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Super Mario Party Jamboree Review: Is This Party Too Crowded?
Ah, Super Mario Party Jamboree—the latest entry in Nintendo’s long-standing Mario Party series. You know what you're getting into with a Mario Party game: short bursts of chaos, alliances that last five minutes, and enough mini-games to turn your brain into Goomba mush. But Jamboree? Man, it’s got a LOT going on. Too much, even. Like, imagine showing up to a party, and there’s so much happening that you don’t know if you should head to the snack table, join the karaoke, or just sit in the corner and cry into your soda because it’s all too much. Yeah, that’s Super Mario Party Jamboree in a nutshell.
Super Mario Party Jamboree
So buckle up, because we're diving into this chaotic madhouse of a game and seeing if it’s worth crashing this party—or if it’s time to find the exit.
The Good, The Bad, and the Bowser Impostor
Let’s start with what jumps out right away: the sheer number of characters and mini-games. We’re talking 22 playable characters and a whopping 112 mini-games. That’s the most in any Mario Party game to date. And on paper, that sounds awesome, right? More characters mean more variety, more mini-games mean more fun—except, well, not always.
First off, the character roster is a bit of a mixed bag. While having Bowser as a playable character sounds cool (because who doesn’t want to stomp around as the King of Koopas?), it leads to this weird situation where the game refers to the antagonist Bowser as “Impostor Bowser.” And honestly, it’s just…awkward. Like, come on, Nintendo, you could’ve just left Bowser as the main villain and avoided this whole confusing mess. It feels like a forced solution to a problem that didn’t need to exist in the first place.
Bowser in Super Mario Party
The mini-games, on the other hand, are a rollercoaster of emotions. Some are straight-up fun, while others make you question your life choices. But we’ll get into that later. Let’s talk maps for a bit.
The Maps: New and Nostalgic
This is one area where Jamboree shines. You’ve got five new maps and two returning fan favorites. The new maps are easily some of the best we’ve seen in years, and they really bring some creative gimmicks to the table. Let’s break down a couple of highlights:
- Rolm Raceway: This map is just pure chaotic fun. You’re racing around a track, trying to outpace your opponents, and there’s something endlessly satisfying about it. It’s simple but effective.
- Rainbow Galleria: Think Rainbow Road, but in a party game. It’s colorful, it’s chaotic, and it’s likely going to make you lose friends along the way. But hey, that’s Mario Party!
And then there are the map-specific gimmicks that keep things fresh. Mega Wiggler’s Tree Party lets you mess around with a sleeping Wiggler—move him around, create new paths, and generally cause chaos. It’s fun, it’s quirky, and it’s exactly what you want in a Mario Party game. Then there’s Goomba Lagoon, which has a volcano that keeps spitting out hazards, making the board itself feel like it’s actively trying to ruin your day. I love that.
The returning maps? They’re oldies but goodies. They’ve been revamped to fit the new mechanics, but they still carry that nostalgic charm. It’s like seeing an old friend after years, and they’ve gotten a fresh haircut and maybe hit the gym a little. They look good, but they’re still familiar.
Jamboree Buddies and Showdown Mini-Games: A Mixed Bag
Now, here’s where things start to get a little funky. Jamboree introduces a couple of new mechanics: Jamboree Buddies and Showdown mini-games. These are intended to spice up the core gameplay, but… I’m not sure they hit the mark.
Jamboree Buddies
So, Jamboree Buddies are characters you can encounter during the game who offer you advantages. Stuff like extra dice rolls, coins, or other perks. Sounds cool, right? Well, it is, but it’s also kinda meh. Like, when you’re in the middle of a heated match, the last thing on your mind is, “Oh, let me run across the board to grab a buddy for a small advantage.” It just doesn’t feel as impactful as it should, and half the time you’re too focused on getting stars or messing with your friends to care about them.
Showdown Mini-Games
Now, the Showdown mini-games? These are longer, more complex mini-games that pop up at certain points. And again, on paper, this sounds like a good idea. But in practice? They’re hit or miss. Some of them are genuinely fun and add a little extra strategy to the game. But others? They drag on forever. I’m looking at you, Gatekeepers.
