ZeoSpark's Rankings 1: Mario Party 3 minigames

Hello! This is the start of a new blog series known as "ZeoSpark's Rankings." In this, I rank a specific subject of a game with the old "10/10" scale followed by a small description to why I gave it that ranking. Of course these are all my opinions so please don't be upset with my rankings of certain things.

And I'm starting with Mario Party 3's minigames. Reason why I'm starting with this because MP3 is my favorite game of the Mario Party series and has my favorite set of minigames. I'll be diving each section by the type of minigames and again! My opinions so please don't get upset if I rank one of your favorite minigames low. With that said, here we go!

4-player minigames[]

Aces High - 10/10. One of my favorite minigames in this game! Being a huge fan of flying gunner games like Galaga and Star Fox, I can appreciate the flying shooting action of this minigame.
Awful Tower - 5/10. The name says it all but I don't have too much of a problem winning this game. What makes this game a pain to play is that the Hammer Bro.'s hammers can sometimes hit you even when you're staying still and far from them. Also, you have to make your jumps tight (meaning you have to push forward real hard in the direction you are jumping) or you'll end up falling off the blocks.
Bounce 'n' Trounce - 4/10. Not a fan of this one either. Many how fast it can go and how it can be a bit tedious to hit others at times due to the weird hitbox of the spin attack. The collapsing floor isn't helping much either.
Cheep Cheep Chase - 1/10. I HATE this minigame. The button mashing hurts my finger, it goes on too long, and the bombs are pretty random for when they show up. Also, if a CPU makes it to the end with you, don't bother trying to out pace them. They'll ALWAYS win even on Easy difficulty!
Chip Shot Challenge - 4/10. Meh. This minigame is interesting by having the course different each time you play on but if you go first and don't make it into the hole, you pretty much lost since other players can play off your failure to see how to get the ball in. Mario Golf for the N64 is a much better golfing N64 game.
Curtain Call - 7/10. This minigame is pretty fun and the memorization isn't that tedious. However, this minigame is real easy if you simply cheat off of smart players if you don't know the correct answer.
Frigid Bridges - 3/10. Not that fun either. It's real easy to slip and fall into the icy water and it takes a long time to thaw out. That means if you're playing against hard CPUs or skilled players, you pretty much lost if you slip once.
Ice Rink Risk - 9/10. Now this is a fun minigame! It gets so intense when all three Spiny Shells enter the mix. The jumping on people's heads can get annoying but the fast and intense pace of this minigame makes up for it.
M.P.I.Q. - 4/10. This minigame is tough for me to fully rate but some of the questions are too easy while others are just freaking difficult. I love quizzes but these quizzes can come off too fast pace especially if you're playing against players that love to chime in before the whole question is even read.
Mario's Puzzle Party - 10/10. This is another one of my favorite minigames. I'm a HUGE fan of Tetris and other fast-paced puzzle minigames and this one does it so well. It helps there is even a mode where you can play by yourself and aim for a high score. I remember playing that all the time when I was younger lol.
Messy Memory - 9/10. The best memorization game in the series! There is so much originality with this minigame and it's fun trying to figure out where to put the certain items. It's another one of those minigames where you can cheat off of others but at least you can quickly close the curtain when you finish.
Parasol Plummet - 5/10. Another minigame I'm in the middle of. It's a bonus minigame and it's easy to get coins if you hang around the top.
Picture Imperfect - 10/10. This minigame is so fun and funny! I like there are three different pictures to work with and seeing someone mess up Mario's face is a hilarious sight!
Pipe Cleaners - 3/10. This is one of those minigames where you actually have to hold the control stick at the same time as pressing the A and B buttons. I didn't really like the sudden different game mechanic here and the minigame seems so basic to me.
Rockin' Raceway - 5/10. Rockin' Raceway is fun but at the same time it isn't. You have to alternate pressing the A and B (or Z) buttons to keep going but not too fast or you'll spin out. It's a game that punishes you for going too fast despite having "Raceway" in the title.
Snowball Summit - 4/10. I'm not too big of a fan of this minigame as well. There is a lot to do when it comes to building up snowballs and most times, this minigame ends in a Draw especially if it's down to CPUs.
The Beat Goes On - 0/10. Terrible, absolutely, TERRIBLE minigame! This minigame is by far the worse memorization minigame in the entire series. It goes on WAY too long and even if more two or more players make it to the end, it'll end in a draw! That's a kick to the pants considering minigames like Picture Imperfect and Messy Memory awards multiple players if they all did good. This mingame is the bane of everyone I know's existence and doesn't deserve any score. Why did Nintendo include The Beat Goes On in Mario Party: The Top 100 again? I know that collection was bad but to include bascially the worse minigame in the series on that list? Yeah, I can see why.
Toadstool Titan - 6/10. This minigame is pretty fun but does sorta come down to luck on where the Super Mushroom spawns. And no! I am not referring it to "Mush Pit" which The Top 100 now calls it by. That name sounds so dumb...
Treadmill Grill - 9/10. Now this is a real fun fighting minigame. It can get very hectic when more Podoboos spawn and the grill gets smaller. This minigame can end in draws a lot due to how crowded it can get but honestly, the hecticness helps since you're supposed to be brawling lol.
Water Whirled - 7/10. This minigame is pretty fun as well. The controls can be a bit tight which is why it isn't a higher score but once you get used to them, this minigame is a real blast!

