Super Mario Party Jamboree

Super Mario Party Jamboree is a 2024 party video game developed by Nintendo Cube (previously known as NDcube) and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the thirteenth home console installment in the Mario Party series, and the third on the Nintendo Switch, following Super Mario Party, and Mario Party Superstars. Like most installments in the Mario Party series, the main gameplay loop features players, either human or computer-controlled, using characters from the Mario franchise to compete in a board game with minigames after each turn.

The game features a single-player mission mode as well as several other game modes, some of which require the use of motion controls. Typically up to four human players can compete at a time, but depending on the game mode, up to twenty human players can compete via online matchmaking. Super Mario Party Jamboree’s gameplay is split between numerous different modes, most of which require the usage of Joy-Con controllers and all of which can be accessed in the game’s hub area called the “Party Plaza”.

In the hub, the player can access their game data and settings, listen to the game’s selection of music, customize different aspects of the hub and change their player character. The game boasts 22 playable characters (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, Yoshi, Toadette, Toad, Rosalina, Donkey Kong, Birdo, Bowser, Goomba, Shy Guy, Koopa Troopa, Monty Mole, Bowser Jr., Boo, Spike, and newcomers Pauline and Ninji) which makes for the current largest roster of playable characters in the Mario Party series. These characters can be controlled by human players as well as artificial intelligence (AI).

Much like other games in the Mario Party series, Super Mario Party Jamboree’s main mode, dubbed simply “Mario Party”, is an interactive board game that allows up to four players, human or computer controlled, to compete to collect the most stars by the end of a set number of turns (ten through thirty), with different items and board mechanics that either help or harm the players chances of success. After each turn has ended the players play a minigame. A majority of minigames use motion controls, though it is possible to turn off the motion-controlled minigames to allow for minigames only using button controls. The board mechanic of allies from Super Mario Party makes a revamped return in the form of “Jamboree Buddies”.

Modeled after ten of the available player characters, Jamboree Buddies appear on the board after a certain amount of turns and, when passed, will trigger a minigame to see which player will obtain them. Jamboree Buddies last for up to three turns, activate a board space effect twice and grant players different abilities that vary depending on the one obtained. For example, Waluigi steals coins from opponents that he passes. Alongside the traditional set of rules, a more competitive ruleset called “Pro Rules” is available to select which is designed to remove most luck-based aspects found in traditional play.