[REVIEW] Is Super Mario Party Jamboree the best ever?

What a pleasant surprise this game is. After so much of the Mario Party IP, after many compilations, rehashes and not very inspired inventions to try to freshen up the formula, I wasn’t expecting such a complete, varied and entertaining installment. So much so that, joking aside, the title Super Mario Party Jamboree might be the best game in the series to date.

If you want more, you have more. If you want better, you have better. If you want something new, that’s what you get. And most importantly for old fans: If you want authenticity, you will find the authentic Mario Party experience.

For those who don’t know, if there are any in the room, this would be the twelfth “main” part if we leave aside the compilations and portable versions. It was always a collection of mini-games set up on board game boards in which four players fought to win the superstar. Of course, this included a bit of luck and randomness, a pinch of irritating injustice and lots of hilarious situations surrounding the Mario universe and its characters. This is how they defined the entire genre of Party games.

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What Jamboree brings is nothing less than seven boards (two of which are beautiful remakes of Nintendo 64 originals), more than a hundred mini-games containing every variation imaginable, more characters and objects than ever before, and what impressed me most: a ton of additional gameplay options.

The core experience is there and well (un)balanced by default. If you play after Mario Party Rulesthe game is as crazy and unfair as you remember, but it maintains an interesting balance in the chaos. Virtually anyone can win, and everyone wants in on the fun and laughs, but skill in the mini-games and strategy with dice and board items can still make the difference. Sometimes. But very soon you will unlock that too Competition Rules

With the modifiable rules and options, Mario Party becomes this Hardcore As can be, and those who have been playing for more than a decade will surely bet their pizza in the most serious way possible, which means a touch of added excitement. But as I said, even the standard party mode is balanced. I know my good friend Alex from Gamereactor UK will miss the special dice tied to characters from the previous game, but in the long run I appreciated that the expanded list has more to do with character size has (too big or too big). ). Small ones can be better or worse depending on the minigame) and, well, with their own character the redundancy is worth it. Otherwise they behave the same, but the way you use items, the path you follow, and the Compas Jamboree make all the difference.

During my time with the game, I saw that there are a number of strategic options available to each player. Try to land on an event field, visit Boo to rob a rival, set traps, teleport to another location and change your own location Estrella…So it’s never about just running to the next star spot.

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He Compa Jamboree That’s the biggest game changer here, but that doesn’t mean they’re too unbalanced in their concept. They are given more prominence individually rather than simply accompanying you to give you special powers, as they now have a special, longer mini-game that decides who gets them first: the one with the corresponding name Mini game with character. The player who reaches his square gains some advantage by getting the ally, but then the compas can “steal” themselves and advance the player who has them on the board. More than just passing events, their appearances (think two every 10-12 rounds) encourage players to think differently again, as they provide the ability to buy twice, both from shops, in addition to their own special ability. .. or even stars.

With this varied competitive experience under my belt, I have to admire that too Board design. Not only are they very beautiful, but they are also very different visually and mechanically. Perhaps the Launched Circuit is the least good in these two aspects, despite its inspiration from Mario Kart, but I liked Rainbow Galleries (yes, Jonas from Gamereactor Sweden, you were right) and the modern version of Western World from N64’s Mario Party 2 . Some of these you’ll need to unlock, and I won’t tell you how to do it yet, but consider it a natural part of the process.

What else? Actually a lot. There are off-board mini-game modes in the Minigame port so you can enjoy it in any way you want, including daily challenges or longer activities (the 8-bit version of Mario’s Arkanoid called Block Breaker deserves its own standalone game, along with Waluigi’s Pinball). There are well-thought-out online modes (good R&D work has finally been done) and overall integration that encourages you to play online beyond Mario Party mode, all with good ideas and leaderboards. There are also dedicated motion-controlled modes to suit every taste, from rhythm cooking to more precise tilting puzzles or, my least favorite, a winged homage to Pilotwings and Wii Sports Resort. And then there are achievements, secondary decorating activities, and plenty of things to hold your attention and provide a sense of progress without being overwhelming.

And yes, it is the first Mario Party that I enjoyed playing alone. In a more relaxed experience the Helpful ride Kamek’s game allows you to wander around empty boards as if you were helping prepare them by completing tasks and errands, getting closer to an adventure. It’s a bit superficial, of course, but I also find it a welcome addition to the single player mode after the hustle and bustle of mini-games.

In short, given the content and ideas and customization options, I think this title pales in comparison to the already very good Super Mario Party from 2018, which again is not what I expected. As a party game, it’s just much wider, rounder, more complete. I’d also like to mention how much the interface has improved, which is essential with so many things going on at the same time. It’s clearer and smoother, and a timeline at the bottom of the screen keeps you updated on what’s coming next (unless your friends annoy you with reaction emojis, which of course they will). This, along with the friendly, direct instructions, also makes it the most accessible game for veterans and newcomers alike.

I’m no longer in my early twenties (more like twice my age), I don’t enjoy and can’t manage to organize local multiplayer sessions like I did with Mario Party 4 on Gamecube with a few colleagues from high school and did at university. But in all these years it has been the game that has brought me closest to that pleasure, only now packed with modern features and enhanced with clever ideas. Come on, I say it: Jamboree!