Hands-on with Super Mario Party Jamboree – Preview

It’s party time again with Super Mario Party Jamboree approaching. I attended a preview for this upcoming game at the Nintendo offices, where I had the chance to get a decent look at a few of the new games’ modes. 

There are seven game boards, with two returning from previous games. We were given the opportunity to play one of these boards, and that was Mega Wigglers Tea Party. This board is built around a Mega Wiggler snoozing in a clearing on the board, with the Wiggler also forming part of the board path. We played four turns of the board, so I can only speak to what happens for a limited time playing. Throughout this board, there are Wiggler Bell spots that will wake up the Mega Wiggler and move them, changing the path of the board if you need to travel through that section. 

If you’ve played a Mario Party game, you’ll know what to expect – everyone gets a turn to roll/hit the die and make their way across the board. It was easy enough to start collecting items to help you or hinder others more directly and really start frustrating your friends within four turns. There are over 110 mini-games available; I don’t know how many of those appear when playing a Mario Party board. It seems that the majority are new mini-games, so it’s always good to know when there are so many Mario Party’s now. 

The time we played was limited, and you could only do so many things with four turns, but someone managed to get a star!  Heaps of coins were gained and lost, and I managed to use a warp pipe item to warp myself to a random item shop on the board. This landed me just after the star space when I forgot where the item shop I was hoping to warp to (and consequently warped to) was on the map. It was everything Mario Party is: competitive fun with friends and family. 

When we wrapped up the 4-player Mario Party experience, I got to check out the single-player Daily Challenges mode. This section had multiple themed playlists, with three mini-games to complete. It seems like a fun way to enjoy the mini-games without having to play them individually or as part of playing one of the boards. It’s also a fun way to earn the currency used within the wider game. There were some fun mini-games here, such as dodging delicious-looking falling sandwich squares and dividing a delicious-looking steak into exactly half. There was also a fun mini-game where you needed to build a path across a pool of lava, with several pieces to choose from to form a bridge. All the players choose a piece they want, the caveat being if you choose the same piece as someone else neither of you get it. You have to take a chance no one will want your piece, but also make sure it’s one that will connect to the path, otherwise it won’t work either. 

Koopathalon appears single-player based despite there being 20 players on the board/track. This mode has players running laps, in this case 5 laps. Mini-games would pop up along the way to help decide everyone’s position in the race. I was surprised that they seemed to be mini games that may not be present in the main collection, and I was curious how many games there would be. I of course have no idea, in the laps I did run there were three or so different games that became more involved throughout the race. There was a mini-game that had me placing tetromino-style blocks down on a grid, with the intention of having them connect from one edge of the grid to the other. Some blocks would have coins, and some would have bombs, so it’s about maximising the connecting lines full of coins. I also want to mention that it was important to connect up the bomb blocks, too. I initially avoided them, thinking they would take coins or do something negative. It turns out they help take out surrounding blocks, so they are pretty helpful. I hope you can learn from my mistakes! 

There was a recurring mini-game in the style of Breakout/Arkanoid, where you control a paddle while keeping a green shell chipping away at various pixel art characters made out of blocks. This game was pretty fun, especially if you like Arkanoid. 

Another mini-game was walking up a steep sandy hill, with spiky cylinders being rolled down it as coins appear all around the hill. While it initially looked like it just involved getting all the coins on the way up the hill, you’re really moving wherever the coins drop, even if it’s having to slowly walk back down the hill. It was another straightforward mini-game, but it was fun. While I imagine there’s more mini-games available during this mode, the three games were enjoyable and I did well enough to win 1st place despite some setbacks along the way. 

To play Koopathalon online with 19 other people, you will need NSO. However I played against the CPU in this case (I believe this is an online mode generally). It’s another fun diversion from the Party boards. It feels like there’s enough to keep you busy here, even with the small amount of the game I was shown. 

Bowser Kaboom Squad is the last mode I got to play. Kaboom Squad moves away from Mario Party boards and incorporates mini games within a larger game/mini-game. Kaboom Squad pits yourself and a squad of other players against an “Imposter Bowser”, a giant Bowser that’s stomping around a city block and you have limited time to stop him. There are several rounds to try and do as much damage as possible, by breaking open crates holding bombs. Once you’ve liberated the payload from the crates the next hurdle is to haul the bombs over to the cannon and fill the meter until enough bombs are loaded to fire at “Bowser”.

I was able to choose the map where Charging’ Chucks charge across the map to bowl you over, as you try to break crates and carry bombs. Meanwhile you have “Imposter” Bowser stomping around, trying to keep the squad from achieving their goal. Once you do start doing damage and wearing down the health meter, Bowser does start making things more difficult whether it’s breathing fire or leaving lava on the ground. 

You only have a limited time to take down Bowser, and it is split up into rounds. Between these rounds are mini-games to help the group try and earn the best tier of items rewarded after. This could be a hammer for smashing crates faster, handy because the crates take way too long unless everyone is coordinated. There’s gloves for carrying more bombs at once, items for slowing down not-Bowser, and tiles that can give the squad running over them a speed boost. In the end I didn’t defeat Imposter Bowser and he continues to destroy city blocks to this day, but it was an enjoyable mode, I imagine it would be much more fun with real people to join.

Something that had come up outside of this mode and more prominently in this one was the mention of Imposter Bowser. I get it would be pretty awkward when Bowser is showing up to the party and then this giant version of yourself is showing up and wrecking the joint. Does regular Bowser just have to accept that everyone is only too willing to wreck him, should the opportunity arise? 

If you like Mario Party, there will be plenty for you to like with Super Mario Party Jamboree. Between the Party mode, Koopathalon, Daily Challenges and (imposter) Bowser Kaboom Squad, there is more than enough to keep you and the people you used to respect and cherish happy. On top of the glimpse I got of the game, it seems like there’s plenty more in store; I’m keen to see what the rest looks like.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is out on Thursday, October 17th, 2024. Check out our bargain guide for the game here to grab it for as cheap as possible.