Nintendo’s celebration loses some shine in its effort to broaden its appeal.
By Dan Ryckert on October 15, 2024 at 6:33AM PDT
After experiencing a notable decline following the GameCube era, the Mario Party series began to show revitalization with its initial two releases on the Switch. Both Super Mario Party and Mario Party Superstars were commercially successful and generally favored by fans, yet the former overemphasized a new Ally system, while the latter functioned as a compilation of popular classic maps and minigames. As the console nears the conclusion of its life cycle, Super Mario Party Jamboree attempts to strike a balance between its predecessors but ends up facing a challenge of quantity overshadowing quality.
One undeniable advantage that Jamboree boasts is its impressive quantity. Nintendo claims this installment features the highest number of playable characters (22) and minigames (112) in the history of Mario Party. Having a large roster isn’t inherently negative, though I do have a minor issue with Bowser’s inclusion. I hold no ill will towards him—he has been a central playable character since the SNES era—but the fact that his participation leads to the antagonist version being labeled as “Imposter Bowser” throughout the gameplay feels somewhat forced and unnecessary. It might be better to either remove him from the roster or introduce a different placeholder villain; constantly encountering a faux Bowser with eerie purple lines and PlayStation symbols surrounding him is rather excessive.
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With that important complaint out of the way, let’s dive into the festivities. It’s been a considerable time since we received exceptional original maps. The maps in Super Mario Party were underwhelming, and while Mario Party Superstars included five solid maps, they were all from the Nintendo 64 era. Jamboree brings a delightful variety with five fresh maps and two classic favorites. The new maps surpass the offerings from Super Mario Party, particularly the highlights like Roll ’em Raceway and Rainbow Galleria. Although only two retro maps made the cut, I am quite pleased to see Mario’s Rainbow Castle (the inaugural Mario Party map) and Western Land (from Mario Party 2) return.
Each new map introduces a unique gimmick. Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party features the perpetually slumbering—or irritable—Wiggler at the center, and ringing a bell allows you to move him around, generating new pathways. Goomba Lagoon encircles a volcano that erupts, creating hazardous spots, along with a tide that rises and falls, hiding parts of the board. Roll ’em Raceway puts your characters in race cars, which might evoke memories of Mario Party 9 and 10, but this implementation works well. Rainbow Galleria is a three-story mall that requires navigating escalators and collecting stamps for coin bonuses. King Bowser’s Keep, managed by the dubious Imposter Bowser, challenges players to traverse precarious conveyor belts while attempting to unlock a vault filled with potential treasures. The two retro maps receive minor adjustments and enhancements but remain mostly delightful reimaginings of the beloved maps you remember.
Games in the classic party style will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has engaged with the franchise before. You will select your characters, establish the turn count, and embark on a quest to collect coins, all in the pursuit of earning more stars than your opponents. Yes, it’s Mario Party. There are several welcome changes and enhancements—like the timeline displayed at the bottom of the screen, which informs you of turn order and board events—but the most significant alteration to the typical format comes from the inclusion of Jamboree Buddies and Showdown Minigames.
Jamboree Buddies are characters from the franchise that appear on the board at various stages during the game. Should you reach them in time (as they vanish after a few turns), you will activate a Showdown Minigame for all players, where the victor gains the companionship of the Jamboree Buddy for the subsequent turns. These minigames are notably longer and more engaging than the usual ones. Wario presents a comprehensive game show segment, Mario introduces a three-game gauntlet comprising standard minigames, and Donkey Kong initiates a bongo-centered rhythm game that allows each player their own solo moment. Some are undeniably enjoyable, such as Yoshi’s platforming race or Daisy’s coin-collecting challenge, while others can feel prolonged, lasting far longer than anticipated. With various Showdown Minigames, duel games, versus minigames, item games, and more, that 10-turn game you opted for might feel like it extended to over 20 turns by the end.