Gatekeepers is one of those mini-games that sounds simple—rotate turns, use keys, unlock doors. But it’s slow. Like, molasses-slow. You’ll be begging for it to end after the first couple of rounds. And that’s the problem with some of the Showdown mini-games: they take what’s supposed to be a quick, fun experience and stretch it out until you’re just frustrated.
The Mini-Games: 112 of Them… But How Many Are Worth It?
Let’s talk about the mini-games, because that’s where a lot of the Mario Party magic happens. As mentioned earlier, Jamboree boasts 112 mini-games. That’s a ton of content, but here’s the thing: not all mini-games are created equal.
While there are some absolute gems in the mix, a lot of the mini-games are forgettable, or worse, frustrating. There’s also an over-reliance on randomness in some games, which, okay, I get it, Mario Party has always had an element of randomness. But when mini-games feel like they’re purely a coin toss or just plain luck, it takes away from the fun.
Mini-Games in Action
Here’s a quick breakdown of the mini-game situation:
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Fun and Fast-Paced Mini-Games: These are the ones you’ll love. They’re quick, they’re chaotic, and they get your adrenaline pumping. Stuff like Bumper Balloons and Chomp Chomp Run are a blast, and they remind you why you love Mario Party in the first place.
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Too Random Mini-Games: Then you’ve got the ones that are too random for their own good. I’m talking games like Coin Frenzy, where half the time you’re just smashing buttons and hoping for the best. It’s fun the first time, but it gets old fast.
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Why Is This Here? Mini-Games: And finally, the “Why is this here?” category. These are the mini-games that feel like filler. Stuff like Gatekeepers (again, sorry, but it’s bad) or Penguin Push, which is just annoying. You’ll play them once, groan, and hope they don’t pop up again.
Side Mode Mini-Games: The Forgotten Half
Here’s something that’s kind of a bummer: nearly half of the mini-games are locked away in side modes that most players won’t touch regularly. It’s like Nintendo knew they had too many mini-games, so they just shoved a bunch of them into modes that don’t get as much playtime. And that leaves the core party experience feeling a bit repetitive. Like, cool, we’ve got 112 mini-games, but how many of them are in the main mode? And how many of those are actually fun? It ends up feeling like quantity over quality.
The Extra Modes: The Cathlon and Bowser Kaboom Squad
Okay, so let’s talk about the extra modes, because Jamboree is PACKED with them.
The Cathlon
First up, we have The Cathlon. This mode lets you take part in a 20-player battle royale-style competition, which sounds awesome, right? Except… it’s not. It’s a cool concept, but it’s underdeveloped. The mini-games are inspired by battle royale mechanics, but they don’t quite nail the execution. Instead of feeling like a chaotic free-for-all, it feels more like a half-baked idea that needed more time in the oven.
Bowser Kaboom Squad
Next, we have Bowser Kaboom Squad, which is an online mode where players team up to take down a CPU-controlled Bowser. This mode is pure chaos, and not always in a good way. It’s fun for a bit, but I can’t see this mode holding people’s attention for long. It’s one of those “play it once and move on” kind of deals. Plus, the CPU Bowser feels more like a punching bag than a real threat, which takes away from the challenge.
Final Thoughts: Worth the Invite or Should You Skip This Party?
So, what’s the verdict? Should you crash the Super Mario Party Jamboree or skip it altogether?
Here’s the thing: if you’re a die-hard Mario Party fan, there’s fun to be had here. The new maps are some of the best in years, and playing with friends can still lead to those laugh-out-loud, friendship-ruining moments that Mario Party is famous for. But if you’re looking for something tight and polished, Jamboree might leave you feeling overwhelmed.
The game tries to do too much. With 22 characters, 112 mini-games, and a bunch of extra modes, it feels like Nintendo just threw everything at the wall to see what sticks. And while some of it does stick (those new maps, for example), a lot of it doesn’t. The mini-games are uneven, the extra modes feel tacked on, and the overall experience is a bit too chaotic for its own good.
In the end, Super Mario Party Jamboree is fun in bursts. It’s worth a play with friends on a game night, but it’s not the kind of game you’ll come back to over and over again. A solid 7/10 for me—fun, but not quite the party I was hoping for.
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