1 vs. 3 minigames[]

A note that 1 vs. 3 minigames are a bit unique since the minigame can be good or bad depending on who is by themselves and the others who are teaming up. So, I'll just be giving an overall score to see if the two sides have a fair chance. If they do, higher ranking but if they don't, a bit of a lower ranking.

Boulder Ball -5/10. This minigame is pretty fun but it leans more toward the three players since they have the advantage of splitting up. The single player can win by dropping a lot of boulders but there is always a cooldown time. The three players have to run up a very slippery slope where one mess up could cost them the game. However, like I said, it favors them anyway if they just split up.
Coconut Conk - 2/10. Whoo boy if you're the single player in this minigame, good luck. This minigame is so heavily biased toward the three players that it isn't funny. Sure the three players could mess up by ground pounding each other and the single player moves much faster. However, the three players have plenty of time to, you guessed it, split up and completely box in the single player.
Crazy Cogs - 5/10. This minigame is kinda weird to rate due to the bullet bills falling randomly in spots and the single player has full control over the direction of the gears. The three players can also run around quickly to avoid so we finally have a balanced 1 vs. 3 minigame. However, I can't rate it any higher due to the randomness of the Bullet Bills.
Hand, Line and Sinker - 5/10. This is one of those minigames that uses "tilt controls" to play. For the single player, this minigame can be tricky if you don't know how to use them properly while the three players have free reign to swim around. However, they swim VERY slowly allowing time for the single player to snatch them up. Another balanced minigame but the controls doesn't make it all that fun to me.
Hide and Sneak - 7/10. This minigame may technically be luck based but whoo boy it's a whole lot of fun. Either you're one of the hiders or the seeker trying to catch the other players. This minigame does favor the three players if there are three human players and they can work together but it's more fun just picking randomly and see if you got caught or
Ridiculous Relay - 8/10. This minigame is very, very fun! One thing I love about Ridiculous Relay is that there are different controls for the vehicles for the three players while the single player simply glides in the air avoiding all the hazards in their way. This minigame is also pretty balanced as well but it can take a lot out of you because of all the button mashing involved. Oh yeah, the control stick button press controls from Pipe Cleaners return here and they can be tricky to use. However, with enough practice can make that section doable as well.
River Raiders - 4/10. This is another coin collecting minigame that is sorta balanced. However, the single player has control of the main boat which steers very slowly compared to the three players on skis with easier turning. However, the single player can pretty much screw over the three players by steering to the side preventing them from getting coins and coin bags. Not really a fun 1 vs. 3 minigame honestly.
Spotlight Swim -3/10. This is another minigame where it favors the three players over the single player. The single player has to avoid the spotlights and while they do have faster control, they have to dive underwater to avoid getting caught. However, the problem with this is that you can still see the single player's bubbles and as soon they emerge from the water, they take like 3 seconds to gasp for air allowing the three players to take them out.
Thwomp Pull - 5/10. This minigame is okay. The single player goes faster but the three players cover more distance meaning it could be another unbalanced minigame in favor of the three players. However, if the single player has real good reaction time, they can win easily. If you're one of the three players and are playing with CPUs, good luck. Even on hard, the CPUs always take like a few seconds to put in the command.
Tidal Toss - 6/10. This minigame is pretty fun overall and it's one of few balanced minigames. However, all you do is jump and ground pound making this a rather basic 1 vs. 3 minigame.

