Mario Party on the N64 is basically the reason my childhood friendships survived—or got temporarily ruined, depending on who stole your stars last minute. You roll dice, move around these colorful boards, and then suddenly you're in a frantic mini-game where you're either mashing buttons to rotate a stick or desperately trying not to get knocked off a platform. The chaos is the whole point.

It looks simple—cute graphics, goofy sound effects—but there’s actual strategy buried under all the luck. Do you hoard coins for that one expensive star space, or gamble on landing on a hidden block? And good luck explaining to your friend why you just screwed them over in "Bumper Balls" for the third time in a row.

Best played with at least one overly competitive person in the room. The game’s still a blast solo, but half the fun is watching someone rage-quit after losing a 1v3 mini-game.