Announced during the Nintendo Direct presentation on 18th June 2024, Super Mario Party Jamboree is the third installment of the Mario Party franchise specifically made for Nintendo Switch. With the tried-and-tested Mario Party boards back on the block but with gameplay favoring that of Superstars, I was interested to see if what was new was, in fact, new enough.
Image Source: Nintendo via Twinfinite
First of all, the boards. It was a pleasant surprise to see how vast the boards were compared to their Super Mario Party counterparts. While this gives a lot of replay value, a ten-turn round averaging out at around ninety minutes, I can see younger players or those more used to quick playthroughs getting bored or frustrated by the time it takes to get around the board even once. However, the tiny boards of Super Mario Party are a thing of the past. With new dice, board-specific items, and different ways to keep opponents from getting the sacred Stars before you do, there is a lot to discover if you have the time to dedicate to it. Players can even go all the way up to thirty turns if they want a longer game experience, and the ability to save offline games is always helpful.
