds and nothing was worse than finding yourself trapped in a corner, doomed to get pushed off the screen. Now that’s a party!