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As the title of this review states, Super Mario Party Jamboree it's the best Mario Party of all. It succeeds where previous games failed, increases the number of characters and boards compared to its predecessors and perfectly executes everything it sets out to do: be a great party with minigames between friends. The new title manages to please both casual players, who are looking for games more focused on luck and fun, and those who prefer strategies to become the best players in Mario Party. Check out our analysis of the new game in the franchise and everything it has to offer.
The new boards
I always say that playing Mario Party is an experience with a set expiration date. After discovering all the secrets, playing the minigames repeatedly and exploring each board, the fun and moments of surprise tend to diminish. But how to minimize this effect? By increasing the scope of the game. And that's exactly what Jamboree does.
The game has four initial boards — Mega Wiggler Forest, Dice Racetrack, Goomba Island and Rainbow Mall — and, later, gives access to three secret boards: Wild West Village (Mario Party 2), Mario's Rainbow Castle (Mario Party 1) and Bowser's Fortress.
Mega Wiggler Forest
starting with Amazon of the Mega Wiggler, which is basically where the game expects you to start playing. When choosing boards, the player has access to the difficulty level of each one, this difficulty being related to the complexity of the layout and mechanics present in each map. In the case of the Mega Wiggler Forest, it is a very simple design, consisting of a forest around a circular crater where a Mega Wiggler, a recurring enemy in the Mario franchise that is similar to a giant centipede, is sleeping.
In turn, the Mega Wiggler also serves as the shortest path to certain places on the map so that players can reach the star more quickly. However, the main mechanic of this board consists of waking up the Mega Wiggler using the bells on the map or an exclusive item that makes the creature wake up and move position.
In this way, the board is simple but can yield good doses of strategy due to the change in positioning of this creature that can make a character closer or further away from the star or even be able to reach a store to buy items and other points of interest.
Mega Wiggler's Forest is a great tutorial that shows that Super Mario Party Jamboree is rightly aiming to please people who want a light and fun experience and those who want to make incredible strategies to overcome enemies.
Dice Launch Race Track
When selecting maps from Super Mario Party Jamboree for the first time, the Autódromo Lança-Dados was what caught the most attention. A Mario Kart No. Mario Party? Exactly. In this board, all the characters get into Formula 1-style racing cars, and the mechanics revolve around rolling the highest possible numbers on the dice to simulate a race.
Just like the Mega Wiggler Forest, the Dice Racetrack is a simple board that is ideal for the first few games. But here, simple is even more fun, as the star only appears in two places, and the goal is to quickly go around to reach it.
The strategy arises because the stars alternate between the same locations. This allows you to anticipate where the next star will appear: if another player is close to it, is it worth trying to move to the next position?
The board also adds elements that go beyond the number of dice. There are springs that can launch the car a few spaces forward, and the game rewards players who complete a lap by allowing a pit stop to refuel, symbolizing the recovery of resources. The Autódromo Lança-Dados is the perfect example of the simple well-done that is a hallmark of Mario Party, faithfully capturing the spirit of Super Mario Party Jamboree.
Goomba Island
Goomba Island is possibly one of the boards I should play the least in my next games. Here, similarly to Megafruit Paradise de Super Mario Party, we play on a tropical-themed island. However, the comparison doesn't stop there. Both suffer from the same problem, making the characters walk in circles, offering very little opportunity to strategize or plan their next steps.
From time to time, the tide rises and falls, opening and closing paths around the island. This idea in itself is good, but it could be implemented better, because at times I found myself walking in circles waiting for the map to allow me to advance to a place I wanted to go.
On the rest of the boards, I feel that if a player who has already played Jamboree If you were to face a newbie, you might have a good game full of fun, moments of luck or bad luck, and strategy. However, on Goomba Island, the experienced player would have a considerable advantage because he already knows what will happen in the following rounds.
Goomba Island is not a bad board. However, compared to other boards in the game, it lacks options for players and can become monotonous during high tide.
Rainbow Mall
Shopping Arco-Íris is probably my new favorite board. With a shopping mall theme, the map is a veritable maze with three floors of stores, four escalators, and an elevator. Getting from point A to point B on this map has several possible paths, making it a large but dense map. You will almost always have a player near the star, which makes Shopping Arco-Íris a dynamic and very fun board to play with friends.
