Nintendo is hosting a new party on the Switch and everyone’s invited—a newMario Party,that is!Super Mario Party Jamboreeis the newest release in this classic party game franchise.
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With new boards, new mini-games, new game modes—including competitive online partying—and more, this installment is certainly vying to be a Super Star. But how does it compare to prior games?
If you and your friends already have a favorite edition ofMario Party,do you really needJamboree?Can it inspire friendly feuds likeMonopolyand other board game classics?
Let’s fly over to Party Plaza and find out!
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A Rockin' Party
WhileSuper Mario Party Jamboreeoffers a whoppingeight different game modes,the classic “Mario Party” experience is the game’s heart. Play any priorMario Partygames? You’ll be right at home.
The core gameplay remains the same as in most games throughout the franchise—punch a dice block and race around the game boardcollecting Coins and Stars with a minigame at the end of each turn.Whoever has the most stars at the end, wins.
You have seven boards to pick from, althoughonly four are available right away.Plus, you have a robust selection of 22 characters throughout Mario’s history, including two newcomers:NinjiandPauline.
One new addition to the formula is theJamboree Buddymechanic. Similar to the “ally” mechanic inSuper Mario Party,another character shows up which provides benefits if you win their Showdown Minigame. Their abilities range from mildly beneficial to obnoxiously good.
The presence of Jamboree Buddies adds a distinctly “swingy” feel to the standard game, even above and beyond the usual RNG associated withMario Party,because in addition to their special ability, a Jamboree Buddy doubleseverythingyou do. This includes buying Stars!
Overall, though, Jamboree Buddies are an exciting tweak on a familiar mechanic. The Showdown Minigames are a highlight ofJamboree,and winning one offers a real chance of catching up with or surging ahead of your opponents.
Pros At The Party
While Buddies add variance to theMario Partyformula,Jamboreealso introducesPro Rules to reduce RNG and restrict settings to provide a consistent experience.Despite the “competitive” vibe of these rules, I’ve found they’re still great for casual multiplayer.
With settings like voting to select each mini-game and beginning each game with a bonus item, the Pro Rules are exciting because player choices become more important. There’s still a lot of randomness—it’sMario Party,after all—but having more decisions makes beating your friends more meaningful.
Unfortunately, the settings menu for the Party Rules is pretty limited, so you may’t really mix & match to create custom rules. Indeed, that’s one of my only gripes aboutJamboree!
Jamboreealso featuresranked competitive play with the Pro Rules.Grinding a worldwide ladder inMario Partyseems sort of against the spirit of the genre, but I mean …Fall Guysis popular, so there’s probably an audience? Ranked play is an odd addition, but it’s not like it detracts from the game.
Variants On The Classic
Super Mario Party Jamboreeincludes several different ways to play. That said, it’s hard to consider Minigame Bay a “variant” since a mode for individually playing has been included since the very first game.
The new options range from PVE against Impostor Bowser, to racing other players around the Koopathlon’s racetrack. Each mode includes its own distinctive minigames. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of these games—most are pretty fun, despite often riffing on familiar concepts (likeTetris).
Kamek’s Party-Planner Trek is probably my favorite new mode because it offers a fun way to unlock Decorations, earn Achievements (which contribute to unlocking new boards and cosmetics), and access unique mini-games.
Offering 4–8 hours of play, it’s an interesting addition that (fortunately) doesn’t overstay its welcome. It was a fun way to familiarize myself with the new boards in solo play, but when I finished it I had no real urge to play further.
In contrast, the rest ofSuper Mario Party Jamboree’smodes are fun, but offer pretty much the same experience each time you play.
Despite having fun minigames, the core “idea” of these modes grows repetitive. That’s one reason the Pro Rules stand out to me—the choices they add make the gamemoreinteresting through consistency, not less.
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Motion Control Mayhem
Three additional game modes inSuper Mario Party Jamboreefocus on using the Joy-Cons for motion-controlled gameplay.
Considering nearly half the game’s minigames use some form of motion controls, it’s not surprising that we’ve got additional game modes using the feature.
While motion controls are somewhat out of vogue—even on the Switch—they’re still a great fit for party games (as was demonstrated by thesurprisingly good Wii Sports).
I especially like that each motion-control game mode feelsdistinct.The gameplay varies both in the type of motion required and in the conceptual goal of each game. (This also holds true for the motion-control minigames in the standard game.)
That said, these modes still feel a lot like “gimmicks.” Their replayability is limited, with only Paratroopa Flight School having any real depth.
Wonderful Blend of Novelty And Nostalgia
All of these options and alternatives are lovely, but they mean very little if the core game doesn’t hold up. After all, no one grabs aMario Partygame anticipating a flight simulator—we’re here for the digital board game!
Fortunately,Super Mario Party Jamboreecompares well with past versions. Although the game doesn’t innovate on the franchise’s basic formula, major changes were neither necessary nor desirable.
What we do have are small tweaks and quality-of-life adjustments—like the Pro Rules or the ability to fast-forward event animations—that improve the play experience. The new boards are good fun and fit in well with pastMario Partygames.
More substantial experiments are restricted to the additional game modes. This ensures that if you’re here forMario Party,you’ll getMario Party.
If you want something different, though, more options are available. While the additional modes aren’t as strong as the core game, they also aren’t the focal point, so I’m really not that fussed if they’re a bit phoned-in.
Closing Comments
Super Mario Party Jamboree is an excellent party game, and compares well with previous titles in the franchise. While remaining true to the nostalgic formula, minor tweaks, improvements, and new game modes help it rise above the series' modern releases to shine as a Super Star. Even if you have either of the previous Mario Party games for Switch, Jamboree is worth considering.
