If there’s one thing that characterizes the Mario Party series, it’s consistency. If you’ve played any of the previous installments on Nintendo’s latest console, then you know almost exactly what to expect from Super Mario Party Jamboree. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, as it's a winning formula that already makes for some of the best Nintendo Switch games around if you’re after something to enjoy with your friends and family.
While Super Mario Party Jamboree doesn’t reinvent the fundamentals of the franchise, it’s still shaping up to be one of the most content-rich entries to date. It features a staggering 110 minigames, the largest number of any Mario Party game, and 22 playable characters including Ninji and Pauline for the first time.
It also blends the motion control style of Super Mario Party with the button inputs of Mario Party Superstars, offering a mix of minigames that make use of each system. This, in theory, gives you the best of both worlds and should cater to all tastes when it comes to the controls.
Going hands-on with the game for a few hours at a Nintendo preview event, I was able to sample a selection of its modes in a multiplayer setting and came away optimistic that it’ll be able to deliver an enjoyable party experience when it launches for Nintendo Switch this October 17.
Roll the dice
Super Mario Party Jamboree will feature a total of seven game boards, including five original creations and two remakes. The entirety of my time in the game’s standard party mode was spent on the Mega Wiggler's Tree Party board, which was a rather basic environment clearly geared toward first-time players. Even so, there were some interesting design elements to contend with, like multiple paths and a giant Wiggler (caterpillar creatures from the Super Mario series) located in the middle of the map.
You can traverse across the Wiggler to reach the other side of the board, but it doesn't always stay in the same place. Other players can obtain a bell item that prompts it to move or land on one of a handful of bell tiles on the map to trigger the same effect. As you can imagine, it presents a delightfully devilish way to thwart the plans of other players by sending them hurtling to the wrong end of the map.
That aside, the mechanics were very much your standard Mario Party fare. Players roll dice to determine the number of places that they can move, choosing paths and ultimately trying to get their hands on a Star. Each set of turns is punctuated by a minigame, a short challenge that sees players either compete or cooperate to do everything from avoiding falling sandwiches at the bottom of a giant picnic basket to dodging a giant Bullet Bill and much more. It’s nothing ground breaking, but it is still a lot of fun.
Koopathlon was exceptionally enjoyable
Even so, one thing that I did learn during my play session is that some of the side modes in Super Mario Party Jamboree shouldn’t be missed. Of the two I tried, Bowser Kaboom Squad, which sees eight players rushing around a little map to collect bombs in order to defeat a giant evil Bowser, wasn’t anything special, but Koopathlon was exceptionally enjoyable.
It’s effectively a 20-player online battle, with everyone competing to collect coins in real-time. Each coin moves you forward one space on a giant shared board, leading to a very frantic race. It’s really elevated by the fact that you can see the positions of your character and all the other players in a small window on the side of your screen as you go, forcing you to keep up the pace if you want to stay ahead.
It was an absolute blast and will probably be the first thing that I dive back into come launch day. If you're a long-time Mario Party fan eager for your next fix or just want some good old-fashioned local multiplayer entertainment to whip out at your next in-person gathering, this is one to keep on your radar.
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