Mario Party 5 became unplayable for me after going back from 6 and 7
Mario Party 6 and 7 have always been my favorites in the series, so recently I decided to go back and give Mario Party 5 another shot… and wow, it feels so underwhelming now.
Everything that 6 and 7 improved on, 5 feels like it did worse. The orb system is frustrating because you constantly end up running into your own traps, and the fact that you can’t even buy specific orbs makes it even more annoying since it’s all randomized. Want a Mushroom Orb so you can roll 2 or 3 dice? Good luck getting one consistently.
The game also starts to feel really repetitive after around 10–15 turns. The boards are too small, and there aren’t really any fun mechanics to shake things up during a match. Compare that to Mario Party 6’s day/night cycle or Mario Party 7’s Bowser Time, which kept games feeling fresh and chaotic.
Thank God Nintendo realized what needed improving with 6 and 7, because going back to 5 after those games is rough for me now.
Does anyone else feel the same way, or am I being too harsh on Mario Party 5?