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We can all agree that Nintendo knocks it out of the park when making some of the best couch co-op games out there. When you think about a family-friendly reunion, Super Mario Party is always one of the first choices to have a mostly healthy competition between friends. With Super Mario Party Jamboree, Nintendo raised the bar a lot. Packed with new game modes, a plethora of mini-games, and some of the best stages ever, this is the definitive Mario Party. As long as you stick to the single-player mode, you’ll have a blast dashing, smashing blocks, and ruining your friends’ days in this board game-like adventure.
At first glance, you might think Super Mario Party Jamboree might seem like another re-packaging of this legendary franchise with a few mini-games and stages sprinkled on top. But that’s not the case. Mario Party Jamboree is full of things to do. From the various mini-game islands to the classic Party Mode and the large and highly customizable Party Plaza, this feels like one of the most complete packages of the series.
Classic Mario Party Revamped
In Super Mario Party Jamboree, we have the well-known Party Mode with turns to roll the dice, advance to the Star, and fight for your life in the mini-games. As in the previous Mario Party, different boards are available, and each has its own mechanics according to the theme. My favorite was Rainbow Galleria, a mall with a special deal hour that offers discounts on all items. You can also collect stamps around the map and exchange them for coins at the kiosk. Fortunately, most stages for this game are new, with only a couple of them returning from previous entries, so it will be fresh even for veterans of the series.
In addition to new board gimmicks, a Jamboree Buddie may appear. A character from the franchise can join you if you pass by their space, but they will only be there for a few turns. Each one has different abilities; for example, Yoshi can copy items. Rosalina doubles everything you get from a space, including the bad ones. And these are just two of the many you can meet. However, their best ability is that if you have one of these companions, you can buy two Stars in one turn. Also, if another player overtakes you on the board, they can steal your Jamboree Buddie, which I liked as it keeps the playing field fair for everyone.
What caught my attention is that, even if these games are usually more for friend gatherings, Super Mario Party Jamboree focuses a lot on Solo Players. Mainly in Kamek’s game mode, where you can visit the boards, but you won’t need any dice. You can move forward or backward in as many spaces as you want to complete the tasks of other characters until you collect 30 Stars.
For instance, in between the tasks, I had to go around the map to find a screw for a Goomba to fix a zip line. I even saw Mario, who challenged me to a Mario-themed mini-game triathlon, and when I won, he said he would help me if I needed it. At first, I didn’t understand, but when I collected the 30 Stars and the Dragoneel boss stole them, I confronted it with Mario’s help to get them back.
Lastly, online matches are something that I also tried, and I had an underwhelming experience with them. I mainly tried the Party mode, which fortunately has a 30-second timer; it is perfect as some people take an eternity to do something. Unfortunately, the online is a bit unstable. I played without problems for about 30 minutes, but then the game started to have a “Connection Error.” Fortunately, you can reconnect to the same match fast, so it doesn’t affect the turns too much. However, despite my good connection, I kept getting errors. While it didn’t ruin my overall experience, I made the call to stick with my solo experience and stay away from the online matches.
Koopathlon – Catch Me If You Can
In this game mode, the adrenaline of going at full speed without losing the essence of a board game is its main feature. Super Mario Party Jamboree adds its take on Mario Kart in which you must race on a circuit in this 20-player competition. Here, your speed and the places you advance in the race will depend on the results of how many coins you earn in each mini-game. Unfortunately, it is only available in single-player mode, which is sad as it is one of the most fun and fast-paced additions to the game.
Also, things are not so easy because Impostor Bowser will do everything to stop anyone from winning; every three mini-games, he will appear to challenge all racers in a survival encounter. These interventions are quite frustrating because if you lose, you will move back spaces depending on your place.
For example, I was in the first place, and during Impostor Bowser’s mini-game, only Rosalina and I were alive, and then I lost. So Rosalina advanced several squares until she overtook me, and I also had to go back 30 spaces. In this game mode, you should not only focus on collecting Coins but try to beat Impostor Bowser’s challenge as well, or you could finish last in a single turn.
Bowser Kaboom Squad – A Common Enemy
In this game, you can unload all your anger against Impostor Bowser because you can attack him with up to 8 players, CPU or online. The board will be a small island where crates will fall from the sky in The Hunger Games and Fortnite style. You must break the boxes because, inside them, you will find bombs to load your cannon and valuable items. Of course, Impostor Bowser will be chasing you, and the cheater will use minions to trap players to avoid the attack in every round. Don’t worry; you can free your friends or help them break crates. Also, between rounds, there will be co-op games where everyone can earn more items for the battle.
If you don’t want to play a 120-minute match like Party Mode, this is a fast and dynamic option. If you also don’t want to play a lot of mini-games or prefer challenges with many characters, Bowser Kaboom Squad has everything you’re looking for. It’s ideal to play while you wait a few minutes, especially if you don’t want to get your butt handed to you by Birdo every single match.
