Super Mario Party Jamboreeis possibly the biggest Mario Party game we’ve ever gotten, and it simply doesn’t stop until everyone has gone home.
As someone who’s regularly attended Mario’s little shindigs, I was excited to see whatJamboreewas bringing to the table. As far as the Nintendo Switch games are concerned,Super Mario Partywasn’t my cup of tea as it felt watered down and too simple compared to what came before, but I could appreciate it being a beginner-friendly title.Mario Party Superstarswas more up my street, offering the cutthroat gameplay I knew and loved from the classic games.
Take a look at the trailer forSuper Mario Party Jamboreebelow.
To my surprise,Super Mario Party Jamboreehas achieved the best of both worlds. Whether you’ve been on the invitation list since 1998 or have just stumbled in as someone’s plus one, this entry has more than enough content for you.
Advert
Advert
The main event is obviouslytheMario Party. After selecting your favourite character, now including Pauline and Ninji once you’ve “found” them, you’ll be able to pick from five boards, and unlock another two later. The rules are the same as they’ve always been, roll the dice, move around the board, collect stars and coins, and do a minigame when everyone’s had a turn.
It’s a fantastic blend of the old and new formula, and that sentiment carries through to the boards themselves as well as the minigames on selection.
Nintendo
Advert
Advert
As I mentioned, five boards are available from the get-go, with two more being unlockable as you complete challenges in the game. Two are returning maps from the Nintendo 64 era, and the other five are brand-new and unique toSuper Mario Party Jamboree. As any seasoned veteran of Mario Party will know, each board has a gimmick or obstacle to spice things up, like Rainbow Galleria being a shopping mall with flash sales on items, and Western Land having a train to get you round the board quicker, whilst also knocking anyone caught in its path back to the beginning. I loved the selection here, and while each board is given a star rating for difficulty, this more so applies to how complex the gimmick is, making every map perfectly fine to start with.
Super Mario Party Jamboreealso delivers over 150 minigames, offering a mixture of button and motion controls, though you can turn motion controls off if you’d prefer. Again, we see some returning classics from previous games, but the new minigames are all fun in their own right. This is where the game could fall flat though, as despite there being over 150 to choose from, I seemed to be getting the same ones each time I played. During one game, I could have sworn I’d played the same basketball minigame about three times. I want to give the game the benefit of the doubt and blame it on bad luck, though it was noticeable, and a bit annoying since I wanted to see more variety.
For the players who really want to test their mettle though, I’d recommend the Pro Rules mode, which gives every player an item at the start of the game, as well as changes other aspects to make things really competitive.
Advert
Advert
Nintendo
For solo players, Party-Planner Trek takes you behind-the-scenes to the set-up required for one of Mario’s raves. This sees the player traverse every board before it’s open for business, helping the shopkeepers get their inventory in order, helping a goomba find the key for his minigame, and challenging other party goers just for fun.
The game also leans heavily into online multiplayer modes, like Bowser Battle, where a group of players take on Imposter Bowser in a cannon battle, completing minigames for power-ups and abilities. My personal favourite was the Koopathlon, a high-speed race to complete laps of a track, where how you perform in the minigames determines how many spaces you move forward. This mode can be played with up to 20 players, so I’m looking forward to seeing what chaos unfolds when other players get their hands on the game.
Advert
Advert
Nintendo
Pros: Classic Mario Party fun, new boards and minigames are welcome additions, a wealth of modes for all party sizes, balanced difficulty options for all skill levels
Advert
Advert
Cons: Minigames didn’t seem to be shuffled well at times
For fans of: Super Mario, party games
9/10: Exceptional
Topics:Reviews,Nintendo Switch,Nintendo,Mario,Mario Party,Super Mario