2 vs. 2 minigames[]

Baby Bowser Broadside - 5/10. This minigame is a little tricky for me to rate as it's real fun with all human players, not so fun with three other CPUs (since they have way better aim), and mixed with both (like two humans vs. two CPUs). It's a fun shooting minigame that heats up during the halfway point but it can be rather frustrating to shoot the cardboard Baby Bowser at times.
Cosmic Coaster - 8/10. I always have a blast playing this minigame due to how fast paced it is. It's another one of those minigames that require good reaction time and I never had a problem with it. What actually keeps this minigame from a perfect 10/10 score is that if you play with a CPU on your team, they will ALWAYS hit the boards.
Eatsa Pizza - 6/10. This minigame is fun but what keeps it from being any higher is that it's a button mashing minigame. I'm not real good at those minigames and CPUs will always beat you if you play against them.
Etch 'n' Catch - 2/10. Ugh. I'm not a big fan of this minigame. The Toad sketch always seem to move away when you're close to catching it and it doesn't help that CPUs tend to be very uncooperative with you.
Hyper Hydrants - 3/10. I don't really like this one as well. If I'm the sprayer, I'll do well but doing the pump is another story. Your timing needs to be good and you can't go to fast or your partner won't have enough water to spray with.
Log Jam - '5/10. A fairly fun reflexes game. All you do is tap the button as shown on the screen and that's it. A very simple minigame worth the half score.
Picking Panic - 5/10. Another avergae minigame. Honestly, this minigame can be fun but frustrating at the same time especially if you're teamed with someone who isn't good with the mechanics or a CPU that just loves to hold onto the berry.
Puddle Paddle - 3/10. This minigame, honestly, isn't all that fun when you get to the mechanics. It's another one of those minigames with sensitive controls meaning you need to be careful not to go too fast or you'll end up going in a circle and not getting any coins.
Pump, Pump and Away - 4/10. This minigame is pretty "meh" to me as well especially since it's one of those minigames you have to alternate between pressing the A and B (or Z) buttons. If you don't do it right, you'll end up losing it for your team badly.
Slot Synch - 1/10. THIS minigame (next to luck-based minigames and The Beat Goes On) is the most unfair one of them all. Basically you have to hit the dice block to see what character you get and thats how many points you'll get. Why the low score? Because if you're playing with other humans, it's next to impossible to get what you want all the time. The dice block always spins too fast and the timing is a bit off at times. What's funny is that the CPUs ALWAYS get what they want on the dice block. Fortunately, If you're playing with a CPU as a partner, they will always go after you pick the dice block and, of course, will always get what you get. Technically, this is a luck minigame as well huh? Still very bad and unbalanced game.

Duel minigames[]

