Super Mario Party released last week to positive reception. It is also selling well. According to 4Gamer.net, the latest Media Create sales chart puts Super Mario Party at the top in Japan last week, with 142,868 copies sold. The runner-up, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, wasn't even close, with 45,166 copies sold in Japan. Interestingly, Game Industry Biz reports that Super Mario Party debuted at #5 in the United Kingdom. North American sales are not available yet.

Super Mario Party selling a large number of copies in Japan isn't surprising. The game was announced during Nintendo's E3 presentation back in June. Based on the presentation, Super Mario Party looked to rejuvenate the franchise, bringing the series back to what made it fun in the first place. The Mario Party series before this had become lackluster, with Star Rush and Mario Party 10 receiving under a 70 on Metacritic. (The more recent Mario Party, The Top 100, received a 59.)

Super Mario Party has succeeded, scoring a 77 on Metacritic, making it the second highest-rated Mario Party game on the aggregator site. 77 isn't amazing, but it's the best score in awhile. (The only game scored higher is the original Mario Party, with a 79.) Why has Super Mario Party been well received in comparison to previous entries? For one thing, the game got rid of the controversial car mechanic first introduced in Mario Party 9. Instead, it's back to the classic 4-player free for all. There's also an intriguing mechanic where each character has their own special dice block, and allies can be summoned. Of course, the 80 brand new minigames are a big factor in why the game is liked.

Via mariowiki.com

Still, it's not perfect. Like previous Mario Parties, there's always luck involved in some capacity, and the game is best played with a group than alone because of it. Also, the game has only four boards, a record low. (Even Mario Party DS and Mario Party: Island Tour, small console installments, had more boards.) It seems there may never be a truly critically acclaimed Mario Party game. But, Super Mario Party is still a shining light in a world of mediocre party titles. It's a great game for a family, or group of friends.

RELATED: Super Mario Party Review: Party Like It's 1999... Sort Of

Super Mario Party is available for Nintendo Switch.