The Mario Party series began all the way back in 1998 on the Nintendo 64 with everyone’s favourite Italian plumber and the gang bringing the party to your home. The 4 player party game has been featured on every Nintendo console since, providing hours of entertaining, intense, and hilarious moments, but overall, it was just pure fun for everyone. Now, in 2024, the party continues in Super Mario Party Jamboree, available exclusively for Nintendo Switch.

The sequel to 2021’s Mario Party Superstars features 20 characters from previous games; Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, Yoshi, Toad, Toadette, Rosalina, Donkey Kong, Birdo, Bowser, Goomba, Shy Guy, Koopa Troops, Monty Mole, Bowser Jr., Boo, and Spike. Joining the party are Pauline, from Super Mario Odyssey, and Ninji, from Super Mario Bros. 2, bringing the total to 22 playable characters. In Super Mario Party Jamboree, up to 4 players can play on seven different boards with over 110 different minigames, new and old, for players to either team up or sabotage each other.

 Much like previous games, the goal is to collect the most Super Stars by the end of the game. A Super Star is placed in a random location on the board and players will have to find their way to it, before purchasing it with the required amount of coins. When a Super Star is acquired, another will be placed in a different location. Players will have a variety of opportunities to gain Super Stars such as stealing them from other players, dueling with other players or warping to its location.

There will be four boards to start with; Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party, Roll ‘em Raceway, Goomba Lagoon, and Rainbow Galleria, with another three to be unlocked. They each have unique themes representing different Super Mario games from the past, and two of the three unlockable boards are from older Mario Party games. There is so much to see and do on each board, but the real fun comes in the wide variety of minigames that occur after each rotation.

There is no shortage of minigames in Super Mario Party Jamboree, with plenty of fresh ideas and many favourites brought back from older games. These could be free-for-alls, 2 vs 2, or 1 vs 3, and all are worth a certain amount of coins. If one player decides to duel another for coins and possibly a Super Star, there are also 1 vs 1 minigames. Players will find themselves cutting steak evenly, sledding down the ice without falling off the edge, playing memory games, spotting the difference, solving various puzzles in a haunted mansion, and so much more.

Before each minigame begins, players will be able to do a quick practice session to get acquainted with the controls before attempting the real challenge. Some minigames may not be as fun as others, feeling more tedious and unfair, but thankfully, they don’t affect the overall fun of the game, and players will find themselves having a great time full of laughs and memorable moments. It won’t ruin as many friendships as Mario Kart.

The game can be played with either a regular controller or a single Joy-Con, with the latter allowing for more minigames as many of them utilise the motion controls. The motion controls work fantastically, seemingly without any issues no matter where you might be positioned in the room, allowing you to get straight into the game.

There are still a ton of minigames to enjoy for those who prefer a traditional controller, but the more the merrier. The minigames can all be played without needing the board in Minigame Bay. This is a great way to get some practice or enjoy them over and over, and Super Mario Party Jamboree has done an amazing job of minimising the hassle when trying to get each game started.

If those minigames aren’t enough, there is also a variety of other minigames on the side, such as Paratroopa Flight School, Toad’s Item Factory, Rhythm Kitchen, Bowser Challenges, Koopathlon, Bowser Kaboom Squad, and Party-Planner Trek, and each has unique challenges for players wanting more. Koopathlon, in particular, puts you up against 19 other players online with its own set of minigames for some chaotic fun times, and when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s always more.

The Mario Party series always felt like it was made for online play, and thankfully, that’s also included here. You can play an entire game with your friends or match up with random opponents. Minigames that play like boardgames had no issues, given players take turns, but some minigames require precision, and in my experience, it didn’t feel like there was any lag at all, or it was done in a way to make it less noticeable. Nintendo isn’t known for having the best online performance, but Super Mario Party Jamboree is one of the better examples.

The only issue is when you have to team up with other players and the teamwork requires communication and coordination, and this is where voice chat comes in handy. Nintendo does have a voice chat feature via the mobile app, but let’s face it, no one uses it. Thankfully, we have Discord, Zoom, and other similar apps to voice chat with friends who live further away, but there’s no way to communicate with random opponents. You just hope for the best. Regardless, playing a Mario Party game online is still a ton of fun.

The overall style and presentation stay true to the signature Super Mario look that fans know and love, and it looks and plays just as well in docked or handheld mode, but playing on a bigger screen is ideal if more players want to join in on the fun. The soundtrack also retains the Mario style, featuring familiar tunes and fresh new tracks.

The Mario Party franchise has always been about fun with friends and family above all else. It keeps things simple but competitive, providing exciting and hilarious moments that will stay with you for years. Even if you’re on the losing side, there are plenty of opportunities to turn the tables and come out on top, and the large variety of minigames keeps things interesting, creating loads of fun and intense competition between everyone.

Playing online adds to the fun, even if communication isn’t an option, and the extra minigames, on top of everything else, provide even more entertainment. Once again, Super Mario Party Jamboree is jam-packed with content and ready to bring the party home!

Written by: Sammy Hanson