Baby Bowser Bonkers - 3/10. Even though this minigame is fast-paced, all you do is jump on the Baby Bowser's heads. There isn't really any skill to this as you can even get points by simply running over top of them. Not much strategy to an incredibly basic game.
Bowser Toss - 0/10. What is worse than a button mashing minigame and a minigame that uses the control stick for tilt controls? A minigame that uses BOTH at the same time! Bowser Toss is a very frustrating minigame to play and a younger me could never win at this minigame. You're supposed to mash the A button while tilting the control stick at a certain angle to make the Bowser object fly far. Problem is this is another minigame that the CPUs are pretty good at so good luck playing against them.
Crowd Cover - 6/10. A little better in regards to Duel minigames but this minigame is over in like a flash. It's fun to see which picture is different from three others and I do like how each picture is different each time. However, like I said, it's over too quick to leave a lasting experience.
End of the Line - 4/10. This minigame is interesting but it's one thing every player dreads: A luck minigame. You bascially have a 50/50 chance each round to pick the right path and if you don't, you're sent back to the beginning. There is little stragety to keep up with your opponent to make sure not to pick the wrong path but, again, it amounts to luck.
Fowl Play - 2/10. This minigame can be real annoying at times. The chicken runs real fast and there will be moments where the game doesn't want you to pick up the chicken despite being right next to it.
Motor Rooter - 10/10. Now we're talking! A high speed race through a circular tunnel with speed boosts and electric amps to slow you down! This minigame, in my opinion, is the best Duel minigame of the entire series. I always enjoyed driving upside down blazing past my rival to get those sweet coins at the end!
Popgun Pick-Off - 8/10. Another fast-paced minigame that deserves the title of "Duel minigame!" This game does require reflexes and good reaction since hitting Toad can really hurt you but if you're good at these kinds of minigames, this one is definitely a win!
Silly Screws - 6/10. Silly Screws is a pretty fun minigame but it's one of those button mashing minigames that can tire you out. However, it isn't as tedious as Cheep Cheep Chase or Rockin' Raceway so the score is a little higher.
Tick Tock Hop - 9/10. My goodness I had a lot of fun times with this minigame when I was younger. ESPECIALLY if you're playing with another human character that has good reflexes as well. What keeps this minigame from a perfect score is that this minigame is too easy against CPUs (even on Hard, I had times where they're out on the second cycle).
Vine With Me - 9/10. Loads of fun and this was actually my first Duel minigame I've played ever! I remember being younger and always choosing this minigame first before playing the others (besides Picture Imperfect). Again, this is another case of the CPUs being pushovers even on hard which keeps it from a perfect score.

Battle minigames[]

All Fired Up - 8/10. This minigame will get you "all fired up" alright! This minigame is a good example of how a Battle minigame should be. What keeps it from a perfect score? That cross formation the Podooboos get into can be tricky to avoid and the CPUs are often pros on avoiding it. Even on Easy.
Eye Sore - 7/10. Another fun minigame! Not on the level of All Fired Up but it still shows what a proper Battle minigame should be. Running around the Mr. I can be annoying especially on the random drops of the Podoboos but it doesn't take away much from the fun factor of this game.
Locked Out -'10/10. Whoo boy how I love this minigame! I may be a bit biased but Locked Out is seriously one of my top 3 Mario Party 3 minigames! Frantically trying to grab the key and knocking it out of other's hands in order to get it for yourself. Locked Out is seriously the best example of a Battle minigame because you're literally fighting for something in order to win! The only Battle minigame that involves any true "battles" while most of the others are lucked or reflexes based!
Merry-Go-Chomp - 1/10. Bad luck-based minigame is bad. Merry-Go-Chump is pure luck and nothing else. It doesn't help that the Chain Chomp pretty much picks whoever it wants and this minigame can really drag on a lot. There shouldn't be luck-based Battle minigames since you could lose up to 50 coins without even doing anything to keep them.
Slap Down - 7/10. Ah Slap Down. One of those stressful reflexes minigames. This minigame is a lot of fun with human players but man it can get you nervous. There is a trick to winning this minigame but only works if you're playing with other CPUs and that is to constantly press the start button until the correct symbol appears. Obviously, this won't really be as effective against other human players.
Stacked Deck - 3/10. Another luck minigame but not as bad as Merry-Go-Chomp. You have more changes to get a card other than Baby Bowser but most times, you'll be unlucky. Especially if you go last.
Storm Chasers - 4/10. This minigame is sorta fun but VERY annoying at the same time. The rain cloud loves to make sharp turns away from you and the way it constantly does this sometimes leaves me with an aching wrist. It doesn't occur to often but not really that fun of a game overall.
Three Door Monty - 5/10. Another reflexes minigame but not as stress inducing as Slap Down considering there are three choices. This minigame is better but over very quickly.