In addition to its design, the mall has interesting mechanics, such as promotions that take place during specific rounds. During these rounds, the price of items and even the star is reduced, which is a great opportunity for players who win few minigames or are unlucky enough to always land on the red squares on the board.
Another interesting mechanic is the stamps. There are four stations throughout the mall where players can stamp a card. When passing through the entrance booth with the card, players can exchange it for coins, with 10 coins for each stamp. If the player passes through the booth with the full card with four stamps, he will receive 50 coins, which is often a huge advantage when purchasing items and even as a tiebreaker at the end of the game.
Far West Village
Wild West Town is the first board you'll likely unlock in Super Mario Party Jamboree. This map, which is a remake of the one from Mario Party 2, has a Wild West theme (despite being located in the eastern part of the board selection).
The setup is split between two main paths: a train track that runs around the board and roads that run through the middle. The train track is particularly interesting because it allows players to quickly travel between the three stations, helping them get closer to the star. Additionally, any opponents who get in the way of the train are sent back to the start, providing a sabotage strategy that can turn the tide of the game in the blink of an eye.
Another point that stands out is the Milk Hall, where it is possible to gather all the characters in the same spot, which adds a chaotic touch to the board. These elements fit very well with the Wild West theme, encouraging manipulation strategies among the players.
However, the board also has some limitations. The main train route is just one big loop, which can make movement repetitive. Additionally, the central paths have some key-locked options but offer little advantage or reward, which can make exploring the board feel less interesting.
Mario's Rainbow Castle
In the middle of the boards of Super Mario Party Jamboree, Rainbow Castle It ends up being one of the simplest, but not without a special touch. This board takes players on a linear route to the top of the castle, where the star is located – and, upon reaching it, they return to the beginning to repeat the route. The difference here is that the star never changes place, but the castle tower rotates after each visit, alternately revealing a star or a Ztar, which takes 20 coins from the player without offering any benefit.
This mechanic is creative, but it brings an element of unpredictability that can feel unfair, especially to newer players. Since Ztar appears without warning, it can be frustrating for those who reach the top with lots of coins and nothing in return.
There are, of course, some strategies to avoid Ztar: the player can take extra turns on the course to try to reach the Star, or use a special item to rotate the tower before its turn. However, this complexity contrasts with the simplicity of the board layout, which can make the experience a bit frustrating for beginners.
Bowser's Fortress
Finally, we have Bowser's Fortress, the board that is a remake of the one from Mario Party 1 and is represented as the final stage of the game's "story" mode. The board takes players to the heart of Bowser's lava base, where King Koopa himself watches over the scene in a menacing manner, positioned in the center and ready to interfere at any moment.
Bowser's presence poses a constant risk to anyone approaching this space, as he can attack without warning, in addition to suddenly changing the direction of the path, making the players' movement unpredictable.
Another aspect that differentiates Bowser's Fortress is the hidden safe at the back of the map. Along the way, players can collect parts of a code to unlock it, giving the board an extra layer of strategy. However, standing around waiting for the right chance can be a mistake: the main route is a simple circuit, but progress is difficult, requiring persistence and luck.
It's definitely a challenging map and is recommended for players who have played the others before. All in all, it's a great design and may be a favorite for some players looking for a more strategic experience.
110 minigames and 22 characters!
Almost as important as the boards are the minigames. At the end of each round, the four players face each other in a game that can be individual, in pairs (2v2) or one against three (3v1). Super Mario Party Jamboree It has an impressive total of 110 minigames, which can be accessed both at the end of each round and in special events, such as when players are randomly confronted on the board or when they have to duel in a Jamboree doubles match (which will be explained later in this review).
During the life of the Nintendo Switch, we have had three games in the series: Super Mario Party, Mario Party superstars and the current release. In Super Mario Party, the main focus of the minigames was to demonstrate the technological capabilities of the new Joy-Con controllers, which often consisted of games that required movement, turns and other interactions, presenting the public with all the possibilities of the console. On the other hand, superstars returned to its origins and brought back several minigames that, although very fun, had already been explored in previous games in the franchise.