If you are successful in securing a Jamboree Buddy’s company, the advantages can range from minor to transformative. For instance, DK can propel you to random locations on the board, Luigi can assist in rolling higher numbers, and Bowser Jr. can set traps for your rivals. However, the most significant potential advantage lies in their ability to allow you to acquire two stars in one instance. If you possess 40 coins and land on a star space during the fleeting turns in which your Jamboree Buddy is alongside you, you can alter the leaderboard drastically. Yet, if another player overtakes you on the board at any moment, your Jamboree Buddy will switch allegiance to their side. This system is ultimately more balanced and intentionally constrained compared to the constant ally feature present in Super Mario Party, where your multiple allies might grant you an unfair edge in both dice rolls and minigames throughout the game.
Super Mario Party Jamboree faces the tough challenge of succeeding Superstars, a game that includes the finest minigames from the entire series. The disparity in quality is apparent. Many of the new minigames are merely adequate, though some shine, such as Slappy Go Round, Prime Cut, and Unfriendly Flying Object. However, for each true crowd-pleaser, there is one that induces frustration when it appears. Gate Key-pers stands out as my least favorite, incorporating five keys and three locked gates. Players painstakingly rotate through turns, randomly using keys on doors while trying to remember which combinations have already been attempted. This can be a tedious process that significantly hampers the pacing—something that affects numerous minigames this time around. Additionally, more than one minigame includes the mechanic of “choose one of these options and hope no one else picks the same one or it won’t count,” which has unfortunately never been enjoyable. While I anticipate a degree of randomness and silliness in a Mario Party game, Jamboree seems to occasionally indulge in it a bit excessively.
Super Mario Party Jamboree wraps up its trilogy on the Switch by trying to strike a balance between its two earlier versions, but it ends up facing a challenge of prioritizing quantity over quality.
A few rounds in, I found myself questioning why there seemed to be a plethora of repeated minigames. After all, Nintendo had claimed that Jamboree offers the most minigames to date, right? It wasn’t until I explored all of the available modes that I understood the situation. Sure, there are 112 minigames; however, nearly 50 of them are only accessible in side modes that players may engage with just once or twice. Therefore, that count of 112 becomes nearly cut in half if you’re dedicating your time mainly to the party mode, which I believe is what most players will focus on.
From a balloon floating above the different islands in Jamboree, you can choose among the various modes available. These range from “somewhat entertaining” to “what was the point of this?”. Three motion-based modes are hosted on Motion Island. Paratroopa Flight School resembles a poorly conceived Wii experimental game. You and an optional second player flap your Joy-Cons like wings to glide around the terrain, picking up coins and Para-biddybuds or taking part in a clumsy Crazy Taxi-style delivery task. It’s not exactly enjoyable. Rhythm Kitchen accommodates up to four local players and features some genuinely entertaining minigames rooted in cooking and rhythm, albeit presented in a loosely scored chef competition format. I really wish the minigame concepts from Rhythm Kitchen could have been included in the regular party lineup, as there are some enjoyable ones, but this mode is unlikely to see frequent play in my home. Toad’s Item Factory feels reminiscent of an early mobile game, requiring you to tilt and rotate your Joy-Cons to maneuver a ball into a hole. I think most people will try this once, and I would have preferred a selection of fresh minigames in the party mode instead of this addition.
A particularly intriguing highlight in the Jamboree trailers was the announcement of a mode accommodating 20 players. This would be the Koopathlon, which features 20 live participants (or bots, depending on your game’s fill). Players collect coins by participating in various minigames unique to this mode. These minigames are longer than the typical ones and often recycled. By the third instance of retrieving rolls from the oven before they burn, the excitement of competing against 19 other players significantly wanes. There’s potential for a fantastic concept here—Mario Party could benefit from a mode that accommodates numerous players and substantial minigames inspired by Fall Guys or the battle royale style, but this implementation feels underdeveloped.
