In my experience, party games can be fun, challenging, and competitive. A common marketing phrase that has existed long before gaming has been “fun for the whole family,” and party games can get everyone involved—your parents, siblings, relatives, and friends can all join in and make gaming a family and/or friends event. Throw in the classic Mario characters we all know and love, and it becomes even better as multiple generations of people will be familiar with our favorite Italian plumber and his ever-growing cast of friends in Super Mario Party Jamboree.
Players start in the Party Plaza and can choose from a cast of 22 characters, including Mario, Luigi, Toad, Yoshi, Bowser, Daisy, Peach, and more. New characters include Pauline from the Donkey Kong series and Ninji from Super Mario Bros. 2. The main mode, simply named Mario Party, lets you and three other friends (or AI-controlled characters) play a board game where whoever collects the most stars wins. Sounds simple enough, right? There is a lot that Jamboree offers in this installment.
You can collect items that can help or harm your chances at winning, and at the end of everyone’s turns, you play a minigame that requires mastery of motion controls (although you can turn them off). Jamboree Buddies can come in and help you win the game as well after playing the mini-game, and they can last three turns. For instance, you can have Waluigi steal coins from your opponents when he passes them. For those with that competitive spirit in them, you can also play with “Pro Rules” that removes most luck-based aspects in the game and truly makes it a test of skill.
For those going at it solo, you can play “Party Planner Trek” mode and talk to various NPCs who give you quests or mini-games to collect Mini-Stars to unlock customization options for your characters. When you collect a certain number of Mini-Stars, you then play a Boss Minigame (complete with boss health bars and all). Another mode called “Minigame Bay” mode allows you to freely play any minigame or a set of minigames that can be arranged by themes, allowing you to truly challenge yourself even in an unbalanced way (1v3). Boss Rush sub-mode, which is unlocked after 30 in-game achievements, allows you and your friends to compete in boss minigames with the highest score winning.
One of my favorite modes that utilizes motion controls is “Rhythm Kitchen” mode, a rhythm-based minigame with a cooking theme. “Toad’s Factory” mode is a puzzle-based game where players have to move a ball to a goal (and a corporate team-building exercise if you so wish). The mode that truly tested my party game chops was “Paratroopa Flight School” mode as you have to move singular Joy-Con controllers to mimic flapping wings a la the notorious 2013 mobile game Flappy Bird. You can compete in sub-modes for time attack, carry characters to destinations, or even just fly around aimlessly.
Jamboree brings a pretty interesting mode called “Bowser Kaboom Squad” mode which allows eight players to fight Imposter Bowser through various objectives and by playing minigames for objects to defeat him faster. “Koopathlon” mode has 20 players competing to complete laps around a board through collecting coins in minigames. After three of these minigames, a Bowser-themed minigame happens when players can be sent backward on the board if they lose. You can play either through local or online multiplayer, allowing you to keep the fun going in-person or online. You can even climb an online leaderboard by playing minigames and compete to be the very best not only among your friends and family, but also among people all over the world.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is fun for everyone, bringing the nostalgia of previous Mario Party entries while introducing the characters to a whole new generation of gamers. The Mario franchise is Shigeru Miyamoto’s brainchild, and Jamboree continues to build on a legacy that has lasted for over 40 years and continues to wow all gamers to this very day. It’s a solid addition for the holiday season, and a good time sink if you want to get competitive with friends, family, and even Internet strangers.
Developer(s): Nintendo Cube
Publisher(s): Nintendo, Nintendo of America Inc.
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Words by Jose Alvarez
Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE November 2024 Issue.