Super Mario Party Jamboree features 110 minigames — the game with the most minigames in the series' history — that mix the features of Super e superstars, offering games that use only one Joy-Con, as well as others with traditional controls and bringing back some classics. It is also possible to play matches only with minigames without motion controls, allowing players to use alternative controls or the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
Few of these minigames aren’t fun. Mixing elements like luck, agility, precision, and reflexes, the games offer a variety of activities that can appeal to different types of players. Thus, participating in certain minigames can become an advantage if you are more agile than the other players, or even if you are luckier than your friends.
New Jamboree Mechanics
Each Mario Party brings exclusive mechanics, and Super Mario Party Jamboree is no different. The big news here is the Jamboree duo, which improves on a concept explored in Super Mario Party with welcome adjustments.
A character randomly appears on the board during the game, and the participants have 3 rounds to reach it. Upon reaching this location, the 4 players participate in a minigame, and the winner receives the Jamboree duo. The player who reached the character first gains an advantage over the other competitors.
By winning a duo, which can be Donkey Kong, Rosalina, Bowser, among others, the player unlocks a bonus action exclusive to the duo's character. Rosalina, for example, grants a random movement item at the beginning of each round, while Bowser provides items to hinder other players.
Additionally, upon reaching the star, the player will be able to purchase two stars if they have enough money, which makes the Jamboree duo a valuable advantage. However, this advantage doesn't just depend on the luck of the dice: it takes skill to win the minigame. Each Jamboree duo offers a specific minigame, such as a game show for Wario or a space snowboard for Rosalina.
This addition is interesting because it differs from the Super Mario Party, where you only gained a special die. In Jamboree, duos have more complex mechanics, which can be used in different ways.
Extra modes
In addition to the classic and main Mario Party mode, the game also has extra modes such as Bowserathlon and the Anti-Bowser Brigade.
Bowserathlon is a competitive online mode for up to 20 players, in which the goal is to cross the board and finish first. Unlike the star-collecting dynamics of traditional Mario Party, here players accumulate coins to advance and, if they lose minigames, they face penalties that can significantly delay the game, such as having to move back spaces on the board. The structure focuses on the skills of the players in each minigame, increasing the pressure and competitive pace.
On the other hand, the Anti-Bowser Brigade is a cooperative mode where eight players work together to stop Bowser. The goal is to collect bombs and carry them to a cannon that, when charged, fires at Bowser. Enemies appear to get in the way, and minigames grant useful items to the team, with each player being able to choose an item based on their own strategy. This format gives players more individual control while keeping the action collaborative and accessible.
The game, like other Nintendo games, does not have voice or text chat, making these cooperative actions somewhat difficult to perform. This is a recurring problem in the company's games and is repeated in Super Mario Party Jamboree, which focuses on online matches but does not provide the necessary interaction. As a result, players are forced to use other means such as Discord to communicate externally, which is an inconvenience.
Performance
In terms of performance, the game runs flawlessly. Mario Party has never been a title that demands too much from Nintendo consoles, thanks to the more contained scenarios. An important technical highlight is the localization into Brazilian Portuguese, as well as seen in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Since this is a game that also appeals to younger audiences, careful localization is essential, and the game even features voice acting — simple but effective, with a narrator delivering short phrases. Localization into Brazilian Portuguese should be the bare minimum, but for companies like Nintendo, the novelty ends up being welcomed.
I didn't encounter any performance issues, and the graphics are beautiful, up to par with the others. Mario Party for Nintendo Switch. Visually, the game is very beautiful and technically well polished.
Availability
Super Mario Party Jamboree can be purchased in physical media by Kaboom!, Magazine Luiza ou Mercado Livre, starting at R$ 299,00 or you can purchase the digital copy through Nuuvem, for R$299,00. The game is exclusive to the Switch family of consoles with Nintendo Switch, Nintendo OLED switch and Nintendo Switch Lite.
Conclusion
Super Mario Party Jamboree is a great game within its scope. Will it be one of the best of the year? Definitely not. However, it gets a lot more right than wrong. Those looking for a new Mario Party are looking for a specific experience: a board game with fun minigames to enjoy with friends and family. If that's what you're looking for, this new title is an excellent choice!
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reviewed by Victor Pacheco in 28 / 10 / 2024
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Super Mario Party JamboreePros
- Good new boards
- Large amount of minigames and characters
- Great extra content
- Pro mode is great
Cons
- High price for the scope of the game
- It gets repetitive after a while
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