Rhythm Kitchen – Harder Than It Looks
This game mode was the one I had more complications with, not because it was difficult but because you must have a good rhythm, as the name implies. Rhythm Kitchen is an all-around Master Chef-like with mini-games about cooking or baking. The kicker is that the timing of the actions works like a metronome. You must follow the exact rhythm when cutting vegetables, taking the bread out of the oven before it burns, or throwing fruits into a parfait. In Rhythm Kitchen, up to four players can join locally, or you can challenge the CPU to become the Gordon Ramsay of these cooking mini-games.
The mini-games include many of the new motion-controlled challenges in which you must use your Joy-Cons and practice your coordination. It is generally easy to switch between controls for motion-controlled mini-games; you just need to undock the Joy-Cons and synchronize them. However, a couple of times, my Nintendo Switch got stuck when I was changing controllers. However, it was quickly fixed by reconnecting the controllers to the screen, undocking them again, and re-syncing them.
Paratroopa Flight School – Flutter Those Wings
The next game mode is perfect for solo players or with just an extra friend locally, but you must each have a pair of Joy-Cons for the three motion-controlled mini-games. The mini-games include Sky Battle, where you can get the most Para-Biddybuds or sneak and steal them from your opponent. In Koopa Paratroopa Taxi, you must fly to pick up some of the game’s characters and take them to the marked location; be careful, there’s a time limit and many obstacles. Lastly, Free Flight is there for casual players who want to play without any time limit or other objectives.
The only issue I had when flying was the position of the Joy-Cons, as you have to put the buttons facing the floor, and the movements are more challenging than they seem. However, this didn’t detract me from the fun of the game once I understood the trick to glide fast. I only recommend that after so much flapping your wings, your arms will start to weigh you down, so make sure you take some rest.
Toad’s Item Factory – Heavy Equipment Operator License Required
In this guided tour to the factory that creates the items for all boards, you can go with up to 4 players on the same console, but everyone will need their Joy-Cons because to pass each section of the factory, you must activate the machinery with a motion-controlled mini-game. It was a challenge for me to coordinate both hemispheres of the brain to advance, especially when you have to pass a ball from side to side, up and down, using small moving platforms. Each stage has three levels, and at the end, you will create a unique item.
While it wasn’t the most engaging mode in Super Mario Party Jamboree, I liked it, especially because there is finally something that justifies the items we purchase on every board. I won’t rant about how I’d love more lore details in a board game-like series, but Toad’s Item Factory was a welcome addition, especially for players like myself who want to know the reasoning behind every game mode.
Mini-game Bay – Small Frenzied Doses
On this island, you can keep yourself away from boards and long encounters in the Free Play mode, where you can filter and play all the mini-games you prefer just for the sake of enjoying them. However, if you want a quick match without losing the fun of the game’s new features, you can try Tag Match, where two teams of two players have to overcome mini-games to see who survives and who drowns.
Also, you have the Daily Challenge, where you must complete a mini-game set, but they change every day. Finally, you also have the Showdown Mini-Game Battle, where the winner is the one who gets the most Coins after each mini-game. Finally, for a greater challenge, you can taste the adrenaline of competing with the best in Survival and climb positions in the global ranking. But be careful because losing a game will lower your ranking.
While I didn’t try this option as much as the others, I found it great, especially for practicing mini-games. Also, the Survival mode was a bit scary for me because I didn’t want to face any other connectivity issues that would hinder my progress. Other than that, this mode is perfect for a pick-up-and-play type of match or when your friends or you are not in the mood for a 90-minute run.
Classic With a Twist
A couple of months ago, I bought the previous Mario Party, which, although it’s fun, follows much the same line as previous installments. In truth, I found it a bit underwhelming after a few matches. With that in mind, I thought Super Mario Party Jamboree would be just another entry with just more mini-games. Yet, it was a pleasant surprise that Nintendo wanted to reinvent the wheel with their classic Party mode and so many other new game modes. Usually, Mario Party is a game that I only dust off on the rare occasion that I have guests over, but with Jamboree, I really just wanted to keep playing by myself.
Despite the connectivity and some strange control choices, Super Mario Party Jamboree doesn’t take away the cozy vibes of enjoying a relaxing or stressful evening (depending on how competitive you are) with your friends. It’s great that they thought more about those who don’t usually play with more people or by putting more incentives to play online. Overall, Super Mario Party Jamboree is the ultimate Mario Party experience and the one installment of the franchise that has raised extremely high. Hopefully, the next installments will improve upon what Jamboree has brought.
Review copy provided by Publisher.
Super Mario Party Jamboree (Nintendo Switch Reviewed)
Super Mario Party Jamboree preserves its classic and fun board game mode while adding more amazing mini-games to its catalog. It also brings innovative options for co-op, online, and solo that will keep you entertained for hours.
Pros
- Addition of incredible single-player options
- Innovation in existing game modes
- All new boards are terrific
Cons
- Controllers have a few synchronization problems
- Several connectivity issues
