During my PAX West 2024 visit, Nintendo invited me into its secret room where I first got a chance to check out The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and then had some hands-on time with Super Mario Party Jamboree. This was an unusual appointment for me because I’ve never been much of a fan of Super Mario Party. Not because I dislike the game, but because my family doesn’t game with me, and none of my friends or family ever suggested that we play Super Mario Party. However, after playing Super Mario Party Jamboree during my preview, I’m sure that’s about to change, and I might lose a few friends and family.
Even before I had a chance to check out the game, the Nintendo rep had piqued my interest in the title by revealing that Super Mario Party Jamboree had a total of seven Mario Party maps to play on, more than 110 minigames, and 22 characters to play as, including two newcomers — Pauline from Super Mario Odyssey and Ninji, a character you’ve seen if you’ve played just about any Super Mario title.
Checking Out Super Mario Party Jamboree’s Online Modes
During the hands-on session, everyone was split into two teams: one group tested the online sessions, and the other tried co-op. I got to check out the online modes first, starting with the 20-player online mode called Koopathalon. In Koopathalon, all players compete against each other in a series of mini-games. Your performance in these mini-games determines your placement as you race around a huge track. The better you do, the further you’ll progress.
One mini-game had me hitting a volleyball back and forth with my team, trying to ensure we spiked it at the right moment. Another mini-game, which I enjoyed, involved dodging spiked logs being tossed at me while I climbed up a sandy hill. It was especially challenging because other players could make the climb even more hazardous for you.
After some time, we switched to the 8-player online mode, Kaboom Squad. As the name suggests, this mode involves blowing something up—specifically, Imposter Bowser. My team’s objective was to collect cannonballs, load them into a cannon, and blast Imposter Bowser in the face. However, this was easier said than done, as Imposter Bowser could interfere by chasing players and stomping on them, causing them to drop their cannonballs. The game mode is broken into rounds, with the difficulty increasing each time, so doing your best was crucial, but so was teamwork.
Both online modes were a lot more fun than I expected, especially since I’m not someone who typically plays Super Mario Party. In simple terms, I had a blast playing with my teammates. The mini-games struck a good balance between being fun and challenging, and I’m now looking forward to playing more of this when the game releases.
The implementation of having 20-player and 80-player online game modes, and seeing how both of them worked, is going to blow the minds of faithful Super Mario Party fans. Heck, it’s already made a believer out of me, and I don’t play this series that much.
Super Mario Party Jamboree Offline Are Just As Fun
Once my time with the online game mode was over, we switched places, and I moved over to the offline game mode. This mode was a classic Super Mario Party game mode but was just as much fun as the online game mode, except it’s local co-op.
In this mode, I played with three other people across a map with lots of surprises. Everything from purchasing items in a shop that could give me an advantage or screw over the other players, to collecting coins that could be exchanged for stars, hazards, and more.
One interesting thing was the giant Wiggler located on the map. Here, you could use it as a shortcut across the map. However, other players could put a stop to that by getting an item that could force it to move, as happened to me, deterring my early lead over the other players. I can see this being a cause for some heartbreak and possibly some fights as devious friends and family send others backwards.
Of course, we can’t forget the mini-games, which varied from cutting out cookie shapes, cutting a steak in half, trying to get as close as 50/50 as possible, and jumping on top of incoming sandwiches as they descended on top of you. All of those mini-games made me hungry since I hadn’t eaten anything before the session.
Super Mario Party Jamboree Is More Fun Than I Expected
As I mentioned, Super Mario Party isn’t a game that’s played in my household much. Still, after giving Super Mario Party Jamboree a try, I have to say I enjoyed what I played. The online is going to shock a lot of players, especially those who have been frustrated with the past offerings. While the game modes and mini-games are loads of fun.
The only downside is that Super Mario Party Jamboree doesn’t get released until October 17, 2024, so I’ll have to wait to pick up a copy and put the smackdown on my family.
