Available on: Switch
Played on: Switch
Super Mario Party Jamboree arrives on Nintendo Switch as the 13the game in the long-running board game party series. The core formula of roll-move-minigame remains untouched, but smart changes and fun new game modes make it the most robust Mario Party yet.
Read on for our review of Super Mario Party Jamboree!
Everyone’s Invited
In case you’ve somehow missed ever playing a Mario Party game: it’s a digital board game, where players roll dice to move along a board, landing on spaces and earning coins, buying items, or changing elements of the board. The goal is to purchase stars, which move around the board after each purchase. After each round, players engage in a minigame to earn extra coins.
Jamboree features seven boards (three of which must be unlocked), including four brand-new boards. The new boards include distinct themes and fun mechanics, such as high tide in Goomba’s Lagoon stranding players on circular islands, or the long, fast speedways of Roll ’em Raceway prioritizing mushrooms and double, triple, or even quadruple dice items.
Minigames can be a mixed bag in any Mario Party game, but out of the 110+ games in Jamboree, we only loathed a handful (I never want to play Gate Key-pers again!). You’ll find rhythm games, memory games, platformers, races, and motion controls — though thankfully the latter can be turned off if you don’t like them (or don’t have enough Joy-Con to pass out to players).
Jamboree Buddies are the main new addition to the traditional Mario Party experience. At random turn intervals (averaging once or twice a 10-12 match game), a character will appear on the board. When someone reaches them, it triggers an epic Showdown minigame tied to that character. Showdown games include pinball arcades with Waluigi, rhythm bongos with Donkey Kong, or lengthy 3D platforming with Yoshi.
Many of the Showdowns feature mini-games within mini-games, and some of them are a little long in the tooth. But the prize is highly coveted: the Jamboree Buddy will accompany you for three turns, doubling rewards (and penalties) and providing a special ability, such as buying items for half the cost, or rolling higher numbers.
But the real bonus is annoyingly powerful: the ability to purchase two stars at once for double the price. That ability has turned the tables on many a Mario Party game, perhaps a bit too much in a game that can already be frustratingly swingy. Sure, players can steal buddies by lapping each other, and buddies only last for three turns, but they’re still just a bit too powerful, and there’s no way to turn them off. Peach is especially game-breakingly powerful – letting players purchase a star (or two) at half the cost!
On the plus side, more competitive players will enjoy the new, optional Pro rules, which vastly limit the chaotic, random elements in every match. Every player starts with an item of their choice, the shops are limited, and the sole bonus star is announced from the start. One could argue that Mario Party is all about the random chaos, but I’m happy both options are there.
Party Planning
Jamboree comes stacked with lots of additional game modes outside of the traditional four player Mario Party.
Minigame Bay lets players tackle minigames at their own pace, including rotating daily challenges. Players who enjoy motion controls can check out Motion Island for specific mini-games, including Paratroopa flying and Rhythm Kitchen.
Koopathalon and Bowser Kaboom Squad takes the series online with special multiplayer modes that accommodate more players.
Kaboom Squad supports up to eight players in a special co-op minigame, while Koopathlon features 20 players competing in a series of three coin-collecting minigames that get progressively harder. For every coin, players move one space on a simple board, a real-time race via solo games. After each round, players compete together to survive a challenging Bowser game, possibly getting knocked backward as a result.
These are decent diversions, but the only mode that has much staying power for me is the new single player Party Planner Trek (which ironically is the only non-repeatable mode).
In Party Planner Trek, a solo player helps each Party board set up for its debut. The player freely moves around the board, talking to various denizens and completing simple fetch quests, or engaging in minigames.
It’s simple but clever, as players earn mini-stars to unlock a boss fight and a unique minigame event. By completing quests and earning stars, players can unlock new decoration pieces for the Plaza hub. The rewards are kind of lame, but I enjoyed an excuse to explore the boards at my own pace and work on getting 1st place in all the mini-games.
I also enjoyed having an overarching progression system of unlockable stuff, not unlike a battle pass. By earning achievements (such as playing on a new board for the first time), I unlock additional goodies in the Party Plaza (such as decorations or music tracks), and more importantly, the three unlockable boards. Super Mario Party Jamboree is already fun, but I always appreciate being rewarded for playing!
The Rating
Super Mario Party Jamboree is rated E for Everyone with Mild Fantasy Violence.
The Takeaway
With some of the best parts of old and new iterations, Super Mario Party Jamboree proves the series still has more to give. The traditional Mario Party mode remains a fantastic couch co-op experience for friends and families — even my four year old could join in and play many of the games. And the bevy of additional game modes and variations ensures we’re getting a complete package that’s more than worth an all-new installment.
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