I do love a good party game, with Wii Party being among my favourites. I’ve had experience with Mario Party before, loving the one on the DS. So when they started to arrive on the Switch, I was planning to get one. Of course, those came and went without me experiencing them. But that’s okay, as I’m very much loving the latest of them in Super Mario Party Jamboree.
After an introduction video from Kamek, and then an explanation from Toad on all of what Super Mario Party Jamboree has to offer, it was time for me to make a choice. And, of course, that choice was made back when watching the reveal trailer. I hopped into Mario Party mode and the racetrack board – Roll ’em Raceway. If anyone needs to know about a particular board, Toad will be on hand to explain just what is special about it once there.
The board itself is pretty linear, which is common for a racetrack. To the north are two roads, with the star alternating between them when one is claimed. The board gimmicks here are some jump pads in specific areas that can be switched in the pit lane, along with gaining coins upon completing a lap. I do love the racing theme of the board, though I didn’t win first time on it.
Usual Mario Party rules apply, so after each turn is a minigame. There’s a decent variety to them, split across the typical free for all, 2v2, and 3v1 types. Since this first outing was on easy, there wasn’t any real challenge for me. But I did find a few favourites I enjoyed. When I took to Minigame Bay later in my play session, I discovered even more favourites. Including one which only has a small chance of being played in Mario Party mode.
When playing a board in Super Mario Party Jamboree, occasional buddies will appear on these boards. Called Jamboree Buddies, they each have a special skill that can be used by the person they are tied to. But that allegiance has to be won. In a minigame of their design. The person who reached them first gets a small advantage, such as point tokens on the pinball table for Waluigi’s minigame.
The favourite of these character-specific minigames is Yoshi’s. This one is a race. While riding on the back of a Yoshi. There’s a good variety of obstacles to overcome on this climb up the mountain, including many jumps across gaps. The winner of the minigame will get the buddy, but if anyone passes by them, they will start following that person instead. It’s a good bit of strategy in making sure you keep them for the full three turns, especially if you have enough coins for two stars.
Another favourite of mine was the breakout-style minigame, which I later encountered when first trying the Koopathlon. This mode is the 20-player race to finish first. Each coin collected in the minigames equals one space moved. After three rounds of minigames, Imposter Bowser comes in with his own minigame. Lose this, which is very easily done, and everyone who did gets booted back a number of spaces depending on their position.
Against the CPU, it can be easy. Where it really shines is online, which is a greater challenge. Knowing the minigames and the strategies that will work best for each makes victory a whole lot easier. Seeing the constant changing of positions to the right, especially after a particularly good move or well-timed item collection, is always a great time with this one.
There’s other modes to enjoy, too. Such as a flight school. And a co-operative fight against Imposter Bowser. There’s even a story mode of sorts, which saw me helping with setting the boards up for action. This is a nice solo mode, with a combination of minigames and helping others gaining mini stars that will move me to the next board. But not before a boss battle, which is made easier if you’ve helped the playable characters with whatever they need.
That story mode also unlocks decorations for the party plaza, which is where everything is accessed from. No matter what is played, party points are awarded. These are used at the shops in the party plaza, unlocking new reactions, music, and even customisation options for the party card that is attached to your profile. There’s many options that can be found, though naturally I first applied a Toad sticker, then made it look like he was thinking about a mushroom.
Not all of the options are available at once, however. For them to appear in the shop, achievements must be earnt. Nearly all of them will be unlocked just from playing, though it always pays to check at the records house for some of them. There’s also more achievements than what is needed to reach maximum rank and unlock everything in those shops, so there’s no real worry if something is proving too difficult or elusive.
From my time playing Super Mario Party Jamboree, I’ve enjoyed all of what I’ve experienced. A great variety of modes and minigames keep things enjoyable, with different themed boards each with their own gimmicks sure to have something for everyone. As such, I can easily recommend it. This is the best Mario Party I have played.
Images Taken From:
Super Mario Party Jamboree | Nintendo Switch [Docked]
