Yes, You Can Play Mario Party Online with 2 Players on the Same Nintendo Switch

As a long-time fan of Mario Party going back to the Nintendo 64 days, one of the most common questions I see is whether or not two people can play Mario Party online together from the same Switch system.

The answer is yes – you and a friend or family member can play Mario Party online against other friends with both of you playing on the same console. However, there are a few caveats to be aware of.

Let‘s dig into the details on playing Mario Party online multiplayer so you know exactly how it works.

Online Play Comparison: Super Mario Party vs Superstars

When it comes to playing Mario Party online, there are two main game options available on Nintendo Switch:

Super Mario Party did add online minigame functionality later via a software update. However, this excluded the main board game mode that Mario Party is known for.

Mario Party Superstars on the other hand was developed with online multiplayer in mind from the start. As a result, it offers a full suite of online play options that most closely resembles local couch multiplayer that the series has traditionally been played.

This makes Superstars clearly the better choice if you plan to play Mario Party games online.

Online Multiplayer Formats

Mario Party Superstars provides two main methods for playing online multiplayer:

Friends Matches: Play against people on your Nintendo friend list
Private Games: Create a custom room and invite specific friends

Both support voice chat so you can talk smack directly to your friends while playing online.

Based on my experience playing countless Mario Party matches online, private games tend to offer the most seamlessly fun experience thanks to playing solely with people you know. However, friends matches can work great too once you build up your Nintendo friend list with other gamers.

And of course you still have the option for local wireless play if internet connectivity is an issue.

Controllers for Local and Online Multiplayer

An important thing to keep in mind is that controller requirements differ slightly for local versus online play sessions:

While additional accessories like the Pro Controller work perfectly fine for offline matches in Superstars with multiple people using a single Switch, for online play you can only use Joy-Con controllers.

That means if two people want to play online from the same system, each person would need to use either a single Joy-Con or pair of two Joy-Cons. The Pro Controller and other offline accessories won‘t function for two players party online.

This Joy-Con limitation is because one player gets assigned to each side – Left and Right – when playing online multiplayer from the same device.

Playing Online Multiplayer with Friends

Thanks to Mario Party Superstars‘ robust online offerings, you have several options for playing Mario Party online with friends:

• 2 Players on 1 Switch Console: As covered already, two people can play from the same Switch online by each using a Joy-Con or pair of Joy-Cons
• Up to 4 Players Total: Across multiple Switches, you can have up to four total human players connected online. This could be:
  • 2 Switches with 2 local players each
  • 3 Switches with 1 local player each, and a 4th Switch with 2 players
  • Any other combination equaling 4 human players
• Mix Local and Online Friends: You can also combine local (same Switch offline) and online (remote Switch via internet) in the same match. Like 2 friends playing on one Switch while each connects online to a remote player on their own individual Switches.

Thanks to this flexibility, you‘re able to play Mario Party online with friends and family in a variety of configurations to suit your specific multiplayer situation.

Playing Online Against Random Players

In addition to playing friends online, Mario Party Superstars does provide the ability to be matched randomly with online players outside of your friends list.

However, there is one major catch – playing against random online gamers limits you to 1 player per Nintendo Switch system.

So if you and your sibling, spouse, roommate or whoever want to play Mario Party online together from the same Switch, you won‘t be able to do so against random players.

My advice if you wish to play online Mario Party from the same system is stick to creating private friend matches rather than random matchmaking. This allows you and your player two buddy to team up against online friends for 2v2 action.

Which Game is Better for Online Multiplayer?

Given the wider range of online multiplayer options and full board game support in Mario Party Superstars, it stands head and shoulders above Super Mario Party as the best Mario Party package on Nintendo Switch for online play.

Some key advantages Superstars offers for online fans include:

• Robust matchmaking with both friends and random players
• Ability to play full board game mode online
• Voice chat capability when playing friends
• Support for 2 players from a single Switch system
• Good mix of brand new boards plus retro boards from classic Mario Party games

While Super Mario Party deserves credit for adding at least basic online functionality after launch, Mario Party Superstars is clearly the title to choose for the best online Mario Party experience on Nintendo Switch right now.

Top Tips for Playing Mario Party Superstars Online

Based on my firsthand experience grinding away at Mario Party Superstars online matches, here are some top tips I recommend for getting in on the online action:

Brush up against CPU first – Before jumping into online multiplayer, play some offline matches against CPU opponents first. This will help you get familiar with boards and polish your minigame skills.

Add gaming friends – Expand your Nintendo friend list with other gamers you know to give you the widest range of friends to play against online.

Use voice chat – For playing friends online, make sure to use the available voice chat. This takes the trash talking and laughter to the next level!

Try different combinations – Experiment with playing 1 on 1, 2 on 2, 1v3, etc against friends online to find your favorite setup. All combinations keep matches feeling fresh.

At the end of the day, while both Mario Party series titles on Switch offer some form of online support, Mario Party Superstars stands tall as the definitive Mario Party package for online multiplayer functionality.

I hope this detailed overview clarifies exactly how to play Mario Party online with 2 people on the same Nintendo Switch! Let the epic online matchups continue.