How To Unlock Characters In Super Mario Party
Super Mario Party brings classic digital board game entertainment to the Nintendo Switch with a massive roster of iconic characters. While players can immediately choose from a variety of fan-favorite heroes and villains, four hidden figures require specific milestones to become playable. Unlocking these characters adds more strategic diversity to your dice rolls and enhances the overall multiplayer experience.
How to Unlock Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong
Expanding the roster requires completing specific paths within the main game modes. To secure Donkey Kong as a playable character, you must successfully navigate the River Survival mode and complete three entirely different routes. Once you reach the goal lines, head over to the Plaza where you will find him hanging out in the crowd.
Diddy Kong requires a different approach that focuses on the single-player Challenge Tower. Players must progress through the initial stages and successfully conquer World 2 of this gauntlet to bring him into the main roster. After completing the final challenge of that world, visit the Plaza to officially add this agile combatant to your group selections.
Unlocking Dry Bones and Pom Pom
The remaining two hidden villains are tied to the standard board game modes and advanced tower progression. Dry Bones appears randomly in the Party Plaza after players spend a significant amount of time playing the traditional board game mode. There is no strict requirement for winning a match, as simply completing several games will cause this skeletal character to appear near the back of the hub world.
Pom Pom requires a deeper commitment to the single-player content available inside the game. You must demonstrate your minigame prowess by advancing through the Challenge Tower until you successfully clear the boss battle at the end of World 5. Meeting this condition triggers her appearance in the Plaza, allowing you to invite her into your future multiplayer matches.
Tips for Efficient Roster Progression
Unlocking every hidden companion goes much faster if you focus on one game mode at a time rather than constantly swapping settings. Working through the Challenge Tower continuously ensures you hit the progression gates for both Diddy Kong and Pom Pom in a single afternoon. Additionally, playing with friends can make the repetitive board game requirements for Dry Bones feel much more engaging.
Always remember to manually check the Party Plaza after finishing a long session of board games or river expeditions. The unlocked characters will not automatically appear on your selection screen until you physically walk up and speak to them in the central hub area. Taking a few minutes to talk to these NPCs permanently secures their spots on your character selection grid for all future gatherings.