Game Review: Super Mario Party Jamboree

 

Ahhhh Mario Party. A game where dice are rolled, mini games are played and friendships are tested. Throughout the years there have been many entries in this long running series that started on the Nintendo 64, some of which were praised by long term fans and some that the history books have not been so kind to. So which side does Jamboree fall? Well I've had a good ol' playthrough and I'm here to give you the low down on Mario Party's latest outing.

General Gameplay

The game, for the most part, is your typical Mario Party affair. You play on boards with their own unique aesthetics and their own quirky rules whilst playing mini games and collecting stars. There are 7 boards in total, 3 of which unlock as you gain achievements. There are a few welcome twists to Jamboree however that have been refined from previous Mario Party games. The first is that every board has one unique item available that interacts with the mechanics of each board, for example in the Goomba Volcano board you get the Tide Shell which allows you to control the tides that block off or reveal new paths, whilst Mega Wigglers Tree Party has a bell that repositions the Wiggler in the middle of the board and occasionally make it angry, opening up new shortcuts depending on its position. It's a very refreshing change that just adds that little extra personality to each board.

Some items, such as the Turbo Dice, only appear on specific boards

The second twist is the Jamboree buddies, a similar mechanic to the horrendously broken ally system from Super Mario Party. In this iteration you get three turns to reach the Jamboree buddy (who will take the form of one of the main playable characters) that randomly appears on the board. Once a player lands on said buddy's space a unique mini game opens up to everyone and the winner gets to keep the that buddy with them as they traverse the board. This might seem like the player who lands on the Jamboree buddy ends up doing all the work only for someone else to takes the Jamboree buddy for themselves, but the player who lands on them does get an advantage during their mini game. All Jamboree buddies essentially allow players to receive the effects of every space they land twice, good or bad including Imposter Bowser spots as we rudely discovered one game. In addition, each Jamboree buddy has a unique ability that can be used in their assigned player's turn, for example Wario gives players extra coins at the start of a turn whilst Peach halves the cost of stars (which when you can buy two stars at a time thanks to the buddy's inherent boon, is incredibly useful).

Jamboree buddies will descend on the board randomly

Aside from the main party mode, Mario Party Jamboree has a variety of fun other modes for players to explore such as a single player adventure mode called Party-Planner Trek that sees you exploring each board at your own pace, fulfilling tasks and playing mini games with a boss battle at the end of each board, all whilst gathering mini stars. As well as this there is of course mini game only modes, a motion control game mode and an online mode that sees you and up to four other players attempting to put a stop to Imposter Bowser's rampage. There is plenty of fun for everyone to have in this game that is only really halted by the criteria players need to fulfill to unlock every board.

The single player mode feels very much like a lite RPG on the standard party boards

User Friendliness

As you would expect from a family party game, Super Mario Party Jamboree is incredibly accessible to players of all ages, with adjustable difficulties for computer opponents, handicap options to allow certain players to start the game with a number of stars as well as an optional explanation of how each board works for those who are new to that particular board, no one will be left in the dark on how best to strategise and beat their opponents. In addition each board has a difficulty rating between 1 and 5 to make it easy to decide between more relaxed boards and those that require a bit more skill.

Toad is always willing to to give an explanation of each board

For those looking for a challenge there is a pro mode that only selects mini games that are void of any luck based aspects of the game and focuses purely on what players can achieve in the game through strategy and a little luck. Honestly this was always an option that Mario Party needed and I'm glad it has found a home here in Jamboree.

Controls

The controls for Super Mario Party Jamboree are as basic as can be in the best possible way. You have a basic select/action button when making your way around each board and... that's pretty much it, but really that is all you need. Mini games are a slightly different affair as each mini game has its own control system, but from my own experience they have never been anything too complicate these matters with only a button or two required for each game alongside the control stick for movement. It's a simple but elegant system that never makes any players feel inadequate due to lack of skill and totally levels the playing field for everyone.

Graphics

Nintendo have really not held back in the graphics department; all boards are exquisitely detailed with every inch of them oozing the care that was put into them. The new camera angles, though somewhat disorienting at first after playing previous iterations of the series such as Mario Party Superstars, really highlight the scenes you pass by from a perspective that truly gives them the attention they deserve. It is easily the best looking Mario Party game to date and Jamboree really shows just how good it can look when the proper care has been poured into it.

The boards in this game look simply stunning

Overall

With more boards compared to most, as well as a veritable feast of extra game modes, pro rules and a host of new mini games that are all pretty much fun to play, Mario Party Jamboree brings fresh and exciting ideas without straying too far from the roots laid by previous games. This is definitely the Mario Party that we've all grown to love but better, it's evident that Nintendo has listened to the fan's gripes about Super Mario Party and fixed and refined every concern they had. This is console board gaming at its finest and players will find themselves coming back to again and again.

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