Item minigames[]

Bobbing Bow-loons - 2/10. I'm not a fan of this minigame. Basically, the good items tend to be in the back of the balloons while the "meh" ones are at front. Most times, you're just going to take the front item if you can't get the timing right. However, if you fail, you get nothing.
Dorrie Dip - 7/10. This one is better since the timing is a lot easier and it's cool that Dorrie appears since her last appearance was in Super Mario 64.
Hey, Batter, Batter! - 1/10. Terrible! One of few minigames I can never win in no matter what I do. The timing is weird and every time I seem to have hit the ball, I end up pop-flying it right into Baby Bowser's claws. Never a minigame should be this complicated especially if it's just for an item.
Swing 'n' Swipe - 8/10. Finally an Item minigame where you can pretty much get what you want each time. What keeps it from a 10/10 score is that I think it's a bit way too simple. They should've did what Mario Party 2 did and at least had the Baby Bowser's mix up and then you go whack the one with the item you want with the hammer.
Swinging with Sharks - 6/10. Another one of those timing minigames but it isn't as bad as Bobbinh Bow-loons. Just a simple swing onto a barrel with the item you want. It's a creative minigame I'll give it that.
Winner's Wheel - 4/10. I feel like this minigame is luck-based but it really isn't. Another one where I can't really win/get what I want but it's a cool reference to Wheel-of-Fortune.

Rare minigames[]

Dizzy Dinghies - 8/10. Dizzy Dinghies is very similar to the minigame Water Whirled and is a pretty fun minigame! The controls are pretty slippery as well but once you get into it, you'll have a blast! Helps that there are three different tracks to play on.
Mario's Puzzle Party Pro - 11/10. I know! I know! I broke the raking scale but here me out! I know this is a biased pick but I really do love puzzle minigames like this. I've been playing them since I was 3! And Mario's Puzzle Party Pro takes all of the fun of the regular 4-player version of it and more! There is no time limit. There aren't any other players to mess with you. Just you and you alone trying to rack up as much points as you can! It's turly a fun minigame you can play by yourself and believe me, this was my go-to minigame if I was feeling bored and alone.
Stardust Battle - 10/10. The only boss minigame of this game and a pretty good one at that! Though it's odd that the single-player version of this fight has three hits, the minigame mode version takes it up a notch by having you hit the Millineum Star 9 times. I love how the battlefield changes with each phrase, I love how you get to damage him with smaller stars, and I LOVE that battle theme that plays! Fun fact, this is the first ever boss fight in a Mario Party game and the only one with a boss fight where Bowser isn't the final boss!

Game Guy's minigames[]

Game Guy's Lucky 7 - 7/10. Totally intentional lol. But Game Guy's minigames are all mainly lucked base so you may see a lot of low scores. However, Game Guy's Lucky 7 is actually one of the more fair minigames. For starters, Game Guy goes first meaning you have an advantage to see Game Guy's move first. Secondly, if you get a 7, you get 10 times the coins! Sure it's only safe if you get a "1" and Game Guy somehow goes off stage but it's still a minigame where you have a better chance of winning.
Game Guy's Magic Boxes - 5/10. A minigame where you win half of the time that deserves the half score. You can go up to three times and stop whenever you want though.
Game Guy's Roulette - 1/10. This minigame is TOUGH to win in. There are SO many choices meaning you have a much better shot of losing. What they should've done is at least given you two spots to choose from because this minigame is heavily stacked against you.
Game Guy's Sweet Surprise - 6/10. Not that bad either but thinking the big Chain Chomp will win only to have the smaller one beat it is pretty degrading. However, it's another Game Guy minigame where your chances of winning are higher.

Phew! That is that! Obviously, I didn't do this all in one day as this was a three day progess (of course I'm also balancing work). Mario Party 3 has a good slew of minigames and some of the better 4-player minigames. Most of the "lows" were luck-based minigames but fortunately, they aren't that common. I plan on making my rankings and regular blog series and the next one I may do is Super Mario 64 worlds. I'm in a N64 mood lol. Thanks for reading!

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