Trigger Cut Game Reviews

Jamboree is easily the best main entry in the series in a decade.  This entry is packed with content, and if you love the core gameplay of Mario Party, this is a game you will keep coming back to.  The minigames here are great with only a few duds here and there. The boards here are all bangers.  The standouts for me are the racetrack which puts you in karts similar to the costumes in Mario Party 2 as well as Bowser’s castle which provides a constant unpredictable challenge.  There are two main modes, the classic party mode as well as the new pro mode. Pro mode is an interesting attempt to lessen the randomness of party mode by giving you the ability to see where potential stars may land, vote for minigames, start with an item, and always losing a star if you land on a Bowser space.  This mode doesn’t completely remove the random nature of Mario Party but it does give you a bit more control over what happens.  Personally, I enjoy the random nature of Mario Party as it allows for a nice balance of strategy and luck where the game gives you the ability to put your finger on the dial and make it more likely that you will win; however, a win is never guaranteed given anything can happen. The game adds a new mechanic in the form of Jamboree buddies. This mechanic can be a game changer since you can race to get an ally such as Mario or Donkey Kong and they will provide you a buff such as adding another dice roll or receiving an item each turn. They also provide you the opportunity to earn 2 stars as well as double the amount of coins you gain or lose on a space.  Each buddy has its own minigame where the player that lands there gets an advantage. If you win the minigame, you get the buddy.  Once you earned the buddy, it can easily be lost by another player passing you and stealing your buddy.  This feels annoying and unfair given you have to work hard to earn the buddy just to be cuckolded a few minutes later.  There are several side modes that while not substantial still provide a couple hours of fun.  There is Rhythm Kitchen which is essentially just a handful of rhythm based minigames where you make food.  Bowser Kaboom Squad  is an 8 player mode where you fight Imposter Bowser by gathering bombs to put in a cannon.  Each round ends with an 8 person minigame.  You can play this mode online however, I couldn’t test how this was (i’ll get to the online component later).  Koopathon mode is where you go around a mario kart like race where winning minigames allow you to move across the track. There are other modes such as the flying minigames which are insubstantial and I doubt these modes are going to be mainstays that you will return to.  Party Planner is the new single player mode.  Having a single player mode in a Mario party game is exciting however, this mode isn’t anything particularly great.  The concept is that you are preparing the boards for the titular Mario party by walking around, collecting things, playing minigames and earning stars.  Each board ends with a unique boss battle minigame that ultimately does make this mode worth playing.  There is an achievement system that allows you to unlock new boards, music, and decorations for the hub world. Finally, like most other entries you can play any minigame you want at any time. This entry adds preset playlists that shake up the gameplay.   As I alluded to before I could not test out the online modes because it did not work.  Every time I tried to connect to the online mode, it would shut my game down.  If I somehow end up being able to play online, I will update this review.  In conclusion, if you are a fan of the franchise, Jamboree is an exciting and incredibly strong entry in the franchise that should not be missed.