The Nintendo Switch, at seven years old, now has three Mario Party games in its collection. Mario Party Jamboree, the latest, promises to be the best. After playing it with my kids and alone, I'm ready to call it the Mario Party to get. It's the best of all previous Mario Party worlds, although it's not always everything I still wish it could be.
Jamboree is a one-to-four-player local game, just like the other Mario Party games, Super Mario Party and Mario Party Superstars. The core of Jamboree is a board game-style Mario Party, same as always: big multipath boards offer pitfalls and rewards, and minigames are studded throughout as each player tries to get the most stars. Skill and randomness are always in play.
One of the new Mario Party boards. Jamboree also has plenty of other game modes, but some only work for solo or online play.
NintendoThere are seven Mario Party boards in this game, more than Superstars, and more playable characters at 22. The minigame count is high too: 110. What I really love about this game is it's both portable and motion controller-friendly.
Super Mario Party always required you to dock the Switch and use the Joy-Cons like little Wii remotes, meaning it couldn't be played on the go. Superstars was a throwback game that was all handheld-friendly, with no motion control gaming. Jamboree offers a choice: motion control minigames are left out if you're playing with the Joy-Cons slotted into the Switch. I love motion games, and I'm glad they're back.
Mario Party Jamboree also has tons of extra games, but some aren't playable with same-room multiplayer. A race-type minigame experience called Koopathlon is like a race to collect the most coins, and online it's a 20-person survival game. But at home, only one person can join in at a time (my son was bummed out by that). The same goes for Bowser Kaboom Squad, another fun way to reframe minigames, with a team-up style where eight players can try to take down Bowser. But again, it's eight players online, only one in the same room.
I love the random Flight School mode, which is a two-player same-room game and plays like a return of Nintendo's Pilotwings, where you flap your wings to glide around and battle or collect bonuses. A collaborative same-room puzzle game called Item Factory was fun for my younger son and me to play for a while. There are rhythm game dance modes too, similar to what was in Super Mario Party. They're silly and active and fun in a group.
The new game boards for Mario Party are fun, and still full of surprises.
NintendoI haven't even gotten into some of the minigame challenge modes, many of which will be better once more people are playing online (I played prior to its release). This Mario Party feels well-equipped to do lots of things spontaneously with others.
The one thing Mario Party hasn't learned is a way to speed up the game. There are customizable Pro Rules and plenty of options to speed things up or reduce the number of rounds for a standard dice-rolling Mario Party game. But the turn-based action sometimes feels too plodding. You have to be in the mood for it. As a big fan of board games, I'd love it if Nintendo rethought some of the fundamental ways Mario Party is played in new game variations. Dig into that Clubhouse Games mindset and don't be afraid to get weirder!
Still, Jamboree is a slam-dunk pick as the best Mario Party, and next to Super Mario Kart, it's a great holiday gift for a family who has a Switch or is just getting one. Just don't expect a whole new Mario Party experience. It's more of the same, with a bundle of extras.