Our Verdict
Super Mario Party Jamboree is truly the final form of Mario Party on the Nintendo Switch, learning and growing from the past two games to create one massive masterpiece of multiplayer mayhem.
As much as it pains me to say this, the end of the year is approaching and the holiday season is just around the corner. I can’t believe how fast this year has come and gone, but this does mean that it’s that time of year when there are plenty of opportunities to sit down with your loved ones and play some good, old-fashioned party games. And boy, do I have a great one for you.
In my opinion, every family gathering should include a couple of rounds of Mario Party, and thanks to Super Mario Party Jamboree, we’ve got a whole new set of boards and minigames to try out this year. As a huge Mario Party fan and the host of many a game night, I jumped at the chance to give this latest iteration of the Switch multiplayer game a spin, and it has not disappointed me.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is the biggest Mario Party game on the Nintendo Switch, and you can definitely tell. As much as I love the series in all its forms, it’s hard to deny that the previous Switch titles were a little lacking, with Mario Party Superstars focusing on remastered boards and old minigames, and Super Mario Party’s tiny board pool. In comparison, Jamboree is the Mario Party game that I didn’t know I needed until now. Whether you play locally or online, prefer competitive or cooperative play, or simply want to enjoy some minigames on your own, there’s something for everyone in this game.
Let’s start with the character roster. Of course, Jamboree features all of your classic Mario Party characters like the Jumpman himself, Princess Peach, and my boy Yoshi, but you can also play as many adorable NPCs from the main games such as Monty Mole and Spike. Plus, Pauline and Ninji make their party debut in this game – once you unlock them.
Then there are the boards. Honestly, Super Mario Party Jamboree might have some of the best boards I have ever seen in all my years of playing. Each of them has a wonderfully unique mechanic and the designs and themes are exceptional. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that the Rainbow Galleria immediately caught my eye in the game’s trailer thanks to its bright colors and striking resemblance to Mario Kart Wii’s Coconut Mall (which is also one of the best Mario Kart tracks ever made.) My favorite part of the map is the stamp rally minigame, which is so quintessentially Japanese that it gave me fond memories of my trip to Tokyo earlier this year.
Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party is equally incredible, with a much simpler route around the map but the added fun of the ever-moving Mega Wiggler and the threat of a Wiggler Bell making him angry. Roll ‘Em Raceway is charming, too, which is a pleasant change for me since I’m a massive Space Land hater thanks to the Snifit Patrol chasing me off the board every three turns. The Raceway relies way less on chasing you off the board and instead features bounce pads that launch you across the map, but not far enough to make you miss the star.
Given the name, Super Mario Party Jamboree’s biggest new mechanic (for the Switch era at least) is the introduction of Jamboree buddies. These allies appear on the board for a set number of turns and if you recruit them, you get all kinds of bonuses like lucky spaces triggering twice and the ability to buy two stars at once. On the surface, in a game that’s already filled with so much RNG, it sounds like these Jamboree buddies simply favor whoever can get to them the fastest, but instead, all players have to compete in a minigame gauntlet to recruit them.
Sure, whoever got to the space first gets a slight advantage, but sometimes that advantage simply isn’t enough. Jamboree buddies can really spice up the game and each of them has a unique ability to take advantage of. Bowser Jr is all about setting traps for your opponents each time you land on a space, whereas Mario can make your dice rolls higher. Plus, even if you lose the minigame gauntlet, you can steal your opponent’s buddy just by passing them. They really aren’t very loyal.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Mario Party game without minigames. Super Mario Party Jamboree features over 110 minigames, both old and new, and makes really clever use of the Nintendo Switch’s motion controls. However, if motion controls aren’t your jam, you can turn off motion minigames before starting a match and still have a huge number of games to choose from. The sheer number of minigames on offer means you’re really unlikely to get many repeats, especially of the four-player minigames, so every match feels fresh.
If, like me, you watch a lot of YouTube videos of people out there who are unreasonably good at Mario Party, you’ll want to take a look at the Pro rules option. This ruleset takes some of the RNG out of the Mario Party experience and focuses more on strategy and minigame prowess so you can really show off your skills. Matches are locked at 12 turns and you know the bonus star ahead of time, so if you’re struggling to gain stars the normal way, you at least have a secondary goal to aim for.
Some of the negative spaces are particularly punishing using the Pro rules, like not being able to fight off Boo when he steals your coins, or Bowser spaces always making you lose a star, but that’s why it’s an optional rule set! This style of play is suited to people who like to take Mario Party way too seriously and make videos for me to watch and laugh at. However, once you’ve played at least one game using Pro rules, you unlock the option to vote for minigames in Party mode rather than relying on RNG, so depending on how random you like your games to be, it’s worth playing just to unlock that feature.
Now, I’ve never really found myself wanting a single-player campaign in Mario Party, but Jamboree has one called Party-Planner Trek. In this mode, you freely travel around the various boards, completing quests for NPCs by playing minigames, all in the hopes of helping Kamek plan a party. It’s a chill little side quest in this massive game, but definitely not the star of the show.
The main positive I’ve taken from playing Party-Planner Trek is that it let me practice minigames that my partner hasn’t seen before, so that comes in handy during the main game. My personal gripe with this solo campaign is that it doesn’t work well in handheld mode, which is how I prefer to play solo games. Sure, you can play with your Switch undocked, but due to the nature of the minigames, you have to play with one Joy-Con, so you can’t play with the Joy-Cons attached. It’s only a small complaint, but one worth noting.
If you still want to play with friends but don’t fancy tearing each other’s hair out, Super Mario Party Jamboree also has a decent selection of cooperative modes. Rhythm Kitchen and Toad’s Item Factory are cooperative and relaxed, but they also rely heavily on motion controls which can be a bit limiting based on your available space and physical access needs.
As a massive rhythm game and cooking game fan, Rhythm Kitchen is like a dream come true. It’s a hilarious mixture of Cooking Mama, Rhythm Paradise, and WarioWare that takes some getting used to but is more than worth it in the end. Toad’s Item Factory on the other hand is a set of incredibly relaxing puzzles that me and my partner had a great time working through. An added bonus is that you’re making actual items from the game, so you can learn about new ones as you make them!
Of course, as I got access to Super Mario Party Jamboree before its official release, I haven’t had a chance to try out the online modes yet, but I can’t wait to jump in. I’ll update this review once I’ve had a chance to try out the Koopathlon and Bowser Kaboom Squad modes properly.
Lastly, there’s tons of unexpected customization, specifically in the Party Plaza. You can decorate the environment with loads of adorable furniture items and adornments, and your player ID card is also a custom sticker sheet. As with the previous Switch Mario Party games, you can buy extra reaction stickers for your characters which makes playing with friends that little bit more hilarious, and there’s a background music shop too. You can truly make the Party Plaza your own.
Overall, Super Mario Party Jamboree is an absolute joy to play and is by far the best Mario Party game on the Nintendo Switch. The boards are inspired, the minigames are varied and fresh, and no two games feel the same. Do yourself a favor and make sure you grab this game before the holidays begin – you won’t regret it.
If you’re looking to stock up this holiday season, make sure you check out our lists of the best party games on mobile next. We’ve also ranked the best Mario Party minigames of all time for your perusal.