Bowser Kaboom Squad is an exciting online mode that allows you to team up with seven friends to challenge a CPU-controlled Imposter Bowser. The minigames in this mode stand out because they accommodate eight players in a cooperative setting. You’ll collaborate to organize cards in a sequence or prevent Bob-Ombs from wrecking a castle gate, making for a chaotic, fun experience reminiscent of Overcooked. However, there are only 10 minigames available in this mode, and when you’re not engaged in a minigame, you’re busy navigating the map to gather bombs to hurl at Imposter Bowser. By excelling in the minigames, your team earns useful items such as gloves for carrying additional bombs or dash pads for quicker bomb deliveries to the cannon. It’s a blast if you can get a group together, but I can’t help but wonder how often players will rally seven friends for a round of Bowser Kaboom Squad.
But that’s not the end of the available modes. Minigame Island offers a plethora of ways to experience the full range of minigames, featuring options like free play, a daily challenge, and a playlist dedicated solely to Showdown Minigames. Additionally, Party Planner Trek is designed for solo play, where you complete tasks, engage in minigames against CPU opponents, and gather mini-stars as you explore five new maps.
Despite the variety, much of it feels like excess. While having more modes can be beneficial, I believe the number of minigames tailored to each mode detracts from my enjoyment of the core party experience. It seems as though Nintendo aimed to diversify the experience to ensure it remains enjoyable even when playing alone or with just one friend, but Mario Party has thrived on the joy of being in a room with three friends. Many excellent solo and two-player experiences exist across various consoles, but that’s not the experience I’m seeking in Mario Party. There’s a wealth of entertaining ideas in each mode, but incorporating them into the primary party mode would create a far more compelling total package.
Some of the enhancements made to boost longevity are commendable. Throughout your gameplay, you’ll earn Party Points that you can exchange for an expanding selection of stickers, music tracks, and reactions. There’s even a Battle Pass-like system (rest assured, it doesn’t require monetary purchases) that lets you unlock new rewards as you elevate your player level.
In an unexpected turn, Jamboree has added a Pro Rules option to the core party mode. Initially, I thought this would simply be a feature to disable rubberbanding, but it turns out to be much more intricate. The mode aims to reduce some randomness by revealing the sole bonus star right from the beginning, allowing players to pick an item to start with, restricting shop item availability, and placing signs across the map that indicate potential next locations for the star space. It eliminates certain random factors—Chance Time and hidden blocks are absent, and minigames are selected from a predetermined set similar to those in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s online mode.
This concept is intriguing, yet it does not fully eliminate the luck component from the Mario Party experience. In a Pro Rules match on King Bowser’s Keep, I found myself with 130 coins and zero stars towards the end. Imposter Bowser had adorned the map with Bowser Spaces, and I unfortunately landed on one. According to Pro Rules, landing on such a space results in losing a star. With no stars to lose, he decided to take all my 130 coins. Hence, even within Pro Rules, one can face unfortunate circumstances beyond their control due to a random dice roll. Without Chance Time spaces or hidden blocks, the likelihood of a thrilling last-minute turnaround is practically zero. At that stage, playing involves merely rolling the dice and participating in minigames, waiting for the game to conclude, which is far from enjoyable.
Super Mario Party Jamboree attempts many new features, but regrettably, many of them seem unwelcome. The new modes largely miss the mark, the enticing idea of 20-player online play doesn’t live up to expectations, and several of the new minigames feel tedious. However, the newly designed maps are the best original ones we’ve seen in years, and Jamboree still promises to deliver a good time when friends gather. I’ve been reviewing various Mario Party games over the years, and it’s always a challenge to assign a numerical value to them. During the review phase, you occasionally join online sessions with Nintendo representatives and fellow gaming media, but a significant portion of time is spent exploring the maps and minigames alone. In this format, the game’s shortcomings become apparent, revealing a clearer perspective. But once you gather a few close friends to enjoy it together over some drinks, the game’s deeper flaws transform the experience into an evening of laughter and camaraderie. Jamboree is just as absurd as any Mario Party title, and it’s a game that I will continue to enjoy despite its imperfections.