Honestly, for a long time, it felt like Nintendo was just coasting with the Mario Party series. We had the experimental years with the "car" mechanic that everyone hated, and then the first Switch entry felt a little... light. Barebones. But Super Mario Party Jamboree is different. It’s huge. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to dust off your Joy-Cons or yell at your friends over a stolen Star, this is the one that actually earns its keep on the Nintendo Switch.
Why Super Mario Party Jamboree Feels Like a Massive Course Correction
For years, the loudest complaint from the community was about the size of the maps. Super Mario Party (2018) had tiny boards that felt more like a hallway than a world. Mario Party Superstars fixed that by bringing back the classics, but it was basically a nostalgia trip. Super Mario Party Jamboree bridges that gap. It gives us seven boards. Seven! That’s a return to the GameCube era of density that we haven't seen in over a decade. Five of these are brand new, while two are remastered gems from the N64 days.
The Boards Are Actually Good This Time
Rainbow Gallerie is a standout. It's a three-story shopping mall where the prices of items actually change based on flash sales. It’s chaotic. It’s stressful. It’s exactly what Mario Party should be. Then you have Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party, where the literal layout of the board shifts when someone wakes up the giant caterpillar in the center.
The pacing feels better too. You aren't just wandering aimlessly; the board mechanics actually force you to make decisions. Do you spend your coins now at a discount, or wait to see if you can snag a Golden Pipe later? Unlike the older Switch titles, the economy here doesn't feel broken from turn one.
The Pro Rules Change Everything
One of the most surprising additions is the "Pro Rules" set. Historically, Mario Party has been a game of pure, unadulterated luck. It’s the "blue shell" of board games. If you’re a competitive person, that can be infuriating. Nintendo finally acknowledged this by letting players toggle off the nonsense.
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- Fixed Turn Limits: You know exactly how long the game lasts.
- Limited Items: The shops have a set stock, so people can't just spam Triple Dice.
- Strategic Bonus Stars: You’re told exactly what the Bonus Star will be at the start of the match. No more losing because someone randomly walked more spaces than you.
It turns the game into something that rewards skill and board awareness rather than just being the person the RNG gods liked that day. It’s a bold move for a series that usually leans into casual "party" vibes, but for those of us who grew up playing these games, it’s a godsend.
Jamboree Buddies: Not Your Average Allies
Remember the Ally system from the 2018 game? It was broken. If you got an ally, you basically won because of the extra dice rolls. In Super Mario Party Jamboree, they’ve reworked this into the "Jamboree Buddy" system. These characters appear on the board, and you have to beat a specific character-themed minigame to win their favor.
If you win, they follow you for a few turns. They double everything. If you buy a Star, you buy two. If you pass a shop, you can buy two items. But here's the kicker: someone can steal your buddy just by passing you on the board. It creates this frantic "tag" dynamic where the whole lobby starts chasing the person with Waluigi or Peach.
Minigames and Motion Controls: The Good, The Bad, and The Optional
There are over 110 minigames here. That is a massive number. Most of them are button-based, which is great for anyone playing on a Switch Lite or using a Pro Controller. However, Nintendo still loves their waggle.
There are specific modes, like "Encore," that lean heavily into motion controls. Some people love the physicality of it—chopping vegetables or aiming a bow—but for others, it's a dealbreaker. The game does a decent job of labeling these. If you hate motion controls, you can mostly avoid them in the standard Mario Party mode.
Bowser Kaboom Squad and Koopa Tycoon Race
These are the "extra" modes designed to keep the game alive after you’ve seen all the boards. Bowser Kaboom Squad is an 8-player co-op experience. You work together to blast a giant "Imposter Bowser" with cannons. It’s surprisingly deep and requires actual coordination, which is rare for this series.
Then there’s Koopa Tycoon Race. This is the 20-player online mode. It’s basically a chaotic battle royale on a race track. Is it better than the main board game? No. Is it a fun distraction when you don't have three hours to commit to a full game? Absolutely. It’s Nintendo’s way of keeping the game relevant in an era of Fall Guys and quick-session gaming.
The Character Roster is Peak Nintendo
We finally have Pauline. We finally have Ninji. The roster in Super Mario Party Jamboree is 22 characters deep. It doesn't affect gameplay—unless you’re playing the character-specific minigames—but seeing Pauline in a party hat is the kind of fan service that works. It makes the game feel like a celebration of the entire Mario franchise rather than just a rehash of the same eight characters we’ve had since 1998.
Is It Worth It for Solo Players?
Look, Mario Party has always been a multiplayer game. Playing against CPUs is fine, but it lacks the soul of the experience. That said, the single-player "Party Planner Trek" mode is a legitimate attempt at a campaign. You walk around the boards freely, helping NPCs and completing quests. It’s a great way to unlock decorations and see the boards without the stress of a 20-turn game.
But let’s be real. You’re buying this to play with your family during the holidays or with friends on a Friday night. The online play has been significantly improved from previous entries, with much better stability. The "Global Ranking" system actually gives you a reason to keep playing online, as you can see where you stack up against the rest of the world.
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Practical Steps for the Best Experience
To get the most out of Super Mario Party Jamboree, don't just jump into a 10-turn game with random settings.
- Check your controller situation. If you want to play the motion control modes, you must have Joy-Cons. Pro Controllers won't work for those specific games.
- Try Pro Rules first. Even if you’re a casual player, the transparency of the Bonus Stars makes the game feel much fairer and less like a robbery.
- Unlock the extra boards. You don't get all seven boards immediately. You need to play through a few games to increase your "Player Level" and unlock Western Land and Mario's Rainbow Castle.
- Use the "Board Map" on your screen. In this version, you can actually zoom out and see where everyone is at all times. It sounds simple, but it’s crucial for planning your path to the Star.
The game is a massive package. It’s the most content-rich Mario Party since the series' peak in the mid-2000s. While it still has that classic "Nintendo jank" in some of the motion-controlled menus, the core gameplay loop is the strongest it’s been in years. It’s a definitive must-have for any Switch owner who enjoys local or online multiplayer.
The strategy is deeper, the boards are smarter, and the "one more turn" feeling is finally back. Grab some snacks, find some friends you're okay with losing for an hour, and get into it.