Super Mario Party Jamboree Review (Switch)

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Super Mario Party Jamboree Review (Switch)

The new Mario Party has been released, and expectations have been high. After years of mediocrity in the series, fans have longed for the franchise’s glory days. So does this game live up to the hype? Or does it fall flat?

Spoiler alert: the game is really good. It has its issues, but Jamboree lives up to the hype. But why? Well, let’s find out.

The Good

There’s a lot to like about this game. For starters, Super Mario Party Jamboree has a great hub area. The Party Plaza allows players to buy various emotes, customize their profile, and check out their achievements. The Party Plaza also allows players to access the single player. Everything the player needs is right there, and I’m really glad they added all of this. Trying to collect enough credits to buy all of the reactions and stickers is a nice goal for players to work toward. I also think including the achievements was a great idea as it gives the player a sense of progression. The single player is also fine, nothing special, but still a nice addition.

I also like the selection of mini-games. There’s a nice mix of old and new, with even a few present in Superstars being brought back in some form. There’s also a variety of types when it comes to the mini-games. There are the standard free-for-all, 1 vs. 3, and 2 vs. 2 mini-games, and the unique challenges for the different buddies in the game. There are also the motion and the mini-games, which help to round out the selection.

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I really like the roster of characters as well. Most of the main staples of the Mario series are present here, along with a decent selection of enemies from the series. On top of that, there are two unlockable characters — Pauline and Ninji. I think both are great additions to the series and help to spice up the roster. The way to obtain them, simply by finding them while on the hot air balloon, is a simple yet unique way of unlocking characters that I like. I do have some minor issues with the roster, which I will discuss later.

I also think the selection of boards is great. There’s a nice variety of settings and the actual design of the boards is much more unique than the original Super Mario Party. Each board also has a unique gimmick that makes them stand out. Not only that, but Jamboree also brought back two older boards from previous Mario Party games, those being Western Land from Mario Party 2 and Mario’s Rainbow Castle from the original Mario Party. Bringing some past boards back and incorporating them with the new ones is an amazing idea. While there are a few boards that aren’t great, the combination of old and new boards makes this one of the best selections of boards in the Mario Party series.

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The biggest point in Jamboree’s favor, however, is the variety of modes in the game. There are plenty of things for players to do. Besides the standard Mario Party mode, players can also play the brand-new Kooplathon mode, where players can play with up to 19 other players in a race to collect the most coins.

There are also modes utilizing motion controls. Rhythm Kitchen is a great side mode with very similar vibes to the Rhythm Heaven series. Toad’s Item Factory is also fun, though is definitely better with friends. In my opinion, Koopa’s Flight School is the worst of the motion modes, though I am happy with its inclusion.

Bowser’s Kaboom Squad is a fun cooperative mode for up to 8 players. There’s also Minigame Bay, which lets you not only play the different mini-games in Jamboree, but also offers a variety of other modes, such as Boss Rush, Survival Mode, and the Daily Challenge. With all of this, there really is something for everybody in this game. If you don’t like one mode, you can play another. I think this aspect is the game’s biggest strength, among the many it has.

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The Bad

Next, I’ll be talking about the problems in the game, though there isn’t much to complain about. As I mentioned previously, the roster does have some issues. There are some notable exclusions from the roster, such as Diddy Kong and Dry Bones. I also wish other characters, such as Nabbit and Pirannah Plant, were playable. Even still, the roster is amazing, so this isn’t too big of an issue.

Another minor issue I had was the pace of the game. Boards in the Mario Party mode could sometimes be a slog to go through. However, the ******* issue I ran into was the transition between menus, specifically at Minigame Bay. It takes a good few seconds for the characters to run up the dock, and there’s no way to skip it. Again, a minor critique, but I wish that these transitions were a little faster.

A major issue I have with Jamboree is the buddy characters. Each buddy has a unique ability, along with allowing the player to buy two stars and causing actions to occur twice. Buddies are a nice addition to the game, but they’re pretty useless overall. Some buddies, such as Luigi barely affect the gameplay. Beyond that, it is far too easy to lose your buddy. All an opponent has to do is run past you to steal your buddy. Buddies can even be detrimental to the player, especially on King Bowser’s Keep due to the ludicrous amount of Bowser spaces that can show up. While I do like their inclusion in the game, ultimately, I just wish buddy characters were a little more useful and ******* to lose. It would make them feel like a more integral part of the game.

My biggest problem with Super Mario Party Jamboree is some of the boards. While I do like the selection of boards overall, some of the boards really *****. Goomba Lagoon isn’t terrible, but it just isn’t that great of a board. The worst board in the game, however, is King Bowser’s Keep. This board is extremely annoying to play on due to the absurd amount of Bowser spaces. If you land on a Bowser space too much, instead of rolling the roulette, you automatically lose a star. If you don’t have a star, you lose all your coins. You can get your coins and stars back if you manage to open the vault, but the passcode is randomized, so it’s up to luck whether or not you can open it. The buddies on this board make this problem worse since they cause the Bowser space to activate twice, making them borderline useless. All of these issues combined make this board not only the worst board in Jamboree, but one of the worst boards in the Mario Party series.

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Final Thoughts

Overall, Super Mario Party Jamboree is phenomenal. Jamboree delivers in almost every way, from the variety of modes to the roster of characters, the numerous mini-games, and the selection of boards. There are a few minor issues, but all in all, this game has a lot going for it. I do wish some of the boards were better and I do wish that a couple more characters were included, but even despite that, the board lineup is still great and the roster might be the best one in the series.

There’s something for everyone in this game. Even if you don’t like the randomness of regular Mario Party, you can always try out the Kooplathon or Rhythm Kitchen. The variety of modes combined with the mixture of old and new mini-games and boards makes this one of, if not the best, Mario Party ever made. If you’re looking for a party game to play with friends or family, or even if you’re just looking for a game to play online, I highly recommend giving Super Mario Party Jamboree a try.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is available now on Nintendo Switch.

The Review

Super Mario Party Jamboree

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