Super Mario Party Jamboree
October 17, 2024
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Publisher
Nintendo
Developer
Nintendo Cube
Nintendo’s other franchises may rise and fall, but the ever-reliable Mario Party has continued to thrive since 1998. We’ve received two entries in the franchise on the Switch, a fairly well-received soft reboot of the Super Mario Party series and an even more Mario throwback Party Superstars, and now, we get the third. As the name suggests, Super Mario Party Jamboree is largely a continuation of what Super Mario Party started, with a focus on new modes and features over nostalgia.
So, is Super Mario Party Jamboree a good one in the series? Or do you want to do a rain check this time? It’s time to get to the bottom of this mess!
One of the first things you’ll notice when you join the Super Mario Party Jamboree is that developer Nintendo Cube is here and inviting all fashion to the meeting. In addition to the core Mario Party board game, you get a pair of large group online modes, a series of motion control-focused modes, a full “Party-Planner Trek” single-player campaign, and more.
For those unfamiliar with the standard Mario Party formula, four players roll dice, move around various themed boards, and earn coins based on where they land and win minigames, which are then used to buy Stars. The player with the most Stars at the end of the game is the winner. Super Mario Party Jamboree features seven boards (five new boards, two boards returning from previous games), with most of the new boards revolving around relatively clever gimmicks — Goomba Lagoon has its ups and downs, Rainbow Galleria has more stores than can usually hold sales random flash, etc.
New this time is “Jamboree Buddies”, which is a reworking of the Ally system from several previous Mario Party titles. Friends are earned by winning tricky minigames specific to them and, once acquired, grant some sort of passive boost (dice roll bonuses, extra coins) and, perhaps most importantly, double the effect of each space on the board. Yes, that includes being able to buy two Stars at once. This may sound a bit excessive, but Jamboree Buddies only last for three rounds, and other players can steal them if they pass you on the board.
Relatively minor changes like Jamboree Buddies, it’s still largely Mario Party as you probably already know it, with all the good and bad that comes with it. At its best, the core Mario Party board game experience can be a fun time, but it can also be overly drawn-out and arbitrary, with winners and losers often determined by chance. At least, that’s what happens if you play in standard Party Mode. Surprisingly, Nintendo has actually done something to address long-standing complaints about the arbitrary nature of Mario Party with new “Pro Rules.”
This new way of playing the somewhat confusingly titled game essentially reduces the amount of random chance — for example, Lucky Spaces now lets you choose the outcome rather than relying on roulette, and there’s just one Bonus Star at the end of the game and you know what’s going to happen beforehand. As someone who doesn’t really like the changeable nature of Mario Party, I was quickly drawn to this mode.
Of course, the board and rules are only part of the fun – minigames matter a lot in Mario Party and Jamboree is a good, if somewhat mixed bag. Classics from Mario Party past like Platform Peril, Treasure Divers, and Three Throw return, and honestly, they’re the most fun of them all. While there are some nice additions, some of the many new minigames are too complicated for their own good, often lasting only a few minutes. Mario Party is best when it’s kept simple.
Super Mario Party Jamboree’s 100+ minigames certainly look good. Mario Party has quietly been one of Nintendo’s more visually impressive series over the years, and that’s also true of Jamboree. The boards and minigames are colorful, sharp, and packed with detail. Performance glitches occasionally appear, but they are relatively rare and not very noticeable, especially compared to some of Nintendo’s other recent titles.
Looking further afield, Jamboree features a trio of new modes focused on motion controls, some more successful than others. Paratroopa Flight School, which tasks players with physically flapping their arms to complete Pilotwings-style challenges, is too fussy for its own good, recalling the worst of the Wii era. Toad Factory, which challenges up to four players to manipulate blocks to direct a ball into a goal, is decent, if a bit dry. The winner is Rhythm Kitchen, a series of beat-based cooking-themed minigames that are simple enough not to be frustrating while still providing an engaging thrill.
Players can also look forward to a pair of online-focused modes (these aren’t the only online options as the core Mario Party modes and more can also be handled via your friends list or matchmaking). Bowser Kaboom Squad is a cooperative mode in which teams of 8 players collect bombs to battle Kaiju-sized Bowsers, with team minigames played intermittently to obtain useful items. Koopathlon is a racing-themed option with 20 players playing solo minigames to earn coins, which determine your placement on the track. After each round, a 20-player survival minigame is played, giving this mode a distinct Fall Guys flavor.
Notes: While Koopathlon and Bowser Kaboom Squad are promising, I wasn’t able to play either online during the review period due to their high player requirements. Somewhat frustratingly, your options for playing both modes are somewhat limited — either you play with a full complement of online players, or play solo against a CPU opponent. There is no more different option to combine local and online players. While I think the CPU opponents gave me a pretty good idea of how to play this mode, I’ll tackle it online after launch and update my review. That said, it’s unlikely my score will change unless the large-scale online mode is down due to server issues.
Party-Planner Trek’s single-player campaign is a welcome break — many Mario Parties skip such things altogether — but if we’re honest, the series never really worked as a solo effort. Party-Planner Trek tasks players with going around the Jamboree game board and completing “missions” for various NPCs, which usually involve completing minigames or retrieving items located elsewhere on the board. This all works well enough, but aside from a few unique challenges designed specifically for this mode, the whole thing feels like it’s been hacked together with existing pieces.
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And that’s not all! “Minigame Bay” lets you engage in free play, daily challenges, ranked online survival mode, and more. There are also a variety of base cosmetics available to purchase with in-game coins in the central plaza or by completing achievements to work through a battle-pass style progression path. Nintendo is promoting Jamboree as the biggest entry in the series, and there’s no denying that they’ve delivered the content to keep this Mario Party buzzing for additional hours.
This review is based on a copy of Super Mario Party Jamboree provided by publisher Nintendo.
Super Mario Party Jamboree doesn’t bring anything too surprising to this well-worn series, and not all the modes and minigames will get you excited, but overall, the game offers a lot to celebrate. Jamboree may not appeal to those who have had their fill of Nintendo goodies, but those who still want to throw a button-mashing party should appreciate how much they’ve packed into this goody bag.
Excess
- Polished presentation
- Smart new board design
- Pro Rules make the game fairer
- Minigames are fun if kept simple
- The new online mode shows promise
- Lots of ways to play overall
Counter
- Motion controlled modes are a mixed bag
- Some minigames are too complicated
- The solo campaign is not inspiring
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